Alternate Front Sight?

Karl · 06-25-2002, 10:46 AM

I was about to post a question about all standard-barrel Lugers seeming to shoot too high when I saw Herb's post on "Shooting Tests" noting that they were sighted in at some ridiculous range, but the problem remains.

In my experience, a standard barrel Luger shoots 6" to 8" high at 50ft. The simplest remedy would be a taller front sight (about 1/8" taller). I recall Hugh mentioned installing a Mauser rifle sight on guns he rebarrels to 6." I would like to know where one can get such a sight and what other sights or other measures (aside from Kentucky windage) can be employed to make a Luger shoot at point of aim at a normal range. KFS [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

unspellable · 06-25-2002, 02:27 PM

Try changing the load. At short ranges a handgun will shoot lower with with a lighter bullet and higher with a heavier bullet. This seems contrary to the usual thinking in terms of bullet drop and a heavier bullet usually being slower, but at short range the dominant effect is "jump" that part of the recoil that takes place before the bullet leaves the barrel. The heavier bullet produces more jump so the muzzle is higher when it exits. Again at short range and with a given bullet the sighting will be relatively insensitive to the muzzle velocity so if you are handloading you can vary the velocity with a given bullet and not change the point of impact by much.

unspellable

Johnny Peppers · 06-25-2002, 03:11 PM

A very good assessment of the reaction of pistols due to the initial movement of the bullet in the barrel. Additionally, the sights of a pistol and the bore are not in parallel alignment. The sights must be adjusted to compensate for this initial "jump" of the pistol. In virtually all cases the muzzle will be pointing lower than the sight alignment to allow for the initial muzzle movement as the bullet starts to move. A very good example of sight compensation is the Colt Single Action Army. Virtually each caliber had a different height front sight. The pistol chambered in .45 Colt had a very high front sight, and the pistol chambered in .32 WCF had a stubby front sight. This was a factory correction for the bullet induced muzzle jump. The heavier the bullet, the more the muzzle will rise initially upon firing.

06-25-2002, 10:46 AM	#1
Karl Lifer - Twice Over Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Savannah Posts: 522 Thanks: 0 Thanked 271 Times in 118 Posts	Alternate Front Sight? I was about to post a question about all standard-barrel Lugers seeming to shoot too high when I saw Herb's post on "Shooting Tests" noting that they were sighted in at some ridiculous range, but the problem remains. In my experience, a standard barrel Luger shoots 6" to 8" high at 50ft. The simplest remedy would be a taller front sight (about 1/8" taller). I recall Hugh mentioned installing a Mauser rifle sight on guns he rebarrels to 6." I would like to know where one can get such a sight and what other sights or other measures (aside from Kentucky windage) can be employed to make a Luger shoot at point of aim at a normal range. KFS [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

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06-25-2002, 02:27 PM	#2
unspellable User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 768 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 11 Posts	Try changing the load. At short ranges a handgun will shoot lower with with a lighter bullet and higher with a heavier bullet. This seems contrary to the usual thinking in terms of bullet drop and a heavier bullet usually being slower, but at short range the dominant effect is "jump" that part of the recoil that takes place before the bullet leaves the barrel. The heavier bullet produces more jump so the muzzle is higher when it exits. Again at short range and with a given bullet the sighting will be relatively insensitive to the muzzle velocity so if you are handloading you can vary the velocity with a given bullet and not change the point of impact by much. unspellable

06-25-2002, 03:11 PM	#3
Johnny Peppers User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Calion, Arkansas Posts: 1,042 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	A very good assessment of the reaction of pistols due to the initial movement of the bullet in the barrel. Additionally, the sights of a pistol and the bore are not in parallel alignment. The sights must be adjusted to compensate for this initial "jump" of the pistol. In virtually all cases the muzzle will be pointing lower than the sight alignment to allow for the initial muzzle movement as the bullet starts to move. A very good example of sight compensation is the Colt Single Action Army. Virtually each caliber had a different height front sight. The pistol chambered in .45 Colt had a very high front sight, and the pistol chambered in .32 WCF had a stubby front sight. This was a factory correction for the bullet induced muzzle jump. The heavier the bullet, the more the muzzle will rise initially upon firing.