Missing plastic sight insert

[denden]

Just picked up a model 67 - 0 that is missing the plastic insert in the sight. S&W said these were injection molded at the factory and that they did not even have the equipment to repair the older guns. I thought someone made or sold plastic in a tube or that you could mix to fix this. Any ideas?

I have some RTV I am going to try until I find something else. Thanks,
Denden

 

[s&wchad]

FRONT SIGHT INSERT KIT | Brownells

You can buy only the components that you need, or the complete kit.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Just picked up a model 67 - 0 that is missing the plastic insert in the sight. S&W said these were injection molded at the factory and that they did not even have the equipment to repair the older guns. I thought someone made or sold plastic in a tube or that you could mix to fix this. Any ideas?

I have some RTV I am going to try until I find something else. Thanks,
Denden

For some reason, I thought I remembered seeing a video on the Midway USA web site in which Larry Potterfield demonstrates, using items sold by Midway, how to fill in a red ramp insert. You might check there.

EDIT: I could not access it last night, but I checked and Midway USA does have a video on making a red ramp insert. Go to this web site in the Midway USA video library and search for "Smith & Wesson" and one of the videos deals with installation of a red ramp. Of course, you will not have to cut the dovetail. Based upon your description of what you need, you will simply need to mold the new red insert.

http://www.midwayusa.com/General.mvc/Index/VideoLibrary

 

[Hoptoad]

FRONT SIGHT INSERT KIT | Brownells

You can buy only the components that you need, or the complete kit.

Excellent resource to bookmark!

 

[dfariswheel]

When they told you they "molded" the sight insert, what they really meant is that they cast it in place.

Here's how to do your own new front sight insert using one hour epoxy glue and model airplane paint.

First, get all the old insert out. If there's two holes in the bottom of the dovetail full of colored material, use a needle or small drill to clean the holes out.
If there are no holes, buy a small drill that's about half as wide as the sight blade and drill two shallow holes in the bottom of the dovetail
These holes were used by S&W and form "locks" for the insert to lock into. This makes a much stronger insert that won't loosen or come out.
Make sure to use a center punch to mark the holes so the drill won't drift off.

Use a solvent like Acetone or lacquer thinner to degrease the sight.

Make up two "dams" from small, flat pieces of metal or thick plastic.

Apply a coat of wax to the faces of the dams, then clamp them to the sides of the sight blade with a small pair of Vise-Grips to form a mold around the dovetail.
The wax prevents the epoxy from sticking to the dams. You can use Johnson's Paste wax or shoe polish wax, but not car wax.

Mix up some 1 to 2 hour type epoxy glue. The longer cure time gives more working time and allows the epoxy to level in the dovetail.

After mixing the glue, put a SMALL drop of Testor's solvent-base model paint in the glue and mix it thoroughly.
You need only a very small amount, and the less you use the stronger the insert will be. If you use too much the insert will be weak and crumbly.
Experiment to find the right mix. Use just enough to color the glue properly.

Use a toothpick or needle to pack the epoxy mix into the holes you drilled in the dovetail, then use a small screwdriver or toothpick to put a drop of the epoxy-paint mix in the dovetail.
You want exactly enough to fill the cut to the top of the sight, level with it but no higher.

Brace the sight, (or the whole gun if it's on the barrel) so the face of the sight is level.
This will allow the epoxy to settle level and not run out.

After the leftover epoxy is like a hard rubber, remove the mold and use a brass or plastic "knife" to clean up any excess epoxy.
Allow to fully cure for 24 hours in a warm place, and you're good to go.

This home method works just as well as the commercial sets, and is considerably cheaper.
It's not really all that hard to do this with a little practice, and you can save some money.

 

[gdogs]

You can get everything you need at Wallyworld in the women's nail care isle - well almost. An acrylic nail kit has both the liquid acrylic and hardener that is used in the kit sold by Brownells for under $10. All you need then is powdered dye. I've tried the RIT stuff, it isn't worth the effort. Order the dyes from Brownells, they are great. But don't pay their price for the rest of it. I've done 4 or 5 of these, and still have enough supplies for a couple more from 1 nail kit. Probably have enough dye now to last me a lifetime (1 bottle of several different colors).

 

[Muley Gil]

I've made many sight inserts from toothbrush handles. I cut the insert oversize and then file to shape. They come in many colors too.

 

[Gunhacker]

I've used the Testor's model paint and epoxy glue route a looong before the insert kits finally came out. The key with it is to either find a bottle that the pigment has settled to the bottom of the bottle and separated from the solvent, or let the one you buy sit long enough to do that.

Use an eye dropper to siphon off most of the solvent, but leave enough to keep the pigment covered and wet. The I dip a tooth pick in to "harvest" the pigment as needed. Testor used to make flouresent red & orange paint, I made sight inserts that you could not tell that they were not factory.

 

[denden]

Want to thank all of you for these responses. Looked on Brownell's site but I was not too excited by the pricing. The epoxy route sounds good. This gun already has the dovetail and the 2 holes. Anyone ever use JB weld. It dries dark grey which would be fine for a truck gun and it can be filed/polished.

 

[texagun]

Excellent thread with lots of good information to store away.

 

[smokey04]

+1 on Muley Gil's toothbrush handles.I not only replaced damaged or lost inserts but I filed a many of dovetails in sight blades and fitted pieces of toothbrush handles in the cut. I always put tiny holes as, suggested above, in the base and used pieces of large paper clips cut to size to help hold the insert in. Never lost one yet! Nick

 

[dfariswheel]

The paper clip pins is a great idea.
Even in a heavy Magnum revolver, the sight insert itself would have to be broken into pieces for it to come out.

Great method.

 

[denden]

Toothbrush piece sounds doable - but I cannot see how the pin idea would work in a factory dovetail. Am i missing something?

 

[dfariswheel]

The pins won't work on an insert made from plastic
These have to slide into the dovetail from the side.
The pins would work on an insert that's cast in place.

I also had a method of making solid inserts stronger.
If you just cut an plastic insert, put some epoxy in the dovetail and slide the insert in, there's not a lot holding it in place.
A blow can break the bond of the epoxy with the steel sight, and the insert and the very thin layer of epoxy just slide out.

I made sure the sight dovetail had the two small holes in the bottom so I could fill them with epoxy.
I then took the plastic insert and used a carbide bit to grind a shallow hollow in the underside.
I'd put epoxy in the two holes and in the shallow hollow in the insert and slide it in place.
The holes and the shallow hollow gives the epoxy a "lock" to hold it in place.
Before the insert can come out, the epoxy has to be broken.