I am working on the front sight of a circa 1900 Winchester 38-55. It is a simple task if the reproduction sight (rocky mountain style) would fit the dovetail cut on top of the barrel, but it is a loose fit and will probably fall out. I have cleaned the dovetail up and the base of the sight. Would a few drops of blue Locktight fix it or do I need to start a new search for a replacement? Any suggestions on a better epoxy! Thanks for your help.
Front Sight Dovetail Issue
- Thread starter delta-419
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I have used green 620 Loctite successfully for front and rear sights in that situation. Blue would hold it, but not as strong as green.
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A little late to the party, but depending upon how much space is involved, gentle peening of the top of the barrel on one side will collapse the dovetail slightly. This should give you a tight fit.
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If you have access to someone with a welder you can add a little metal to the front sight and then file down to fit. I would not do anything at all to alter a 122 y/o rifle. If not, you could actually try and shim the sight up with shim-stock. That should work as well. Just Locktite alone will more than likely move from the heat and concussion if you plan on actually shooting this rifle.
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I have done just Loctite on guns that were then shot a lot, and nothing moved. The Loctite advice is not just a theory. It's not the only solution, but it's an easy one that works well.
You might want to take a sharp punch, or pin punch and stipple (slightly) the bottom of the sight ( turn it upside down in a cardboard padded vise is the easiest way) and stipple the bottom, then stipple the area of the dovetail that will be covered by the sight base. Then a drop of red locktite, or whatever, install the sight and let it dry for a couple days. Never had a front sight come loose after this unless its so loose to begin with you just need a different sight.
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Place a shim under the sight base and drive the sight and the shim onto the bbl at the same time.
If the shim is a little longer than the base, all the better as the sight will drag the shim with it as it is driven into place.
Then you can carefully cut the shim itself off cleanly with a sharp knife on the underside of the sight base on either side.
Steel or brass shim stock, razor blades, cardboard, paper, ,,I've found all sorts of 'shim stock matr'l in use.
They all do the same thing in lifting the sight base dovetail cuts upwards and tight against the matching dovetail rails of the bbl.
Nothing permanent, so you can still easily make adjustments to the sight if you want to. Or remove it to change to sight.
Stippling the bbl flat does about the same thing,,raises the surface slightly and tightens the fit.
Sometimes the dovetail cut in the bbl is pushed out of shape,,the top edges are easily seen as pushed upward and out. That makes the dovetail a loose fit for a standard sight base.
The bbl dovetail can be very carefully peened back into position with care and not damage anything. A very smooth faced and polished hammer is all that is necessary for the job.
Very light strikes and flat to the surface so they leave no dents in the surface.
You can also use a small piece of very smooth steel placed over the raised dovetail area and then strike that with your hammer to push it back into shape.
If the shim is a little longer than the base, all the better as the sight will drag the shim with it as it is driven into place.
Then you can carefully cut the shim itself off cleanly with a sharp knife on the underside of the sight base on either side.
Steel or brass shim stock, razor blades, cardboard, paper, ,,I've found all sorts of 'shim stock matr'l in use.
They all do the same thing in lifting the sight base dovetail cuts upwards and tight against the matching dovetail rails of the bbl.
Nothing permanent, so you can still easily make adjustments to the sight if you want to. Or remove it to change to sight.
Stippling the bbl flat does about the same thing,,raises the surface slightly and tightens the fit.
Sometimes the dovetail cut in the bbl is pushed out of shape,,the top edges are easily seen as pushed upward and out. That makes the dovetail a loose fit for a standard sight base.
The bbl dovetail can be very carefully peened back into position with care and not damage anything. A very smooth faced and polished hammer is all that is necessary for the job.
Very light strikes and flat to the surface so they leave no dents in the surface.
You can also use a small piece of very smooth steel placed over the raised dovetail area and then strike that with your hammer to push it back into shape.
