I want to help a fellow shooter who recently bought a used East Hartford Victor. It has a 5-1/2 inch barrel and is in very good condition. Despite this, the point of impact is about 2.5 inches above the point of aim at twenty five yards.
Being a very seasoned Bullseye Shooter, I know that this issue is not due to poor technique on his part. Examining it closely, we can see that nothing on this pistol is broken or damaged in any way. However, we did notice that the rear sight is now in the fully lowered position. The sight still works properly as it can be raised upward and then lowered again.
Increasing the height of the front sight will solve the problem. This can easily be done by welding up and re-machining the blade. Before going this route, it would be beneficial to first raise the rear sight somewhat. Additional elevation adjustments (up or down) could then be made if ever needed at a later time.
If the elevation adjustment screw is turned out too far, the rear sight will look like the one shown in the schematic above! How far is too far? From where it currently is, let's assume that the elevation screw can safely be raised 4 full turns without the whole sight coming apart. Going up 2 full turns on the screw would put the sight in the center of its range of travel. Is setting it in the center a practical move? Would two turns be too much? Is one enough?
For the sake of discussion in the paragraph above, I guesstimated that 4 full turns are available. Is it possible that there are even more of them than that? Does anyone know for sure?
After the elevation is set to the best position, the pistol will be fired using the original, unmodified front sight. By knowing where the subsequent group is, I'll be able to calculate how much the front blade needs to be raised. Setup in this manner, the pistol can then readily be zeroed for any ammunition to be used.
Your advice is much appreciated!
