Factory sight picture: semi auto vs revolvers.

[lavino]

Recently I got my new toy the S&W 929. I found that while the rear sight is adjustable it appears the front sight is a bit taller? I actually found the same problem with the Alfa Proj but since I installed a red dot on that one I never used the factory sight.

While aiming with my Glock, Ruger 22/45 or the SR22 I level the front and back so they formed a line with the top edge of the front and rear sights. In terms of the Glock it is the white dot in the white 'basket' in the rear sight and the gun will more or less shoot straight.

For the revolvers I found that by default setting if I level the top edge of front and rear my bore sight laser is point down... way down. For the 929 I will need to have the front sight stick out a bit out of the rear sight top edge in order to have the bore sight laser to point to the right spot (well kinda like the front and rear sight join up and giving me a middle-finger LOL ) . I could adjust the rear sight but is this normal? Whoever test fire this thing probably used the setting came with the gun? I first thing it was the 929 issue but then checked the Alfa Proj same thing. I literally have to leave the orange part of the front sight to be on top of the rear sight top edge to aim straight with iron sight. But I never found out because I install a red dot on it day one.

So is there really a diff between aiming with the factory sight using a revolver vs a semi auto? All my semi auto pistol it feel natural to have to line up everything even. If you have a correct sight picture of how it suppose to look like for revolver pls share with me. (only revolver... don't need one for Glock or anything since I am doing fine with my Glock now ) From the look of it if I aim it like my Glock I will be shooting way low. Is there something I am doing wrong here? The 929 manual didn't mention anything about sight picture. Should I just adjust the rear sight until it is level up?
Not planning to use red dot in this case so I feel I should get it right first.

The normal shooting distance in my case would be up to 15m or 20m in some cases (IPSC stage target distances not gonna do long distance). I know there is some slight diff but probably not this big.

I tried to search online but all references are given for some teaching how to aim with a CCW really short revolver usually with no rear sight. That didn't help at all.

I can try to take some pictures if it would help?

 

[Dietz]

You're not making any sense.


Adjust the rear sight on your revolvers so the bullet's point of impact corresponds to your desired point of aim... If you're shooting low, raise your rear sight. They don't come pre-zeroed because 1: it would take the manufacturer too much ammo and time to do so and 2: they have no idea what ammo you'll use, even less what your desired point of aim is.


Boresights don't mean #### to be honest.

 

[lavino]

Ok, so just make it just like Glock. Gotcha.

 

[Dietz]

Well, Glocks are service handguns for proximity engagement, they have sights that are fast and instinctive to use, also with the way mass-produced semi-auto handguns are manufactured today with the precision of the CNC machines that make them, factory sights are almost always dead on when mechanically centered on the slide, like your Glock. The bullet's POI will usually be right on the front sight when it is aligned level with the rear, but that depends on bullet weight too. Older hand-machined and fitted semi-autos like my West German Sig P226 don't necessarily shoot straight with the rear sight centered on the slide, mine is drifted to the left. They can have and came with different heights of rear and front sights, too.

Revolvers on the other hand, are pretty much all hand-fitted and the barrels are screwed into the frame, couple that with the fact that you can shoot two different calibers (or more) through them with wildly varying bullet weights and powder charges... and they're more geared towards accuracy than speed, too.


People have different ways of aiming their sights vs the bullet's actual point of impact, use what works for you.

 

[Dsiwy]

All three of these are correct

I prefer #3 as I shoot SIG and have always trained with this sight picture. But there is no right or wrong between the three.