Hand made front sight

[flehto]

Front sights are available from most suppliers , but I prefer to make them...both steel and brass or a combination of the 2 metals...... my favorite is all steel w/ a sterling silver insert soldered in. The sight  shown was made using a hacksaw, files and a drill press for the  hole. The soldered sterling silver insert doesn't show well. The 2 parts are attached as shown. It's a very sturdy front  sight. The blade can have various contours......Fred

[elkhorne]

Fred,
What thickness of sterling do you use for the blade? I assume you just use cold rolled steel for the base but I guess you could use copper or brass as well. Thanks and good photos.
elkhorne

[flehto]

The blade is .100 thick cold rolled steel  and the oversized silver insert is filed flush after soldering. The .100 thickness looks a lot more narrow when sighting down a 46"  bbl.  The steel  sight gets browned after assembly......Fred

[okieboy]

 That is nice. Do you control the 60 degree angles on the base by some method besides hand and eye?

[flehto]

I use the  "one safe side" dovetail file. I just "eyeball the angles so the base ends up w/ 2 parallel sides. The sharp corner is deburred  and the sight is installed. I also make the rear sight which has a square notch.....the one shown was for an "A" weight bbl, so it's a little on the narrow side and it too is all hand made....Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Fred:  you've just reminded me that I'm never too old to learn something new.  I too make my own sights, but it never occurred to me to make the front sight out of anything, and add a small piece of silver for the accent.  I've been making the entire blade out of solid 999 silver for years, and been wasting the precious metal all this time.  thanks a bunch.

[smylee grouch]

When I make my front sights I  sometimes use a jewelers saw and cut a slot straight down the blade a short distance and flux and silver solder it full of silver solder, and dress it down flush.

[flehto]

Taylor.....For years I located   the  lid opener spring on  the "floor" of the  Pbox cavity and  then  saw  where you located the lid opener spring for your   Verner  Bucks  County LR and have "done it your way" ever since,,,,it's now really out of the way. Thanks....Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Too bad we don't live within driving distance Fred...I'm sure there are lots of little things that we could share and learn from.  But this is a good substitute!!