I have a Ruger Single Six Convertible - about 40 years old. It's been in my possession since I was 18 - that was 22 years ago. It's a family heirloom - there is no possibility that this might be sold off to a collector someday, unless everyone in my family dies all at once... and then I really wouldn't care anyway... right?

I want to change the sights if possible. The gun has fixed iron sights. They are off as far as elevation. I have to compensate by putting the front blade higher than you normally would in the rear sight in order to hit where I'm aiming. Problem with doing that is that sight picture obscures the target, leading to inaccuracy.

I recently sent the pistol back to Ruger to get the safety conversion performed (transfer bar), that I should have got done years ago. I held off until now, and finally got up the nerve to ship it off. While it was there, I clearly asked in my letter if they could cut off the fixed sights and put on some adjustable sights - any kind. I had to call three times to clarify what I was asking from them. I can never talk to a "tech", just a phone operator. When the tech did finally call me back, I wasn't home, and he left a message on my answering machine that "These were the only sights that were available for this old 3 screw model at that time". That's not what I asked, but I'm not going to call them back. It's getting rediculous.

So I figured I'd ask here instead. Can I have a gunsmith cut off the iron fixed sights and add some modern adjustable sights so that this firearm is more usable??? Or am I just stuck with what's on it?

Suggestions?

All the best,
Glenn

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Bob from Idaho

There are ways of getting fixed sights to shoot "on", but you're pretty much stuck with the one load you set them for (with .22's, most brands of the same weight shoot close to the same point...but not all). Needing more elevation is the easiest...you'll need a shorter front sight.

Adjustable sights can be fitted but they require machining the top strap. Are various types/styles of rear sight that could be fitted, but would let the gunsmith who does the work have a big say-so in which is better (becasue if he's done brand "X" many times, I'd use brand "X" rather than try to get him to set up for brand "Y" that he's never used before).

First, be aware that even with properly-adjusted sights you're only going to be on target at one specific range with one specific load, and at any other range you'll need to compensate up or down. You don't say what range you're using, or how low your point of impact is, but at some range your gun is "dead on" right now. If you have settled on one load, and on one range for which you want to be zeroed, you may have enough front sight to adjust by carefully filing it down a bit until your groups come up to zero. Other than changing loads, that's how you adjust a too-high front sight, which sounds like what you've got.

Another tip -- the proper way to "hold high" is to elevate the front sight in the notch but still center the top of the sight on your desired point of impact. With this method you won't be covering up your target. Elmer Keith used to have fine lines of gold inlaid into his front sight as reference points for holding high for longrange shooting

Thanks for the link. I'll check them out.
All the best,
Glenn

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Very good advice. Thank you. My biggest problem is that this is a convertible - .22LR and .22Mag. It likes .22Mag much better, and that is what I shoot out of it most of the time. I'm actually suprised that with a firearm that shoots both rounds - it came with fixed sights. If I can't get someone to replace the sights with adjustable ones, I'm just going to break out a light file and work on the front blade myself.

All the best,
Glenn

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Thanks for the reply Pisgah. I kind of realized that first statement, and that was my main reason for wanting to get adjustable sights - particularly when I switch between LR and Mag loads. If I knew what notch to set the sights on for each load, I could re-adjust as necessary, and then make minor corrections for range by compensating. But right now, I'm compensating - a LOT - for every round I shoot - LR or Mag.

I'm trying to understand your advice on holding high. I think I need to have the pistol in my hand and re-read your advice to fully understand what you are saying. As I was doing it beforehand - I was shooting at 10 yards. If I held dead on with a proper sight picture at 10 yards, every shot with a .22LR round was about 5 to 6 inches low. With a Mag round, it wasn't quite as bad - 3 to 4 inches low. I was having to lift the barrel so much to get it on target, that the middle 1/3 of the blade sight was in my rear notch. With it that way, the barrel was almost obscuring the largest part of the target. I might have to mark my front blade sight like you mentioned - I have some hair line paint brushes... and gold paint. I might have to do some painting when it comes back.



Thank you all very much for the replies.
All the best,
Glenn

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If your "fixed sight" Single-Six is like mine, the rear sight is actually in a dovetail and adjustable for windage. Correct?

If so, you can get a rear sight with a dovetail and have a gunsmith install it (likely have to modify the dovetail on the sight) for you. If you do it that way, you could leave the front sight and rear dovetail groove unaltered so that the original sight could be put back - preserving the gun's value.

It seems to be that one of the old S&W micrometer rear sights might be easily modified to fit your gun. They were commonly installed on many kinds of guns back in the 50s, from 45 Autos to revolvers.

Or, simply get a slightly higher "fixed" rear sight and slide it in. Raising the rear sight has the same effect as lowering the front: it makes the gun shoot higher. Brownells sells sight blanks in many different dovetail sizes. At worst, a few minutes with a small file would be all it takes to fit one to your gun. Again, a gunsmith would be the best choice of installers.

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As far as I could tell, the rear sight is "fixed" - permanantly. It's not movable at all. It looks to be part of the topstrap of the pistol, not mounted in a dovetail.

Good idea though. I'll check it out when it comes back from Ruger.

All the best,
Glenn

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>I'm trying to understand your advice on holding high

OK, I'll see if I can clarify. Imagine you are shooting at a bullseye and using a six o'clock hold -- in other words, the bullseye is perched directly on top of the front sight. When you fire with the front sight exactly even with the top of the rear sight, your shots hit 3" low. So, you raise your front sight so that, say, 1/3 of the front blade now sticks up above the top of the rear sight. When you aim at the bullseye, you still perch the bullseye right on top of the front sight, and your shot should hit closer to the mark. You still see the same relationship between front sight and target as before, but the relationship between front and rear has changed.

BTW, your revolver was likely zeroed for 25 yards. Try it there -- you may not be low much if at all.

Thanks. I'll give that a shot (pun intended).

All the best,
Glenn

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Kentuky bourbon...oooops...hiccup!..I mean windage/elevation?

Well for Pete's sake, if it is shooting low just file down the top of the front blade, that is the best of all possible conditions from a fixed sight since it is the easiest to correct.

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Well, gawsh Mr. CoyoteJoe... I hadn't thought about that.

(Just joking around due to your "For Pete's sake" comment - hey... you must me a fellow southern'r... ... or just like sounding like one from time to time. )

Problem is - it's a "convertible" - it shoots both 22LR and 22Mag. I'd like to be able to adjust for shooting either. Maybe I'm asking too much from this old pistol.

I just as well go buy a new one. (My excuse for everything new).

All the best,
Glenn

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No, just Appalachian hillbilly and "for Pete's sake" is an expression I reserve for polite company.
But in reading and re-reading your post I got the impression that both loads shoot low. Perhaps one lower than the other? Are both centered for windage? Fixed sights do have their drawbacks but also an important advantage. Adjustable sights have been know to re-adjust themselves in the holster for one thing. For another, if, like me, you are tempted to fool around with a variety of loads it is easy to forget which you last zeroed in. Knowing you can't easily adjust for different loads tends to encourage one to select one load and stick with it.
To me the greatest advantage of adjustable sights is not so much the adjustability but the fact that they tend to present a flat, sharp and clear sight picture. Most fixed sight revolvers have rounded and shiny surfaces, often with a very shallow rear notch and are just harder for me to see and align consistently.

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You're right - they both shoot low. The LR shoots lower than the Mag rounds, but not by much. They are both centered - no need for windage adjustments. By centered, I am meaning that "most" of my shots are dead center, but low. I have a wider pattern shooting LR than Mags though.

Your comment about sticking with one round is actually right, as much as I hate to admit it. I'm fighting with myself to just use the Mag cylinder and never put the LR in there again. After all, it does shoot substancially better with the Mag rounds.

You're absolutely right about the rear notch being VERY shallow. It almost looks like they have a solid piece of metal going across the back that someone just gave a half-hearted whack with a chisel right in the center. They are much harder for me to focus on than the sights on any of my other pistols.

Thank you very much for replying. I appreciate it.

I think I'm just going to leave the sights alone, mark them with some really thin gold hair-lines and try pisgah's advice on aiming.

All the best,
Glenn

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I'm having Alex Hamilton of tenring precision replace my front fixed sight with a dovetailed taller one. I can drift side to side for windage, and file the sight for elevation for my reload. The top strap is not thick enough on my Vaquero for an inletted rear sight.

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Rimrock
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