Front sight removal

[handirifle]

Has anyone ever removed the front sight from their BC or target model?  Mine acts like it was welded in there.  Also, looking at it from the muzzle end, does it come out left to right or right to left?

What tool do you use?
Thanks in advance.

[quickdtoo]

They're in the real tight, Wayne was really cussing the front sight on the 38-55 when I took it to him directly from Sportsman's Warehouse to make a 405 Win out of it, it took a fair amount of force to remove it. The smith that did my 45-120 ruined the globe removing the sight, then didn't fit the replacement well, so it was cocked up on one side! I removed it then fitted it. Then had to remove it again and fit a .404" sight in place of the .584" that was on it.

Measure the base of the sight on each side, one side might be slightly smaller, knock it out from that side. I use a brass drift, TOTW sells a dandy.

Tim



http://trackofthewolf.com/(S(ht1mdx24rcs3fu45l1qhjgqr))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=1&subId=19&styleId=1061&partNum=TOOL-KEY-B

[handirifle]

Aaaarg!!!!
This smiley thing is gonna make me scream.  Typed in a big response and stuck a smiley in there and it wiped out two paragraphs of typing.  

Thanks quick, tight is an understatement.  I think I have my mounts figured out.  Gonna try to modify a Luepold scope ring to fit in the dovetail slot, and use a nylon bushing of my design to hold a 3/4" tube in a 1" ring.

Planning a similar setup for the rear, if they work it will be a lot cleaner looking than the pipe fittings that came with it.  There has been a lot of planning and trials but very little money so far.  My kind of project.

[handirifle]

Oh, forgot to ask, how did you hold your barrel while gently "tapping" yours out?

[linwin3000]

  I removed my BC front sight with great effort, it appeared that the sight  was held in place by the dovetail but also from a small amount of glue!!! The glue set up very hard and greatly impeded the sight from coming out. Getting all of the hard set glue out of the dovetail groove was next to impossible and unless you do, getting the new sight in place is difficult. I even tried a little heat on the dovetail along with putting the sight in the freezer overnight. Oh yes, the glue was put in at the factory. And, I`m still not sure if the slot is tapered, normally a machinist cuts a dovetail slot straight because he wants as little degree of difficulty as possible!
                                                                         Richard

[perklo]

I don't have a BC to look at, but is the globe removable?

If so, then I'd rap the dovetailed blade with a Delrin punch to break the glue loose, then use a tool like this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/productview?saleitemid=375336&t=11082005

to push the sight out...

- perklo

[perklo]

FYI - those type of tools won't work on sights dovetailed directly into the barrel. Only on ones in a ramp dovetail base...

I have never had a BC, so I don't know how they are set-up...

- perklo

[quickdtoo]

Aaaarg!!!!
This smiley thing is gonna make me scream.  Typed in a big response and stuck a smiley in there and it wiped out two paragraphs of typing.  

Uncheck "Spell check as you type" under the post window, and it will quit doing that!!

Tim

[handirifle]

Thanks Quick   Yeehaa It works!
Richard
I am not the least bit suprised.  How did you hold your barrel in place?  Am thinking wood blocks in a vice?

Has anyone tried heating the sight and barrel to remove the sight?  maybe that might break the glue loose some.

[linwin3000]

  First off, the dovetail is cut into the barrel and the sight is push installed with a slight to moderate press interference fit. Secondly, I laid the rifle down flat on it`s side with the receiver area wrapped in a cotton cloth, then placed a soft pine 1*6 short board under the muzzle to bring the barrel level and flat, this way when tapping on the sight, pressure is transmitted to the barrel flat against the pine board. Thirdly, I did try some heat to not much consequence. It was going to take more heat than I thought frugal and so soon enough backed off from this approach. Has anyone used heat to install front sights? I would think that too much heat would damage the blueing!! But then I really do not know.
                                                                             Richard

[handirifle]

Thanks for the info.  Not sure about the heat part, I might try it with my heat gun.  I was thinking of "V" notching a couple boards and putting the muzzle end of the barrel in them, in a vice.

Will update as progress is made.

[quickdtoo]

I just lay the rifle/barrel on the concrete floor with a board under the muzzle, that way all impact is against the sight and not absorbed by a vise, I've been doing dovetail sights this way for a long time, it works. At the range, I've adjusted front and rear sights on traditional muzzleloaders many times, once the sight is where I want it, I stake it in position. Neither of my H&R barrels with the 17A sight installed from the factory had any "glue" in them, but it wouldn't surprise me if they use the same thread sealant they use on their scope mount screws.

Tim

[handirifle]

Tim
OK will do the same as you and Richard.  Once you "stake" a sight like that I guess you don't plan on ever changing it again either.

[quickdtoo]

Not a problem, I've staked and restaked lots on some guns that I did lots of swapping sights on, the sights can be moved or removed, but the staking keeps them in place during normal use until change is needed.

Tim

[ctaylor]

i removed a front sight from a ruger m77 youth and ladies model 243 that was silver soldered on around the barrel had to heat it with a torch almost red until the silver ran out then hit it with a brass hammer to get it off the end of the barrel yes it does ruin the bluing

[linwin3000]

  You know, this thread shows that some small seemingly simple things can be dauntingly difficult. Most people would flinch at the idea of laying your precious BC down on a solid surface and start tap tap, boom, boom away. I  mean, these sights are sometimes really in there and require a good hard brass drift and unerring accuracy on your part, then sometimes they almost fall out! I was surprised to find the adhesive in the dovetail, the factory must have had some warranty work on sights that came out due to  sloppy dovetail cuts by  their machinists. Oh well, if this is all we have to cry about then you know!
                                                                                     Richard
 
                                                                     

[jake2454]

dont feel bad.....changing the front sight on my new bc was one of the most difficult changes that i have ever made to any firearm. the only thing that worked on mine was brute force. ended up really abusing a brass punch.

[handirifle]

Got that sucka out!!!

It drifted from left to right (looking from buttstock to muzzle.  Thanks for the tip on the difference in width, and the board and hammer whacking idea.  I was really afraid I was doing something wrong, cause SURELY it couldn't be that hard to come out.

Now about mounting the Dixie scope,

I'm gonna get ahold of Lee Shaver and have him make a part for me for the front mount.  Basically it will be a 5/8" square steel stock, one inch long.  At each end there will be a dovetail insert (male part) and one dovetail will be turned perpendicular to the other.  One end needs to be tapered, the other not.  The tapered one will go into the barrel.

I'm using 7/8" scope mount (from a rimfire scope) that connected into a 3/8" dovetail, with a wrap of leather around the scope and stuffed inside the ring.  This allows the scope to elevate from the rear and not bind the scope tube.  I believe the rear mount will hold the scope in place enough to keep lateral movement under control, at least I hope.

I will do a full write-up and have some pics when it gets mounted.