I have a rem 12c with a Lyman tang sight R12. Somewhere in its past, it was bent, as in twisted. The only way I can see it happening is that someone dropped the rifle with the post in the upright position and the sight took the main hit. When mounted on the rifle, the post has a definite lean to the left.

I had this on another rifle, a Rem 121, for severals years. I have on several occasions put it in a vice and with padded pliers twisted the base back to the right, just waiting to hear it go PING as it breaks into. I don't think my heart can take another session like that.

So, what is the proper way to twist this thing back in place. I am guessing heat it red hot and twist it back. Metallurgy is not my strong suite, so what are the problems in heating and twisting it back straight? Well this destroy the bluing? Can it be cold blued afterwards?

Thanks,
Charlie

Heating it will take out all the springiness and leave it dead soft. Then wherever you bend it to, it will just stay there. It will no longer be suitable as a sight base. The bluing will all be long gone too.

The only chance of getting back into service is to overbend it (cold) so that when it springs back it will be in the right place. There is a chance it may break, but it's not much good as is, apparently.

You could have someone who knows how to make springs (good gunsmith) heat, straighten, heat treat, temper, and reblue it. This requires a good knowledge of metallurgy and a history of successful practice at doing it.

If it's just leaning left or right, it may just be the surface of the rec'vr that it's sitting on is canted.
The frames are/were polished on machines but by hand held methods. A few extra .000" material taken off of the surface on one side of the mounting holes as opposed to the other will tilt the sight. The amt will be magnified when looking at the top of the mast/aperture.

Even the original instructions that came with many of these early tang sites advised that shimming one side or the other may be needed to correct a canted sight.

You can check the sight base & sight itself first for any bend by taking it right off the rifle. Then place it on a hard flat surface like a table top or the like. Now eyeball it as if you are sighting down it and see if you see the same tilt or canting. A small square placed next to it will also help to envision how straight the sight is.

If that looks OK, then you options are to:
Shim the base or alter the base.
Both will bring the sight to 12 0clock high.
I'd advise shimming. I find a lot of them shimmed on old rifles including Winchesters. Paper and thin card shims mostly. Sometimes thin brass shims. Neatly cut and tucked just under the edge of the sight on the side that's low, they will bring the sight top side and not be noticeable at all.

Altering the base is a bad idea IMO. It destroys the site for other rifles use and generally does not turn out too well anyway. Lots of altered sight bases around on the used sights you see for sale. They were done for the exact purpose of trying to correct a tilted sight. A simple shim(s) works fine.

If it's not the above problem and cure but instead a damaged elevation shaft that is bent, Those can be removed from the shaft by turning the knurled post till the elevation shaft exits the post.

There can be a small pin in the end of the shaft that is just a slip fit. Keep that if it's still there, though most are missing. That pin allows the bottom most elevation adj for the sight for that particular rifle. If the same sight was sold for use on another rifle/cal combination, a different pin could be inserted to make for a different bottoming out elevation movement. The elevation shaft lengths were traded out for different rifles also.
Anyway. see if the elev shaft is bent. They can be straightened carefully but don't damage the thread elevation rack on it or it won't go back into the post.

Replacements are available from some dealers that sell that sort of thing.
One that I've dealt with is Ken Bean in PA.
I usually catch up with him at gunshows but haven't seen him at the last couple. He's somewhere around York, PA, tel #(717)-755-9070.

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I'd advise shimming. I find a lot of them shimmed on old rifles including Winchesters. Paper and thin card shims mostly. Sometimes thin brass shims. Neatly cut and tucked just under the edge of the sight on the side that's low, they will bring the sight top side and not be noticeable at all.


This. I cut a shim out of a smashed 22 RF brass and it didn't quite get there. Used a 38spl brass empty, flatten it out with a hammer (gives a double thickness) and it looks perfect. Will try it out at the range. Can't believe that little shim (.021") moved it that much. It was really bent pretty bad.
Thanks for the help, again. As usual, you were right on.

Charlie