ErikW Posted June 3, 2003 Author Share Posted June 3, 2003 Something my cube farm neighbor noticed: The sight broke on the stamped elevation arrow; stamping weakened it there. It's uncanny; the break follows the radius of the arrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 "cube farm neighbor" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Just my $.02 but if I were in your position I'd hate to lose the flexibility of adjustables. You know you're gonna be playing around with different loads in the future which probably hit to a different point of aim. Fixed sights are a pain to deal with in such a situation, even assuming they can be adjusted sufficiently at all. Why not just call up Wilson and get another sight blade? Knowing Wilson's commitment to quality, they'll probably replace it for free. I'd suggest getting two. Just how easy the sight blade is to replace is one of the Wilson sight's major charms. Thus should this ever happen again, two minutes work with a screwdriver to remove the broken blade and replace it, you're back in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 just a thought, Duane: 2 minutes could add a lot of time to an otherwise good Nationals stage run, that's why! --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Erik, about your other gun: Isn't it possible to get some Heinies for it and weld some material on the sights and mill them down to fit the existing cuts in the slide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted June 4, 2003 Author Share Posted June 4, 2003 Singlestack: worker in neighboring office cubicle. Duane, my blade didn't come off; the metal broke and the whole rear of the sight behind the elevation screw came off. Whereas all the other sights broke the hinge pin and/or elevation screw, the Wilson was unique in breaking its top leaf. I've found that 165-200 gr loads pretty much all shoot to the same POA. I'll deal with my front height if it becomes an issue. I've been devoted to 180 gr since the institution of 165 Major and I've stuck to two powders since then. I've done all the experimenting I'm gonna do. Really, this was the last adjustable sight for me. No mas! spook, Heinie supposedly makes a sight that will fit the Bo-Mar cut. I'll try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Detlef, I don't know, I was just reaching for anything that could increase the slide's velocity. Would there be any difference in the slide's velocity if you loaded to the same PF with a fast burning powder, like Clays, or the slowest powder possible that would make the power factor. For some reason it "seems" like there would be, but I'm sure, scientifically, you'll set me straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Brian is asking me (!) a question (faint with pride...) seriously, my thinking was that the sight's most destructive moment is when the slide comes to a stop against that (non-buff'd) frame from full speed, even being accelerated in the other direction by elastic bounce. If (?!?) this is not a good assumption, and if the slide gets a comparable hit (which I can't see how, there's the recoil spring to be compressed) at ignition time when it first starts to move, then I'm wrong because faster buring powder would increase that initial kick... But anyway, I think faster burning powder actually works in favor of the sight because the slide will have slightly *lower* velocities than with slow burning powder at identical bullet velocity. Here's why: For constant bullet PF, you need more (in grains) slow powder than fast powder. But what kicks the slide back is total (!) momentum of both bullet and burned/burning powder gases coming out the muzzle. So, for a slower powder you have more (!) gas contributing to total momentum than with a fast powder. The extra 3 gr of powder may not seem like much of a contribution to PF when the bullet is 200 gr heavy, but it's the product of velocity and mass that makes momentum. Those burning gases travel very fast, on the order of several 1000 ft/sec. So the extra gas contribution can be felt, it's not negligible. That is (IMHO) one of the reasons why most Limited shooters report "less recoil" for their fast burning loads... --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyn Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 Erik, I think it's just cosmic justice for all those sierra matchkings that you've brutalized by crimping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted June 6, 2003 Author Share Posted June 6, 2003 Guess what? The bass is thumping and Freddy Mercury is singing again... another one's gone I'm beyond mad, beyond amused, beyond belief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skywalker Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 Erik, seriously, there must be something in your loads, or in your guns customization, or whatever else you are doing, that causes such a long streak of breakages: I've never heard of something similar before, especially with such different sights ending up the same way. I would suggest you check what all the broken sights guns can have in common: I mean same/similar alterations (slide serrations, slide heating for subsequent treatment, coating...), loads (powder, powder/primer combination...), or anything else you can dig out. Finding such common basis could probably help you in determining the cause for all those wrecks. Wish you good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 Also check for Gremlins. The little bastards live in between the grip safety and leaf-spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted July 22, 2003 Author Share Posted July 22, 2003 I called EGW for an update on my slide/sight. They haven't started it and they gave an ETA of September. Oh shit. I'll be in Bend for the Limited Nationals September 12. I wanted to start heavy practice with this gun next week. The guy at EGW was supposed to check with the "big boss" (George?) about moving up my project but didn't call me back. I'm thinking of cutting bait. Who else can weld up a sight cut and re-cut it, fast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Cazes Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Wow! One week....That's a tall order. Wilson Combat welded up the front hole for the original staked on blade and recut a dovetail on my Springfield slide in 10 days. Great work and excellent service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted July 24, 2003 Author Share Posted July 24, 2003 I finally talked to George at EGW and my slide/sights are on a faster track. He's welding it up and doing a Novak cut with a Novak sight. P.S. He recognized my name... as a top IDPA shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 P.S. He recognized my name... as a top IDPA shooter. That is hilarious!! Did you duck for cover when he said it? (You need to keep in practice) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GvU Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 I think Detlev is on the right track. Fast powders will have a higher peak pressure but thats close to the breach. Slower burning powders will have a higher muzzle pressure (thats what the open guys like to vent upwards). In standard / limited there is no upward venting, there is only forward venting. That will increase recoil (the perception is personal and subject to things like is the comparison between the two powders with the same bullet-velocity). Presuming the "advertised" unlocking of the barrel and slide as the bullet has left the barrel these pressures must also work on the business end (read barrel as it is still locked to the slide). In that way the pressure generated will contribute to slide velocity. It is the slide that works the hammer/mainspring, recoilspring and slams the frame (both barrel and slide). The first thing the slide has to overcome is the "hammerpressure" then the recoilspring. Just work the slide with the hammer down and compare that with hammer cocked to get an idea about the influence. On full power (ok reduced power major loads) that will have influence on the slide velocity. Why a light(er) mainspring? Is that for having a light trigger, or easier (cannot resist this) "condition 3" start, or .... Why a light(er) recoilspring? Faster cycling equals higher rearward velocity of the slide (but slower forward). In some guns you don't want this as slower forward may equal less force on stripping the round from the magazine. My guess is that faster splits are considered most important here. How important is that in IPSC, probably only at the highest levels, where strategy, mindset, etc. are more important. The gun at that point is just a technical necessity (and yes I do like technics (as simple as possible)). I use the standard PO (or 1911) mainspring and a more or less standard 15-16 pound (45) or about 14 pound (40) spring. Buffers, if you forget they flatten and expand (slow the slide), each time I take them out I cannot notice any difference. Of late I do use a recoilmaster but only find the slightest difference in the frontsight lifting. In both 45 and 40 the Bomars have survived 50k rounds, including ammo at 190+ (it happens). And the Bomar on the 40 is turned up quite a bit (due to the barrel setup). I have been shooting all kinds of STI / SV's / para's in comparison at about the same PF, but most are noticibly worse in the recoil / tracking department. So unless it becomes unrepairable, I will continu shooting this gun as it is setup right now. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 Jim Wall has an old rusty .45 with out any sights and kicked the crap out of me at area 1 when it was here in Missoula (not a big deal then or now). You could become a cult hero shooting a sightless gun. For pete sake don't buy an open, gun think of the crap that could break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 Erik, I agree with the previous posts that indicate that there MUST be a snafu in your setup to be causing this. HOWEVER, absent an obvious solution, may I make a suggestion? Before installing another sight, take it or send it to a good blacksmith. Ask him to anneal it, reharden it, and then draw out the temper so it is similar to spring steel. This will make it "tougher", and better able to absorb the shock. If you don't have or know a good blacksmith, I know several hundred men who FORGE knives for a living, and really know practical metalurgy. They regularly selectively harden blades to have a hard edge, springy spine, and flexible tang. They put all these qualities in a SINGLE PIECE OF STEEL, but in different areas. They really are an amazing bunch! Any of the good bladesmiths could probably help you out. If you need some names, let me know. I know this sounds like a roundabout way, but it sounds like it might be worth a try for you. You might also post the problem on Pistolsmith.com as there are a lot of very knowing pistolsmiths who frequent that site regularly and are quite willing to share their collective and individual knowledge, which is considerable. Some of the finest living pistolsmiths are there to share knowledge for the asking. Give them a try. Good luck, and let me know if I can help. Best, Jeffro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardboardkiller Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 I had a Wilson sight break on a custom gun I had built. My gun ate one of the springs and locked the gun up tight. Rather than trying to literally tear into myself I sent it to the gunsmith, when I went to pick the gun up he handed me a sliver of chewed up metal that was lodged in the gun, he couldn't tell me from where because when he took the gun apart it fell out on his bench. After we studied on it for a few minutes it he went and pulled out some parts from another Wilson sight and the sliver of metal matched the small springs underneath the upper half of the sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 10, 2004 Author Share Posted August 10, 2004 Are you ready, hey, are you ready for thisAre you hangin' on the edge of your seat Out of the doorway the bullets rip To the sound of the beat - yeah Another one bites the dust Another one bites the dust And another one gone and another one gone Another one bites the dust, eh Hey, I'm gonna get you too Another one bites the dust Now that I've divested myself of adjustable rear sights, I have a new trick... Bladeless Front Sight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepard Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I used to go through sites like they were for free, not to mention a couple of slides. Also using clays/180 and 11 pound recoil with 15 pound main. . I threw a shok buff in and haven't had a problem since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted September 19, 2004 Author Share Posted September 19, 2004 Singlestack's Wilson broke at the nationals in the same matter as mine: it snapped in two behind the elevation screw. Indestructable my ass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted September 19, 2004 Share Posted September 19, 2004 Singlestack's Wilson broke at the nationals in the same matter as mine: it snapped in two behind the elevation screw.Indestructable my ass! .....only after Singlestack shook Erik's hand. ERik kindly offered to bless all the sights on our squad ---- but we all declined...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted January 22, 2005 Author Share Posted January 22, 2005 Here's a picture of the Bladeless Front Sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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