S&W Model 15 - sighting question

Cerdan

Cerdan

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I just got my Model 15-5 in the mail today, and though I haven't shot it yet, I did a bit of handling and inspection, and tried to get a feel of the grips and the sights. It's got a 6" barrel and is equipped with your typical partridge sights, adjustable rear.

I found it odd that when I get the sights aligned flush along the top (like you're supposed to), the front sight is so damn tall the gun noticeably points down. I tried raising the rear sight, but even at it's highest, I get a feeling it would shoot way too low. The only way I can explain this is that they've taken into account the natural recoil of the .38, that would presumably lift the long barrel a bit before the bullet exits... But still, it feels weird to know my gun isn't pointing straight ahead. Is this normal?

I've heard of some people "filing down" the front sight on their revolver, and I wonder if it's for this same reason... Maybe I should take it out to the range before asking these questions, but that won't be for another couple of months, and I'm curious!
 
Do you own other revolvers to compare it to? Sometimes a new or different gun can feel like it will shoot low or high and doesn't when you get it to the range. Definitely shoot this one before you start filing anything.
 
Claybuster said:
Do you own other revolvers to compare it to? Sometimes a new or different gun can feel like it will shoot low or high and doesn't when you get it to the range. Definitely shoot this one before you start filing anything.
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No... not yet! I'm sure it'll shoot fine, I was just curious if this was common to revolvers of this calibre... And no, I wouldn't dream of taking a file to it!!

Here you go jaybird, it's the pic from the online store. As you can see, the front sight is so big you really have to tilt down to align it with the rear sights:

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Check out the front sights on my 14-3 and 27-2. The front sight on your gun is about the same height as on my guns.

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Indeed it is... I guess it's just a normal way to compensate the anticipated recoil. I'm just used to my .22 pointing straight ahead!

Thanks for the insight guys.
 
Don't worry. S&W have been at this a long time. I think they have been able to figure out what the correct height should be.

And yes, recoil will raise the barrel before the bullet exits and bring up the point of impact.
 
Rudy H said:
S&W have been at this a long time. I think they have been able to figure out what the correct height should be.
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Nowhere did I imply S&W didn't know what they were doing.

As stated, this is my first revolver and I wasn't expecting the front sight to be so high. I was curious as to why that was, especially since the high-calibre pistols I've seen don't have such high front sights. I'm guessing, once again, that revolvers tend to kick up, whereas pistols tend to kick back.
 
Cerdan said:
Nowhere did I imply S&W didn't know what they were doing.

As stated, this is my first revolver and I wasn't expecting the front sight to be so high. I was curious as to why that was, especially since the high-calibre pistols I've seen don't have such high front sights. I'm guessing, once again, that revolvers tend to kick up, whereas pistols tend to kick back.
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And I never said you did. Not directly. :p

And yes you are right that revolvers tend to have higher front sights compared to semi-autos because of the recoil characteristic. The reason for this is the position of the bore in relation to your hand. The higher the bore the more the gun will recoil up. The muzzle of a gun will be higher when the bullet exits the barrel so the barrel has to be pointing lower when sighting.

Modern semi-autos are designed so the barrel is lower in your hand. This causes them to not flip up as much. This allows for quicker following shots. It also reduces the need for a higher front sight.
 
Rudy H said:
And I never said you did. Not directly. :p

And yes you are right that revolvers tend to have higher front sights compared to semi-autos because of the recoil characteristic. The reason for this is the position of the bore in relation to your hand. The higher the bore the more the gun will recoil up. The muzzle of a gun will be higher when the bullet exits the barrel so the barrel has to be pointing lower when sighting.

Modern semi-autos are designed so the barrel is lower in your hand. This causes them to not flip up as much. This allows for quicker following shots. It also reduces the need for a higher front sight.
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Very informative, thank you!

@geologist: wow, black as night! I don't think I've ever seen such a finish.
 
Cerdan said:
Very informative, thank you!

@geologist: wow, black as night! I don't think I've ever seen such a finish.
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The blueing on this M17 is very dark and deep. There's a little wear near the muzzle but she's a shooter, not a safe queen. I take it with me to the range everytime I go. And it's capable of way more accuracy than I can produce judging by the groups that some of the better revolver shooters at my club can produce :mad:.
 
Don't worry, you're holding in your hands probably the most evolved, tested and trusted handgun ever made. The Smith K frame has been in continuous production for 100+ years. Relax and enjoy the feel of that trigger, the perfect sight picture.....damn I've gotta stop looking at these revolver threads, it'll cost me a fortune if the wife kicks me out. (might be worth it though) :D
 
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