Quote:
Originally Posted by Boulder350
The barrel project is making progress and almost done. Thanks to Chris, a fellow collector on this forum, I have a front target sight. Was able to purchase a destroyed 38 double action for parts. Used the springs, front sight pin, cam, hinge pin, screws, and extractor post from it. The extractor post was a to long so the gunsmith had to shorten it. Have an un-numbered 6" model 91 barrel and target sights in 22 lr on another frame that i will include in this set. Took the un-numbered rear target sight from the 6" barrel and put it on 32 barrel. Still looking for the elusive rear target sight for my 22 barrel. Right now it has the standard fixed sight/latch from the parts gun. Will start working on the display case soon.
Can't wait to shoot it.
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The "elusive" rear target sight can be made----at least in my mind.
As noted above, I have a machinist drawing of the blade (and the retaining plate, and the screws for the retaining plate). Several blades have been made from this drawing (including one for me), and they all fit/functioned perfectly. (It's worth noting at this point the sight blade itself is the same for any applicable frame size---varying only in height and width---which is to say one could make a strip of blade stock (which is too long and too high), and then whack off a piece---and proceed to whittle out a blade for anything from a NM #3 down to a single shot. Similarly, the retaining plate drawing could be scaled up for anything. So---now we have a blade, a retaining plate, and the screws. That which remains is the latch. S&W started this exercise with a regular, everyday latch---and whittled on it with a milling machine. You can do the same. (Never mind it'd be a damn sight easier to find a factory made latch/sight assembly-------and having said that, get in touch with (contact information to follow in PM.)
A word of warning concerning the latch---one modified to host the target sight. It has a slot milled in it to accommodate the sight tang. The act of milling that slot severely weakens what I'll call the latch tang. When that slot is refilled with the tang of the sight base/blade holder, there's no harm, no foul---everything works fine. If---IF one were to install such a modified latch on a barrel, and cycle it (up/down) just once, without the sight assembly in place (filling up that slot), they will succeed in breaking the end (now ends) of the latch tang. I know this because I've been there (and am very likely the culprit who done that). The good news is I found a wizard gunsmith who fixed it---fixed it as though it never happened---a sure enough WIZARD.
All for now.
Ralph Tremaine