How to snug up loose rear sight dovetail

[frogwalking]

During a weak moment, when ordering my barrel from TOW, I agreed to have them cut the sight dovetails.  I have filed dovetails many times, but they offered expert gunsmithing very cheap.  I guess it depends on what one means by "expert".  The front one was so loose I eventually threw the purchased front sight into the spares box and made a new one.  The rear, I thought would be ok.  It is a little loose.  I feel it will walk out of adjustment.  What is the best and most authentic way to make sure it does not move once the sighting in is complete?  The GM .40 barrel shoots great.  I did not realize I could see well enough to do that well.  God bless long sight radii. 

[northmn]

As to authenitic, they likely tapped down the dovetails to tighten them with a punch.  Shimstock works very well where you cut a longer piece and then hold it in place and reset the sight.  You can file it off and nothing is seen.  I have also hammer peened the sight itself to stretch the dovetails to tighten them.  The most secure method I have used is the shim stock, although in a close fit, using a punch has worked.  I use a pin punch not a center punch.  You you can try this with the sight in place or remove it and peen down the tops of the dovetails and replace it. 

DP

[Dave B]

I made a special punch using a cold chisel as the victim.  I ground down the point making a polished radius in its place. I then punch down the section of the dove tail covering the sight. It snugs them right up. I have an original that has a shim of copper under the sight to tighten it up. You can stretch the sight base by using a punch on the bottom side of the sigh with a small cold chisel it also will raise a burr that can tighten up the sight as well.

[Stophel]

The sight base can be spread out by peening on the bottom of it.   

[Jim Kibler]

I agree with Stophel's advise.  If performed well, you won't even be able to tell it was done.  If the dovetails haven't been raised, (which is likely the case), tapping on the edges will be noticeable.

[Stophel]

Turn it upside down in the vise, with the blade down (not tightly) between the jaws, and peen the bottom.  It will spread out and widen the dovetail.  Don't get too crazy with it, though.  The top will probably be marked up some, just file it back out.   

I had to spread out the sight I just made a few days ago.  Just ever so slightly. Now she's snug as a bug in a rug.

[smylee grouch]

I have had the same trouble and tried all the above at one time or another with good results. I have also taken sight out and tinned the bottom with solder and drove back into dovetail with ok results. Lots of ways to skin a cat.    Gary

[frogwalking]

Thanks to all.  Tinning the bottom of the sight sounds like a winner. Barrel and sight are already finished so filing is not the best.   

[bob243]

I have had the same trouble and tried all the above at one time or another with good results. I have also taken sight out and tinned the bottom with solder and drove back into dovetail with ok results. Lots of ways to skin a cat.    Gary

I just did this the other day, tinned with silver solder and filed it down until is was about .005" additional thickness.  Worked great.

[Roger Fisher]

If all the screwups were this easy to 'fix' life would be a lot simpler.

[smylee grouch]

Frogwalking: I forgot to mention in my origanal post that tinning the bottom of your front sight might be real tricky if you have a two piece sight that is soldered together. Other wise you could tin a small section in the center bottom of your dovetail. Didnt want you to melt your sight apart. Good luck and Flintlocks Forever.     Gary

[oldiemkr]

Acouple of very light center punch marks on the barrel {on the bottom of the dovetail slot}would raise the bottom up a bit to tighten up the sight itself.

Let me stress again LIGHT CENTER PUNCH MARKS !!

[frogwalking]

Thanks folks.  I did tin bottom of the rear sight, dressed it up with the file and it seemed to work fine.  The front is ok as I had to make a new one since  TOW cut that dovetail really too big.  Instead of soldering in the silver blade, I drilled a hole through the base, countersunk it from the bottom and peened the piece of  blade that protruded through the hole.  Seems to be fine.

[jwh1947]

Just say a prayer to the Almighty, and give it a solid whack with a piece of shim stock and a ball peen hammer.  If still loose, take a prick punch and get up close near the sight,  left and right, fore and aft.  If that fails, send it back to those experts and demand a new barrel. 

Again, that dovetail need only be deep enough to hold the sight.  1/2 of the contemporary work that I have seen  has sights that are cut in way too deeply.  Incidentally, look at the base of your next front sight; it is a rough part.  Chances are you can do away with a lot of that mass and lower the profile.

  Also, these front sights that look like the sail on Teddy Kennedy's yacht are not at all consistent with most originals from Pennsylvania; take a look the real ones. Store bought parts are rough parts, meant to be worked to look real.  I often remove up to 90% by weight from a rough part, and we soon learn to make our own.  Store bought parts usually end up looking store bought.  Conversely, around this general region, those who make their own usually know what they are doing.