1851 brass frame navy

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sully2311

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Anyone happen to know the thread size of the front sight hole of a 1851 pietta brass frame navy pistol? The little beehive sight
 
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Sully....

In most cases they are not threaded, the sight is manufactured as an interference fit. They are driven in and the fit keeps them tight.

Braising rod (one eighth) is a good fit in the ones I have fiddled with.

If you have one that is threaded, it is very likely 4 x .7.
 
It is threaded... Thank you! I have cut the barrel down and I think I'll use the brazing rod like you suggested
 
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Or you could epoxy on a shaped inverter phillips head brass screw on top of the barrel like I have several times. Especially if you want a higher front sight. See attached photo.
 

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too bad a blade front sight isn't easier to install!
a post is OK for man shooting, but you need a finer sight for hunting and targets.
frankily, the post s a retty good sight for G/P shooting but many Colt Styles are too low for shooting smaall 20 yard targets/Game.
I try and live with the "stockers" bu5t if my income and arthritis weren't so lousy, 'd do it all better
 
Well, depending on how big a diameter the post is, you can file it to one side or the other to accomplish some windage adjustment. The sight might end up a little off-center but that's OK.

Steve
 
They used to make a "turtle" sight. Dixie Gunworks carried it. It was a "blade-like" sight with four little legs that spread out over the barrell. You solder it on. Dixie may still have it. It looked good and may be very useful. I have an old shotgun with a very thin muzzle area and I thought about installing a "turtle" rather than trying to bead it. I have a stainless steel Remington 1858 from Pietta and the post came off. I ordered a new post because I lost the old one. The new post is too fat to sit in the dimple on the barrell. I will have to either turn it to reduce it, or go with some other sight. I have never soldered on stainless steel before and dont know if it would work. I thought about the turtle for the Remington too. I might dove-tail a different type of sight, but the barrell isnt my idea of a thick barrell on the Remington. I need to think about it some more. Making a brass-band front sight, wrapping brass around the barrell and then soldering to the brass is an idea.
 
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I ended up drilling a hole and used jb weld to hold the original beehive post in... Haven't shot yet, but plan to next weekend.
 
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According to what I have read the cone sights on the old Colts were not screwed, soldered, or driven in. A piece of soft brass wire was dropped into the flat bottom hole and an arbor press with an inverted female cone shape was brought down to force the sight in place, spread it out, and shape it all in one pass.

Jim
 
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