Adjusting Open Gun Sights: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Precise shooting hinges on accurate aiming, and for many firearms, open sights are the initial, and often preferred, sighting system. These sights, consisting of a front and rear element, allow shooters to quickly acquire targets and deliver shots with reasonable accuracy. However, factors like manufacturing tolerances, individual shooting styles, and environmental variables can lead to a discrepancy between where you aim and where the bullet impacts. This is where the critical skill of adjusting open gun sights becomes essential.

Whether you’re a seasoned marksman, a competitive shooter, or a newcomer to the world of firearms, the ability to correctly adjust your open sights is paramount. This article serves as a comprehensive guide, walking you through the process from understanding the fundamental principles to troubleshooting common issues and exploring advanced considerations. We’ll delve into the mechanics of sight adjustment, the tools needed, and the step-by-step procedures to get you hitting your target consistently.

Understanding Open Sights

Before we dive into the practical aspects of adjustments, it’s crucial to grasp the basic components and principles of open sights. A solid understanding will help you troubleshoot and solve your zeroing problems.

Components of Open Sights

Open sights essentially work by creating a defined aiming point that the shooter aligns with the target. The primary elements are the front sight and the rear sight.

The front sight is the element positioned closest to the muzzle of the firearm. It can take several forms, the most common being a post, a bead, or a ramped blade. The post sight is a simple vertical blade, often squared off or slightly rounded at the top. The bead sight is a small, round dot, often made of metal or polymer. Ramped sights incorporate a sloping surface that allows the shooter to see more of the target, especially in dynamic environments.

The rear sight is located closer to the shooter’s eye. It acts as the reference point to line up with the front sight. Commonly, it features a notch that receives the front sight, though U-notches, square notches, and even ghost rings are also used. The shape and width of the notch can vary, impacting the speed and precision of target acquisition.

Crucially, the front and rear sights work in tandem. The shooter’s task is to precisely align the front sight within the rear sight’s notch. This alignment, combined with proper target focus and trigger control, determines the point of impact of the shot.

Sight Picture Basics

The “sight picture” is the image the shooter sees when aiming. Mastering a consistent sight picture is the foundation of accurate shooting. Here are the essential elements:

First, ensuring the top of the front sight is level with the top of the rear sight. The post should be centered horizontally within the notch of the rear sight. Ideally, you will have equal amounts of light on either side of the front sight.

Secondly, maintain a sharp focus on the front sight. The target itself will likely appear slightly blurry, but this is acceptable. The front sight needs to be in focus for the shot to be accurate.

Finally, any deviation from this standard will alter the impact of the bullet. For example, a canted firearm will result in shots going off-center, which is why consistent alignment is important.

Tools and Equipment Needed

Preparing for the adjustment process is about more than just understanding the principles. You’ll also need the right tools and equipment to make the process efficient and successful.

Essential Tools

The core tools are indispensable for any open sight adjustment.

Screwdrivers: A selection of screwdrivers, including both flathead and Phillips head types, is essential. A set with different sizes will be necessary, since the screw sizes vary greatly between firearms.
Allen Wrenches: Similar to screwdrivers, a set of Allen wrenches (also known as hex keys) is often required for the adjustment screws. Both metric and standard sets can be valuable.
Brass or Nylon Punch: Many open sights, particularly those with drift-adjustable rear sights, utilize a punch and hammer system. The brass or nylon prevents damage to the sight or firearm.
Small Hammer: A hammer is used in conjunction with the punch to move drift-adjustable sights. A small, lightweight hammer will be effective.

Supporting Equipment

Beyond the core tools, some additional equipment will improve accuracy.

Targets: You’ll need targets to document your shot grouping and observe your results.
Shooting Rest or Bench: A shooting rest or bench provides a stable platform.
Cleaning Supplies: Make sure you have cleaning supplies to maintain your firearm.
Eye Protection: Always wear appropriate eye protection.

Preparation Before Adjustment

Before you make any adjustments to your **open gun sights**, safety is the number one priority. Next, you’ll need to properly set up your shooting environment.

Safety First

Firearm safety is not negotiable. Before you begin, always:

Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
Point the muzzle in a safe direction at all times.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
Verify the firearm is unloaded. Check the chamber visually and physically.
Follow all range safety rules.

Range Setup

Once safety is assured, set up your range environment appropriately.

Select an appropriate, safe shooting range. Always check the rules for your range.
Set up your target at a reasonable distance. Twenty-five yards or fifty feet are common starting points for rifles and handguns.
Use a shooting rest or bench to stabilize the firearm and minimize shooter error.

Preliminary Shooting and Observation

Before making adjustments, it is important to understand where your shots are landing.

Fire a group of shots to determine a baseline. Shoot at least three to five shots for a group, but more may be useful.
Observe the location of your shots relative to your intended point of aim. Are they grouped? Are they high or low? To the left or to the right?

Adjusting Open Sights: Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you’ve prepared, it’s time to get into the actual process of **adjusting open gun sights**. First, understand the terminology.

Understanding Sight Adjustment Terminology

Windage: Refers to horizontal adjustments. Adjusting windage will shift the point of impact left or right.
Elevation: Refers to vertical adjustments. Adjusting elevation will shift the point of impact up or down.
MOA (Minute of Angle) or Click Values: Many sights use click adjustments based on MOA. Each click of the adjustment screw will move the bullet’s impact a certain amount at a given distance. For example, a sight might adjust 1/4 MOA per click. Knowing how much each click moves your bullet is critical to proper **open sight** adjustment.

Types of Open Sight Adjustments

There are two primary methods used.

Screw Adjustable Sights: The most common design uses screws for windage and elevation adjustments. These sights are usually mounted directly to the firearm.
Drift Adjustable Sights: These sights utilize a punch and hammer to move the sight. Often they sit in a dovetail, allowing them to be moved horizontally.

Screw Adjustable Sights

If your firearm has screw-adjustable sights, here’s how to use them:

Locating the Adjustment Screws: Identify the elevation screw (usually at the top of the rear sight) and the windage screw (usually on the side of the rear sight).
Determining the Direction of Adjustment: When shooting, the bullet should hit where you’re aiming. If your group is low, you will raise the front sight, or lower the rear sight. If your group is to the left, you will move the front sight to the left, or the rear sight to the right.
Making Small Adjustments: Make small adjustments to the screw. Remember that adjusting your **open gun sights** by a single click on the sight might only shift the bullet’s impact slightly.
Testing and Repeating: Fire a few rounds and observe the point of impact. Make subsequent adjustments until your shots are hitting where you aim.

Drift Adjustable Sights

Drift-adjustable sights often require a bit more skill. Here’s how to do them:

Identifying the Direction to Drift: The principle is the same as with screw adjustable sights: to move the point of impact, move the sights. The challenge is how to move the sight.
Using a Punch and Hammer: Use the punch and hammer to tap the sight in the desired direction. Position the punch against the side of the sight base that is being moved.
Making small adjustments and testing. Do not use excessive force. Each tap might only shift the bullet’s impact slightly. If there is movement, test and repeat.
Adjusting drift sights for windage. The sights need to be moved laterally to correct for any windage issues. If you need to move the bullet’s impact to the right, the front sight should be drifted to the left, or the rear sight should be drifted to the right.
Adjusting drift sights for elevation. Drift-adjustable sights often do not adjust for elevation directly. If you need to correct for elevation, you might have to change the front sight.
Using shims or setscrews if needed Some sights have shims to change their height or setscrews to hold the adjustments.

Zeroing Your Firearm

Zeroing means getting the firearm to consistently hit the target where you are aiming. The zeroing procedure is:

Establish a reference point by shooting groups. Shoot at least three to five shots for a group.
Adjust windage for left/right impacts. If your shots are consistently to the left, adjust the windage to the right. If they are consistently to the right, adjust the windage to the left.
Adjust elevation for up/down impacts. If your shots are consistently too high, adjust the elevation down. If they are consistently too low, adjust the elevation up.
Continue adjusting and testing until the point of impact aligns with the point of aim. This will require patience and persistence.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Even with all the knowledge, problems may still arise.

The Target is Off By Too Much

If the shots are consistently missing the target, the shooter might be having difficulty with a couple of basic concepts.

The target isn’t visible to the shooter. If the shooter cannot see the target, then there is no way to know where the bullets are impacting. The shooter might be having difficulty with sight picture alignment.
The firearm is canted. When a shooter leans the firearm, the angle of the shot is changed. It will lead to an impact that is not where the shooter is aiming.
The gun is held too tightly. A tight grip can often cause the shooter to torque the firearm when the shot is fired.

Inconsistent Grouping

Inconsistent groups mean that the shots are not consistently landing near each other. Some issues that could lead to this are:

Shooter error (grip, trigger control, breathing). Practice is critical. Pay attention to your technique.
Equipment problems (loose screws, worn parts). Loose screws, or parts that are worn, will interfere with the accuracy of the shots.
Ammunition variations. Ammunition variations will lead to varied impacts.

Zeroing Failure

Sometimes, despite all your efforts, you might not get the **open gun sights** to zero correctly.

Make sure the sights are mounted correctly. If the sights are not installed correctly, they will not function.
Ensure the correct ammunition is used. Make sure the ammunition is appropriate for the firearm, or accuracy will not be achieved.
Sight picture issues. Make sure you are consistent in your sight picture. If you consistently miss the same spot, it might be that you are misaligning your sights.

Advanced Considerations

Mastering the basics is only the beginning. There is more to be explored:

Different Sight Configurations

There are other types of sights.

Three-dot sights. Three-dot sights are very easy to see. These are made up of three dots. One on the front sight, and two on the rear sight.
Ghost ring sights. Ghost ring sights have a large aperture on the rear sight.

Environmental Factors

External environmental factors can affect the accuracy of your shots.

Wind. If there is a prevailing wind, it will affect the shot.
Lighting. Lighting can change the target. In low light situations, the shooter will have difficulty seeing the target.
Distance. As the distance increases, the impact from external factors increases.

Maintaining Sight Adjustment

Maintaining your adjustments is important.

Locking screws or using thread locker. Locking screws will prevent the adjustments from changing.
Checking and re-adjusting periodically. Always check your adjustments.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of adjusting **open gun sights** is a rewarding endeavor. It takes practice, but by understanding the fundamentals, using the right tools, and following a systematic approach, you can significantly improve your shooting accuracy. By adjusting your sights correctly, you’ll be able to consistently hit your target.

Remember, patience and persistence are key. Don’t get discouraged if your adjustments don’t yield perfect results immediately. Continue practicing and refining your technique. If you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to seek help from a knowledgeable gunsmith or experienced shooter.

Disclaimer

Firearms can be dangerous. Always prioritize safety.
Always consult a qualified gunsmith.