Advice please on fixed sight problem

[Kermit]

I have a 3" Ruger GP100 that has fixed sights. I purchased this revolver used from a gun shop. It appears to be in great condition. The revolver shoots very nice except that it seems to shoot to the right of point of aim. Bullet impact is about 2 to 3 inches right at 25 yards. I've shot from a pistol rest on a concrete bench at a 25 yard range. I've tried several different loads (both .357 and .38 with 158 grn bullets) but so far it shoots to the right.

If need be could the front sight be CAREFULLY filed to adjust point of impact to match point of aim with a chosen load? Which side of the sight should be filed? I'm thinking the left. Advice please. Thank you!

 

[RoninPA]

What you do (physical movement) to the front sight inversely affects what will happen to the flight of the bullet. What you do to the rear sight directly affects the flight of the bullet.

Thus, if you move the REAR sight to the left, the bullet flight will go left. If you move the front sight to the left the bullet flight will go to the right. However, that deals with the physical movement of the sights.

If you file off the left side of the front sight the flight of the bullet will move left because you will then need to move the front sight to the left to center it in the rear sight channel. Filing the left side of the front sight is like physically moving the front sight to the right. Also, filing the rear sight directly affects the flight (filing the left side of rear sight-bullet movment goes left).

Hope this doesn't screw you up too much.

The other thing to do: Put your GP in something that will hold it perfectly upright with the barrel parallel to the ground and look at the barrel position. Does the sight line up correctly or is it canted a bit to the left or right? If it is canted, that can also throw the POI off. It's possible that it is and that may be why the first (or subsequent) owner(s) got rid of it. In that case, give Ruger a call, they very well could ask you to return it to them for repair at not cost.

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

Just move the front sight in the direction you the POI and POA to be. Filing the front sight sides will really screw things up. I moved my 3" front sight with a brass punch and small hammer and got it after a few trys. I have a Wiley Clapp, and I adjusted the front sight the same way. Just go easy, it'll take a few taps, judiciously! Hope this helps. BHK

 

[RoninPA]

Just move the front sight in the direction you the POI and POA to be. Filing the front sight sides will really screw things up. I moved my 3" front sight with a brass punch and small hammer and got it after a few trys. I have a Wiley Clapp, and I adjusted the front sight the same way. Just go easy, it'll take a few taps, judiciously! Hope this helps. BHK

I believe this is an older 3" GP and if it is the front sight is pinned into a slot milled into the sight rib, so you can't drift the front sight.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

2-3 inches at 25 yards for a fixed sight gun with a 3" barrel is not worth messing with. It is not a target or hunting pistol it is a self defense gun and as such that accuracy is well within Ruger or anyone else's standards. :shock:

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

What Jimbo357mag said + 1 .
I just picked one like it up and was very surprised that it was regulated to shoot exactly on at 30 ft. ( the range I test defense type guns at). If it had been 2-3" off it would have been exceptable to me.

 

[hittman]

Yep, Jimbo nailed it. My 3" GPs may be that far off too but I don't practice with them past 10 yards.

I consider them a snub-nose.

 

[Rodfac]

I've done what you suggest as a solution to centering your impact points. It worked for me, but was a royal PITA. Two inches is a lot to take out of the rear sight, and believe me, bending the front sight is NOT AN OPTION. Were it me, I'd send it back to Ruger and have them screw the barrel in the proper position.

As to which side of the sight to, file...if your groups are impacting 2-3" right of your point of aim, file the rear notch on the left side. I did it with a NV in .45 Colt as was able to get almost 2" of lateral movement, but that was about the limit, without a noticeable widening of the notch, making precision sighting at 25 yds, problematic.

In practice, I shot a lot of groups with my standard load to determine, just how much adjustment was necessary. I shoot 95% of the time with two hands, so that's how I zeroed the gun. Since my one-handed and two-handed zeros are about 2" apart in lateral, (windage) adjustment, I needed to make that decision. I'm a rightie, so my one-handed zero is another two inches farther left from my two-handed zero.

Shoot a lot of groups, and not off the rest...shoot them as you'll shoot in the field and when plinking, then determine just how far out they are; and zero for that amount. Guns shoot differently off sand bags than they do offhand. It's a matter of the way you hold the gun, amount of downward pressure on the sand bags, arm support, the amount of sight you're seeing, and hand grip strength.... all have a profound effect on group location...hence my suggestion that you shoot a lot of groups as you do in the field. Then and only then, get out your file, mask the rear end of the frame with electrician's tape and begin. It's file two or three strokes, then shoot a few groups. Then back to the file again...and with the load that you're committed to for the rest of the time you own that gun!

Here's a pic of the rear of my Vaquero, if you look closely, you'll see the widening on the right side of the notch.

Hope this helps. But a call to Ruger is really the best solution.

Rod

 

[farley]

2" to 3" at 25 yards with a 3" barrel? I don't see the problem.

 

[Kermit]

Thanks for the input from everyone. I've come up with some other loads to test in the GP100. My testing so far had been with 158 grain cast lead bullets and mid range loads. I'm going to test some loads with a little more oomph, and some using cast bullets with gas checks. I don't really want to alter the sights unless I have to, and may just leave them alone as several folks feel that the accuracy wasn't that bad. Regardless, I still like the revolver. It's just a really neat short barrel revolver.

 

[WESHOOT2]

As I develop loads I try shooting them with both hands, especially loads that seem to lean to one side.

So try your leaning load with your right hand AND your left hand.

 

[DPris]

2-3 off at 25 would be totally unacceptable to me.
I require better than that on any handgun I own, including snubs, and I don't want to have to remember to lean this way or lean that way to compensate on anything.

I've had my gunsmith remove metal from the inside of the REAR sight groove to adjust windage.
Easy on a stainless gun, can be cold-blue touched up on a blued one.
Plated gu, no.
Denis

 

[Jimbo357mag]

By all means try some different ammo and plot the results. Who knows you might find the accuracy is better than you think.