Red ramps ............now what?

[Spotteddog]

R/O,
It looks as though post #8 (2Hawk) has a red ramp modified to take a Tritium vial. ToolTech uses that method to allow the red ramp to stay intact, IIRC?
Post #9 (B/D's post) looks as though the "sail" of the red ramp Baughman quick draw was mowed off and milling was done to the remaining integral sights base, to allow use of a "standard" replaceable front blade. To do it, a "woodruff' key like female cut is made to accept the male half on the replacement sight base. A cross pin hole is then drilled for retention.
If this link works(?) you'll be able to see the two blade types used. The method I described above applies to the sight blade on the right. IIRC, the blade on the left, uses two pins. The L/H one is how the S&W fiber optic factory blades used to be held in.
SDM FABRICATING : GP250, .250" Sight (864-000-009) - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

 

[Rangerone]

Post #9 (B/D's post) looks as though the "sail" of the red ramp Baughman quick draw was mowed off and milling was done to the remaining integral sights base, to allow use of a "standard" replaceable front blade. To do it, a "woodruff' key like female cut is made to accept the male half on the replacement sight base. A cross pin hole is then drilled for retention.
If this link works(?) you'll be able to see the two blade types used. The method I described above applies to the sight blade on the right. IIRC, the blade on the left, uses two pins. The L/H one is how the S&W fiber optic factory blades used to be held in.
SDM FABRICATING : GP250, .250" Sight (864-000-009) - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

Don't think so... Look closer. You can see the dovetail that was cut across the base after the original sight was milled off. This is a simple dovetail cut. I PM'd the owner, he is going to try to find out who did the work. Should be a simple fix.

 

[Raven6]

@ JELLYBEAN:

I really couldn't tell you what brand of paint my friend used... But it was probably the same brand that I got at Lowe's in the squeeze bottle in the interior paint section. It's used to put "stars" on the ceilings of kid's bedrooms... Comes in about a 4 ounce bottle with a top on it similar to Elmer's Glue.

I would tell you exactly what brand if my gunsmith tool box (a big roll around Craftsman rig) was out in the garage... But it is over at a friends house right now... And we are once again catching a good snowstorm (for Middle Tennessee, that is) so I can't get over there to check it out. This stuff has never gotten brittle on me... In fact, it is (for a paint) somewhat pliable. It dries to about the same hardness as Elmer's Glue as well, so as long as you are not actually trying to peel it off of the ramp, it will take some bumps and dings and will to some extent actually rebound back. In other words, small dents in the paint heal themselves.

Now, I've always been careful not to hit the paint with any Hoppe's #9 or any other solvents... I do feel certain that any solvent that would remove plastic, copper or lead fouling would wipe the paint off of the ramp like the smile being slapped off a teenage kid that had just stolen a kiss.

Hope this helps... The stuff is cheap enough that if you mess up the first application, you can just wipe it off and re-start it.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Jellybean]

Mike, next time I'm at Lowe's or Home Depot I'll take a look at the paint department and see what they have available.
Thanks for the info,
Rod

 

[Spotteddog]

OK Rangerone.
I finally brought up that image on my Wife's Mac, instead of the monitor we have at work. You are correct! I can see the dovetail, what may have fooled me was the metal's color being that of the gun, rather than the color of the sight? He must have buffed out the ends of the dovetail and applied clear to keep it the raw metal color?

 

[handejector]

You guys wouldn't last a day around me if you don't like the word "xxxx". That's about as "good" as I get. I'm sorry I scared the women or startled your horses.

"about as "good" as I get."
Get better. It is not worth the trouble.

I spent a lot of time cleaning this thread up. It is a good thread, and Drew put some good effort into it. It is quicker and easier to delete them.

Help us out here.
It is a lot more enjoyable when every one can read a thread comfortably, with the kids if they want to.

 

[handejector]

Hi guys!

I'm new to the forum. Trying to learn.

What does "private forum" mean?

Merely that the forum is a piece of property, owned privately.

That means rules outlining behavior are not requests.

 

[WhistlerSWE]

If you see a revolver with red insert sight in Sweden you can be sure that it is either new, or has never been used. The first thing everone does is to change front sight to a blued steel one. You just aren't competitive with the red insert.

 

[sonny]

The Mepro front sight tritium that Drew was showing sounds like a good idea.
On my Glocks, whenever at a gunshow, I go to the Glock table and ask if they have any "old" or "used" front sights to replace my factory front sight. The cost, if any, is minimal. The old tritium is still usable in low lite or nite shots, which I assume Border Patrol needs badly. Also, I do NOT use tritium for back blade.
If you install brand new tritium sights and go into a dark room, just think what a BG will see if he gets behind you. The old weak tritium front sight is all you need at night, since all you learn to do is concentrate on "front sight" anyway. You don't need rear sights at any distance less than 15 yards if you've practiced with your gun at all.
There was a mag article a few yrs ago where the writer used a 1911 without any sights at all, and did quite well just "aiming" with the slide, up to 25 yds.
And...Mr. Border Patrol Man...I only wish you could get greater support from your government so you could do your job.
Sonny

 

[ladder13]

I could use a red ramp insert for my 696. If anyone has this "ancient" low tech piece laying in their garbage, please send it my way, beggars are choosey.

 

[Spotteddog]

Mike,
While I haven't looked in quite a while, I recall Brownell's having them in the correct height. A few years back they even had cylinders and barrels! Sometimes they'll be listed under "in common parts" for L frames, etc. At the beginning of each individual section in the dead tree version they'd appear that way.

 

[metrotps]

Years ago before I let a good friend talk me out of my Model 57 I had a gunsmith put a Yellow insert in place of the red ramp. This was visible during bright and cloudy days. Worked well at the ranges both indoor and outdoor. Brownells still carries the material.
BROWNELLS : SIGHT INSERT KIT - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

 

[Wheel-er]

Thanks, Handejector.

 

[Sunkist]

BorderPatrol, I'm having the same problem. My 686 has the integral ramp; no pin. One solution might be a barrel change. Midway has 4" barrels for 106.00 with the pinned front sight. With that you could swap out your sights, front and rear for Meprolights 3 dot night sights (85.00 for the set.) By the time you were done you'd have $300 wrapped up in it. Not having the money now I took some Birchwood Casey flat black touch up paint and ran it up my front sight from the low edge of the red insert right over the top of the sight. I can see that flat black a lot easier than I could see the red under our range's noise reduction roof.

PS. I had missed the page where Drew showed pics of the Meprolights-That's what I plan to do to my old 686