Loose front sight on 5-screw K-22

[karotipir12]

My 5-screw K-22 has a bit of front sight wobble on the factory patridge sight. Does anyone know the appropriate fix for this?

Searching the forums seems to show a couple solutions:
- Use a wicking loctite like loctite 290
- Remove the pin and peen the sight
- Remove the pin and shim the sight
- Remove the pin and loctite the sight


What size is the front sight pin on 5-screw K frame? Just eyeballing it I'm concerned the 1/16" punch is a bit too big and will mar the finish since it won't fit.

Also, do the front sight pins drive out left-to-right and drive in right-to-left like traditional rifle sights?

 

[gmborkovic]

Pls. dont try and remove the pin! Use the #290 glue.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Pls. dont try and remove the pin! Use the #290 glue.

+1. Before even thinking about removing the pin, try the threadlocker. I've used it successfully on a 4" Model 29-2 Baughman front sight and pin, and on a Model 27-2 Patridge front sight pin. I also just installed a new XS Sights front sight on my wife's Ruger LCR .22 Magnum, and the XS instructions are to install the retaining pin and sight base with the supplied blue threadlocker. It should work just fine. Good luck!

 

[7.62match]

loctite is your friend.

 

[handejector]

The pins are straight, so they drive either way.
Brownells sells a pin punch set with cupped tips that includes one small enough. They might sell them individually.

 

[karotipir12]

Okay despite everyone's recommendations to use the loctite, I was skeptical about using an irreversible solution like green loctite, so I drove the pin out, shimmed it, and replaced it.

Some tips: standard 1/16" punches won't work, the front sight pin is 0.054", so what I did was take a brass 1/16" pin and file it to 0.050". Brass is also safer because you won't damage the finish

For shim stock, grab a set of automotive feeler gauges for $4 and you'll have more than enough variations of thickness to try. In my case, a sliver of 0.0015" on each side of the front sight tightened things up. Brushing the shims with sulfonated grease helps hold them to the sight when re-installing, and also will prevent future rust.

 

[gmborkovic]

Mr. 12, glad to hear it worked with nothing buggered up.