Finally determined my Colt 1911 front sight is indeed...
by rob 
, Monday, April 07, 2014, 22:54 (3825 days ago)
staked in place too far to the left and that is why my rear sight has to be drifted to the left enough that it slightly overhangs the dovetail cut. I couldn't figure out a suitable way to measure it with a dial caliper that was consistent from one side to the next. Finally, it occurred to me to just lay a string right across the middle of the barrel and the recoil plunger and see how it aligns with the front sight and it is unmistakably and most definitely to the left of the barrel centerline. So, unless someone makes a front sight with an offset stud/stake (whatever it's called), I guess my only choice is to have the slide dovetailed for a front sight. Now I just need to decide who to send it to. I'm not too upset about it though....I consider three dot sights something close to an abomination if they are not tritium. I want plain black serrated sights.
In my experience....
...dovetailed front sights are vastly superior to staked in front sights, in the long run. I think you will be happy with your decision.
FWIW, when I need to measure to see if a front sight is centered, I put the slide in a vice, and use dial calipers to measure the distance from the front sight to the vice jaws.
I have a vice but no brass plates or other suitable...
by rob , Monday, April 07, 2014, 23:31 (3825 days ago) @ Glen
protection. I generally use cardboard but it wouldn't be suitable for measuring from. I really need to upgrade my vice considering how useful they are.
I have several vices -
but at my age, they are getting harder to maintain. LOL, sorry guys, I couldn't help it.
Rob, you can take the slide off, lay it on one side on a flat surface and measure from the flat surface... flip over to the other side and repeat. You can tell close enough with just a Starret scale. Of course, there's still the issue of the barrel-to-slide tolerances causing wonky sight settings.
A double dovetail setup will let you split the diff left & right, front and rear if there is something weird with the barrel fitting. Not quite so noticeable that way.
I have several vices -
by rob , Tuesday, April 08, 2014, 00:14 (3825 days ago) @ John K.
Don't we all? :) I was thinking the same thing about double dovetail and splitting the difference. The gun shoots great so I hate to change anything else.
Like Glen said, Dovetail the front sight
by Miles Fortis 
, CIVITATES AMERICAE, Tuesday, April 08, 2014, 09:52 (3825 days ago) @ rob
it is the easiest fix
Rob, did I stupid out (again)?
by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Tuesday, April 08, 2014, 23:02 (3824 days ago) @ rob
You introduced yourself to me at CSA, right? I feel like a dolt for not putting it together (assuming I have) until now.
My apologies. Sometimes I don't readily put together names and 'net handles. I promise to try to do better in the future...at least, until the mind goes and then all bets are off. 
Only if it was one of the first two or three CSA's ...
by rob , Wednesday, April 09, 2014, 00:16 (3824 days ago) @ Hoot
I went to all the ones in Athens/Malacof but none in Arkansas. If it was the recent CSA, that would be Rob Leahy the leather master and I am Rob Adams the auto tech. I always use a lower case r to distinguish between the two. Don't feel bad, I've been part of this forum since it was Single Action 45 and I still don't have everyone's names and handles figured out and that's actually something I make a concerted effort to remember:)
OK, good. I am trying harder to remember names and faces.
by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Wednesday, April 09, 2014, 05:59 (3824 days ago) @ rob
I've known Rob L. for a few years now and it weren't him. So, there's another Rob here'bouts that introduced himself last month.
Cheers!