Author Topic: Making a front sight (Read 3729 times)

Mike Lyons · « **on:** May 07, 2019, 10:59:31 PM »

Is it better to use a .999 silver eagle .9999 maple leaf or a Franklin Half coin silver to make a front sight blade?

T*O*F · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2019, 11:02:25 PM »

Better to use a silver dime. Won't cost as much.

Stoner creek · « **Reply #2 on:** May 07, 2019, 11:03:17 PM »

Thick German silver will work. I use it a lot. Otherwise a silver quarter will do.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #3 on:** May 07, 2019, 11:15:24 PM »

Depends on your eye sight. If you're young narrower is fine. If you're older wider is better. At least for me. I'll agree with Wayne, GS is just as good.

rick/pa · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2019, 02:56:02 AM »

At 71, I think I'd prefer a slice from a silver bouillon. Wider is much gooder for my eyes.

Mike Lyons · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2019, 03:06:13 AM »

I’m going to make it pretty wide. I was wondering if pure silver or coin silver was better or more H/C. Every time I ask questions, I learn something. I figured if I didn’t ask, I’d end up choosing the wrong thing and blowing the entire project or having to redo it. Looks like it doesn’t matter a whole lot. Thanks for the advice.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2019, 03:24:50 AM »

Coin silver is probably more correct, but it's hard to tell if it's silver or German silver when it's on the gun.

WadePatton · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2019, 04:23:54 PM »

Quote from: T*O*F on May 07, 2019, 11:02:25 PM

Better to use a silver dime. Won't cost as much.

Best laff this morning!

Bigmon · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2019, 04:46:50 PM »

Silver, or brass if shiny is a problem for me if it is a bright sunny day. Makes me shoot looooow.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2019, 07:28:48 PM »

I use both pure silver and GS for sight blades. But need at least .080" thickness finished, to be able to see it properly. I need shiny for trail/hunting sights, and use a felt pen to blacken the blade for open field shooting.

Daryl · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2019, 07:41:27 PM »

Dry-Erase black felt markers leave a dull matt finish, instead of shiny like permanent black felt markers.

Daryl · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2019, 07:50:29 PM »

As Taylor noted, shiny is needed more times than not, when shooting on bush trail walks.
If you click a couple times on the last picture of Taylor shooting, you can make out 3 points of light.
One from each side of the front sight base, with one in the middle off his front sight blade. All of our
front sights have a short 45 degree angle on the rear surface. It it this 45 degree angle that gives a
nice shiny sight, but it easily touched with dry-erase marker to become instantly dull black. Wiping it
with your thumb removes it instantly. Any time the rear sight becomes dull and you want it shiny, rub
it with your thumb, wet like "York" or dry, or with a piece of patch material to polish it up a bit.

Darkhorse · « **Reply #12 on:** May 09, 2019, 11:30:55 AM »

I made a few using a quarter and half dollar. When done and sighted in so much was removed I could hardly tell it was a coin at all, and they were too thin for me to shoot accurately. Now I just use German silver for the blade and brass for the base.

This one is ready for sighting in and final shaping...

David R. Pennington · « **Reply #13 on:** May 09, 2019, 03:17:59 PM »

I used a dollar. An old worn one.

Mike Lyons · « **Reply #14 on:** May 09, 2019, 04:04:18 PM »

I made one from a franklin half last night. It ended up being under .080. The coin was .080 before I started. Chalk it up to practice. I’ll try a dollar tonight.

Flint62Smoothie · « **Reply #15 on:** May 09, 2019, 07:08:39 PM »

Quote from: Bigmon on May 08, 2019, 04:46:50 PM

Silver, or brass if shiny is a problem for me if it is a bright sunny day. Makes me shoot looooow.

Hence that saying from competitive shooting world ... Light’s up ... sights UP![/b]

David Rase · « **Reply #16 on:** May 09, 2019, 10:01:06 PM »

I'm a bit late to the party but here goes. I use sterling silver as it is easy to come by and available in various thicknesses. I make most of my bases from copper.
David

Mike Lyons · « **Reply #17 on:** May 09, 2019, 10:44:56 PM »

Thanks David. I’ll try ones base in copper. They aren’t too bad once you do a couple. I had a silver dollar bullion coin that’s .095 thick after sanding that I’m probably going to use. The franklin half is too thin.

Clint · « **Reply #18 on:** May 10, 2019, 04:16:52 AM »

I used to go to a lot of yard sales and learned to keep my eye open for boxes of buttons. I would buy the whole box for a couple bucks and they almost always had something marked sterling, girl scout pins , shooting badges etc. Over the years I collected six or seven pounds of sterling and used it to make all kinds of things. A propane forge will easily melt and consolidate all those little pieces and filings.

Daryl · « **Reply #19 on:** May 12, 2019, 05:46:30 PM »

Ron- barrel blood - Uh-OH!

just kidding - nice sight

flehto · « **Reply #20 on:** May 14, 2019, 02:51:03 PM »

The front sight shown is steel w/ a sterling silver insert soldered in. The blade thickness is .100 for better visibility.....old eyes need help. The silver insert is fairly long vertically so a rounded front contour can be filed in and /or a lower sight is wanted. The blade fits in a groove and is then riveted together.......Fred

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #21 on:** May 14, 2019, 03:35:34 PM »

I generally use old British 1 shilling coins, 90% silver. Just anneal and flatten to whatever thickness you want.

G_T · « **Reply #22 on:** May 14, 2019, 09:53:07 PM »

I don't have time at the moment, but in a couple months if people need silver for front blades I can make whatever silver alloy is desired and pour/roll out some sheet. That is if there is something resembling a consensus on what people would want - alloy and max thickness. One-offs are always expensive!

Fine silver and sterling sheet are readily available so I'm presuming the desired alloy would be something else. No reason to reinvent the wheel.

Gerald

smylee grouch · « **Reply #23 on:** May 14, 2019, 10:42:19 PM »

I have had good luck using silver solder on a steel blade that is .100 thick. Once the right height is found I cut a small V shaped notch on the edge of the blade and then use a jewlers (sp) saw to cut a thin slot down into the center of the blade then use flux I silver solder the notch/grove and dress off the excess.

Daryl · « **Reply #24 on:** May 15, 2019, 01:37:51 AM »

I used silver solder on my express sight leaves, but over the course of time, it darkened. Rubbing the surface with a denim patch, can brighten the line to make it visisble. If I don't wash for a few
days, I just rub it with my thumb with some spittle on it.

News:

Author Topic: Making a front sight (Read 3729 times)