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Author Topic: dovetail info  (Read 424 times)

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Offline Chas.

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dovetail info
« on: October 04, 2009, 07:03:37 AM »
I've read that sight dovetails are tapered.  The sight should always be knocked out left to right and any installation should be from right to left.  In other words, the dovetail sides are not exactly parallel.  This doesn't sound right to me.  It seems like opening the dovetail a couple of thousanths on the right side would be a nightmare.  What's the real truth?
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Offline trotterlg

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Re: dovetail info
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2009, 08:56:37 AM »
I think you will find that the sight base that goes into the dovetail in the barrel is what is tapered. You need to do this to get it started into the slot.   Larry
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Offline Nobade

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Re: dovetail info
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2009, 10:45:15 AM »
Exactly. Slot is straight, base is tapered. Drive it out backward and the slot gets too loose.
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Offline Chas.

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Re: dovetail info
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2009, 11:27:53 AM »
Well, based on the responses, I got out my measuring stick and my collection of dovetails.  And that's exactly right.  One end of the dovetail is a bit smaller than the other on the buckhorn that I had taken off my cowboy and the Lyman 17A front sight.  And I measured a dovetail blank that I had just for the fun of it - as expected, no differences in it.   Thank-you for being so gracious to take the time to answer my question.
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