Blindsided by S&W 43C

[Doc_Glock]

When I shot DocGlock’s LCR 22 last Saturday, I recall just holding the sights level and getting POA/POI. Shot my nearly new 43C for the first time in a while today, and had to elevate the front sight to get POA/POI. This sound right?

Front sight goes up about half the circle in notch. The sights suck.

[Colt191145lover]

Front sight goes up about half the circle in notch. The sights suck.

I agree, the 43c sight is terrible.

[Blades]

Found some punch.

[Doc_Glock]

So I am near 3000 rounds through the 43C. And while it is a fun DAO trainer, and also somewhat fun to shoot it is really held back by the sights.

I just put a Hi Vis Fiber optic in it and honesty it isn’t any better than the stock sight. $45 down the drain. Both sights hit low unless you use a crazy stupid sight picture with like half the front sight elevated above the rear notch.

There are folks who can put real sights on a J frame but it is a $275 proposition.

https://www.dlsports.com/dl_jframe_sw_sights.html

At this point I think I am going to retire it and use it simply for dry fire because I find it so frustrating in general to shoot. Especially as the pace increases.

I am open to sight suggestions.

[GJM]

So I am near 3000 rounds through the 43C. And while it is a fun DAO trainer, and also somewhat fun to shoot it is really held back by the sights.

I just put a Hi Vis Fiber optic in it and honesty it isn’t any better than the stock sight. $45 down the drain. Both sights hit low unless you use a crazy stupid sight picture with like half the front sight elevated above the rear notch.

There are folks who can put real sights on a J frame but it is a $275 proposition.

https://www.dlsports.com/dl_jframe_sw_sights.html

At this point I think I am going to retire it and use it simply for dry fire because I find it so frustrating in general to shoot. Especially as the pace increases.

I am open to sight suggestions.

I think you should spring for the D&L sights -- what the heck if you have the most expensive 43C in the world.

The Punch ammo doesn't hit properly in windage on multiple of my revolvers (Smith and Ruger).

[314159]

I've shot about 75 rounds of Punch in the last few days. No windage problems in my LCR, Beretta 87, or FN 502. It does print a little low in the 502 but even that wasn't too bad. Exceptionally "flashy" for a .22 in all of them. In this limited test it functioned the B 87 just fine but the 502 bobbled a bit. That might have been my thumbs retarding the slide or I suspect the round lacks the oomph needed for some self loaders. The FN is brand new also.

[BN]

So I am near 3000 rounds through the 43C. And while it is a fun DAO trainer, and also somewhat fun to shoot it is really held back by the sights.

I just put a Hi Vis Fiber optic in it and honesty it isn’t any better than the stock sight. $45 down the drain. Both sights hit low unless you use a crazy stupid sight picture with like half the front sight elevated above the rear notch.

At this point I think I am going to retire it and use it simply for dry fire because I find it so frustrating in general to shoot. Especially as the pace increases.

I am open to sight suggestions.

Here's what I wrote in June from this thread: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....p-W-43C-vs-317

The first picture is the 43c with a HIVIZ front sight that is .125" wide and .140" tall. It gives a pretty good sight picture with plenty of light on each side of the sight when down completely in the notch. I shot groups at distance from 5 yards to 25 yards and it hits low. I did the Dawson calculator and it needs a sight .110" tall. Dawson has a .110" tall by .100" wide fiber optic and I will probably get one. https://dawsonprecision.com/s-w-pinn...-front-sights/ Cylinder and Slide has a .112" tall with unknown width. https://cylinder-slide.com/Item/CS0430F

Also later: I installed a Dawson .110" tall by .100" wide on my 43c and it shoots POA/POI with CCI Mini Mags and Velocitors out to 25 yards. Minor differences at closer distances, but very usable. I like the deep, wide rear notch on the 43c.

Today. I found the narrow Dawson sight hard to see even though it seemed to hit POA/POI. I then installed an XS standard dot and while I like the big sight, it hits low unless I float the whole dot above the rear notch.

How I resolved the problem: I removed the 43c from my pocket and replaced it with my Ruger LCR 9mm.

[JCN]

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[JCN]

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[JCN]

EDIT:
Not familiar with those guns, I realize now that a 43c has a pinned replaceable front sight.

The super easy button would be to buy a blade front and cut/grind it down.

The Dawson custom FO looks awesome too.