Front sight blade question

[kennethg]

I have a pre model 24 that someone modified the front sight. I purchased another blade and found the hole for the retaining pin is not in the correct location. Do I need to measure the hole location before trying to find another one or did different models/production years have the holes in different locations?? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[john traveler]

You will encounter sight blades that have pin holes drilled that do not match up with the barrel rib hole. All you have to do is drill out the new hole with blade clamped in position and pin in place.

 

[H Richard]

Most new from the factory blades will have no hole. Insert it in the position and get it set exactly how you want it then take a correct size drill bit "BY HAND", and mark the point where the hole should be. Then remove the blade and drill the hole. Be sure to dress down any burr's before trying to re-seat the front sight and install the pin. Some people may prefer to use a pointed punch that is small enough to insert through the hole.

 

[NYlakesider]

I somehow had the pin come out and I lost the front sight to my Model 34 4''. Another shooter on the forum had a sight that he sent me. It had no drill holes in it.

I simply put the gun in a padded vice, put the sight in the slot and held it there with one finger. Carefully put the drill bit which was attached to my 18 volt drill in the hole next to the sight blade and with plenty of lube drilled clean through the sight. It drilled very easy, metal was on the soft end of the scale. Took me less that 4 minutes to do. Pinning took another couple minuets!

 

[Neumann]

The front sight on my Smith Mountain Gun was pinned with a press fit. The new sight was also a press fit, but undrilled. I used a #59 (?) drill through the original hole in the mount, after leveling everything in a padded vice and drill press. Under these conditions, there is no way you could expect to line up a pre-drilled hole in the blade.

 

[kennethg]

Thanks for all the replies and good info.