Staking a rear sight

[rjpalmer]

What are some of the methods used to tighten up a loose rear sight on an octagon barrel. My rear sight is quite loose in the dovetail. It moves with just finger pressure. My rifle is an unfired Jack Garner TVM. Thanks 

[Lucky R A]

    You have several options.  You can remove the sight and slightly expand the brass base by using a square punch and striking down on the top of the base material while resting it on an steel block.  With the sight removed you can slightly hammer down the edges of the dovetail.  You can use a good sized nail set and punch in a decorative circle at each end juncture of the sight and the dovetail.  This was recently pictured in the photos of a Schreckengost rifle by Wes Sink.  Of course if you are a masochist you could make a completely new sight with a slightly larger base.....Ron

[EC121]

Punching the corners is the easiest.  Or order another sight with a longer base then file it to fit snugly in the dovetail.  An alternate would be to drill and tap the sight for a 4-40 set screw to make it adjustable.   Don't punch the bottom of the dovetail.  It can distort the bore.  I had a barrel that had a tight spot right under the back sight from someone punching the dovetail.  Didn't find it til way after the trade.  Depends on the wall thickness you have under it.  

[smylee grouch]

I have had a few that were lose enough to need attention and on at least two of them I tinned the bottom of the sight with soft solder. Just that thin layer of solder was enough to make it tighten up when I drove the sight back in.

[jerrywh]

 There are at least 4 or 5 ways to fix it. Put a drop of solder on the bottom of the sight.  or take a sharp punch and put a few punch marks on the barrel in the bottom of the dove tail. Or put an iron inlay in the bottom of the dove tail. Locktite. There are more. Brownels sells a locktite I think it's called 360 black. it is so good that modern gun makers use it to put sight bases on modern gun barrels. If used correctly it will hold. 

[moleeyes36]

If your rifle is unfired, you might only want to tighten it up enough keep it from moving during sighting in.  If you anchor it too tight now it will be difficult to drift it slightly for windage adjustment.  After it's sighted in you can use a nail set at each end juncture of the sight and dovetail as Ron suggested.   Just a thought.

Mole Eyes

[rjpalmer]

I thank everyone for their replies. I am going to purchase a new sight and fit it. If that doesn't work out, black Loctite will be used.Thanks all.

[frogwalking]

I don't know if this is how the problem arose, but I have stopped ordering barrels with the dovetails cut.  For whatever reason, precut dovetails always seem to be too big, when used with precast sights.  I guess God wants us to make our own sights, cut our own dovetails, or both.

[jerrywh]

 When parts are cast they shrink about 3% to 7%. Sometimes this shrinkage is not compensated for in the process. On a 3/8" sight base this is about .011".  When I get a sight that is loose like that I turn it upside down on top of the vise with the blade between the jaws and hammer the base to expand it. It is easy to gain .011".   

[Pete G.]

Place a cold chisel across the top barrel flat just behind the rear dovetail. Give it a good whack and tell everyone it is a "decorative" molding.

[yulzari]

I tightened a slack dovetail with a sliver of aluminium window blind and a loose tumbler/hammer fit with strips of aluminium beer can between the tumbler square and hammer square. Not only works but invisible and reversible.