Magnum Wheel Man
New member
think they'll look nice with the brass grip frames... always put a brass bead on a blued shotgun... any reason I shouldn't do brass sights on these ???
Thinking about brass dove tail front sights on my 51 Navys when I shorten the barrels
- Thread starter Magnum Wheel Man
- Start date
bedbugbilly
New member
Over the years, I've seen a number of originals that had dovetail sights on them. Most were steel but there's no reason not to use a brass one if that's what you like!
I have a Uberti Navy at the present. I've owned a lot of different brads of Navies over the years and this is the first Navy I haven't had to make a lot of "compensation" for when sighting. I've stuck with the post sight on mine as it seems to work fine for me. At some point though, I've considered changing it out and having a dovetail cut and sliding a sight in. At least you could adjust for windage on it and put a high enough one in to adjust with a file for elevation if need be.
If you do change yours out - post some photos please as I'm sure it would "inspire" others to make the change.
I have a Uberti Navy at the present. I've owned a lot of different brads of Navies over the years and this is the first Navy I haven't had to make a lot of "compensation" for when sighting. I've stuck with the post sight on mine as it seems to work fine for me. At some point though, I've considered changing it out and having a dovetail cut and sliding a sight in. At least you could adjust for windage on it and put a high enough one in to adjust with a file for elevation if need be.
If you do change yours out - post some photos please as I'm sure it would "inspire" others to make the change.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
BILLY... I never post pics 
just ordered 3 of the brass sights, waiting on my .357" barrel liner from TJ's that I ordered last week... also ordered 500 Starline 38 Long Colt cases for this project (s)...
BTW... I have a little 31 caliber 5 shot pocket colt that was converted to 32 S&W... long ago... barrel was left normal length... I don't like the look of it, without the loading lever, so I'm thinking about cutting that down to a belly gun ( Arch Angel ), & adding a brass sight to that as well...
on my navies, I'm going to cut down the loading levers, when the barrels get shortened ( to 4.5" ) & leave them on the gun ( I may just radius the end of the loading lever & screw the end of the lever to the barrel, so I don't get any wardrobe malfunctions ( ala Walker style )
this is on a pair of Pieta navies I bought on sale at Cabelas a couple weeks ago... purpose is for fun days at CAS, when I feel like giving my Rugers a rest...
just ordered 3 of the brass sights, waiting on my .357" barrel liner from TJ's that I ordered last week... also ordered 500 Starline 38 Long Colt cases for this project (s)...
BTW... I have a little 31 caliber 5 shot pocket colt that was converted to 32 S&W... long ago... barrel was left normal length... I don't like the look of it, without the loading lever, so I'm thinking about cutting that down to a belly gun ( Arch Angel ), & adding a brass sight to that as well...
on my navies, I'm going to cut down the loading levers, when the barrels get shortened ( to 4.5" ) & leave them on the gun ( I may just radius the end of the loading lever & screw the end of the lever to the barrel, so I don't get any wardrobe malfunctions ( ala Walker style )
this is on a pair of Pieta navies I bought on sale at Cabelas a couple weeks ago... purpose is for fun days at CAS, when I feel like giving my Rugers a rest...
Last edited:
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
BTW... this is the sight I ordered...
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/1/FS-CA-1B
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/1/FS-CA-1B
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
The machining of my Navy conversions are nearly done... will try to get a couple pics in the next couple weeks
new cylinders made for 38 Long Colt, new recoil plates, no loading gates, just slotted like would have been done by local smiths, at the time period... barrels are lined with .357 barrel liners, & trimmed to 4.5" ... we decided to trim up the thickness of the brass dovetail sight base, so it's not as thick ( & thus, not as wide at the dovetail ) I think it'll look more correct in proportion to the guns... I left them full height for now, & will trim them to shoot to point of aim ( they look really tall right now ) we kept the original loading levers, & cut them to barrel length & radiused the end... still working on those... trying to decide if we can bend them, so the loading rod runs flush with the underside of the barrel, or if we can relocate the pivot point to put it flush with the bottom of the barrel... we did not put an ejector & housing on the guns, instead used a ball mill, & added a thumbnail indent at each chamber to pull out the empties... if they are a little sticky, my screw-knife should work well for removing empties, while shooting CAS...
My Walker conversion goes in next for cosmetic finishing, which will give me until late winter to develop loads, & test fire this pair, before putting a high polish blue on the new parts... will have to decide ( & will likely ) re-case color the frames, since they were beautiful from the factory, & they now have machined loading slots added...
anyway... should have some pics of those brass sights on my Navy's in the next couple weeks...
new cylinders made for 38 Long Colt, new recoil plates, no loading gates, just slotted like would have been done by local smiths, at the time period... barrels are lined with .357 barrel liners, & trimmed to 4.5" ... we decided to trim up the thickness of the brass dovetail sight base, so it's not as thick ( & thus, not as wide at the dovetail ) I think it'll look more correct in proportion to the guns... I left them full height for now, & will trim them to shoot to point of aim ( they look really tall right now ) we kept the original loading levers, & cut them to barrel length & radiused the end... still working on those... trying to decide if we can bend them, so the loading rod runs flush with the underside of the barrel, or if we can relocate the pivot point to put it flush with the bottom of the barrel... we did not put an ejector & housing on the guns, instead used a ball mill, & added a thumbnail indent at each chamber to pull out the empties... if they are a little sticky, my screw-knife should work well for removing empties, while shooting CAS...
My Walker conversion goes in next for cosmetic finishing, which will give me until late winter to develop loads, & test fire this pair, before putting a high polish blue on the new parts... will have to decide ( & will likely ) re-case color the frames, since they were beautiful from the factory, & they now have machined loading slots added...
anyway... should have some pics of those brass sights on my Navy's in the next couple weeks...
Last edited:
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
sorry the sight doesn't show up well in this quick picture I took with the phone, while we were discussing the loading lever...
we have decided to machine the middle pivot block down some, & radius the back edge, which will allow the rod to sit flush & tight under the barrel, & back towards the cylinder enough to drill a new pivot hole...
... instead of a ball end, on the load lever, we decided to cut the end at a 45* angle, & radius the edges... should make the revolvers holster better without snagging... the load lever will end up[ about a 1/4" shorter than the barrel, & be screwed tight to the barrel, with a counter sunk screw...
remember... this is a matching pair... although they are individually built, so there is "some" difference in the custom parts, so each part carries the number of the last of it's guns serial to keep parts correct...
we have decided to machine the middle pivot block down some, & radius the back edge, which will allow the rod to sit flush & tight under the barrel, & back towards the cylinder enough to drill a new pivot hole...
... instead of a ball end, on the load lever, we decided to cut the end at a 45* angle, & radius the edges... should make the revolvers holster better without snagging... the load lever will end up[ about a 1/4" shorter than the barrel, & be screwed tight to the barrel, with a counter sunk screw...
remember... this is a matching pair... although they are individually built, so there is "some" difference in the custom parts, so each part carries the number of the last of it's guns serial to keep parts correct...
