Dovetail Depth

[JLayne]

Hello all,
I recently took a newly completed project to the range to sight in and found that with the sites it came with, it was shooting really high by roughly 1 ft at 50 yards. I didn’t have a taller front site, so I filed the rear sight lower which got me to about 6 inches high. So I ordered the extra tall front sight depicted below from TOW. Before installing it, I tried filing some thickness off the base of it to make it more closely match the dovetail depth of the old sight, but as you can see, there is still a decent amount of gap between the bottom of the site blade and the top barrel flat. I am thinking of deepening the dovetail to correct that before heading back to the range to get the rifle sighted in, but am concerned about making the dovetail too deep and/or ruining the fit of the sight in the dovetail. Should I be concerned? If it makes a difference, the barrel is a 42” Rice B series in .50 caliber.

Thanks in advance.
Jay

[P.W.Berkuta]

The dovetail in the barrel is deep enough and I would not make it any deeper. Deepening the dovetail will not solve the problem. If it was me I would make my own sight to match the barrel dovetail.

[Stoner creek]

Take the sight out of the gun. Melt the solder joint. File the groove in the base so that the blade lays flat on the barrel. Re-solder the blade onto the base. Easy Peasy. I wouldn’t mess with the dovetail in the barrel.
 There are a lot of solutions but this one is mine.
Good luck friend!!

[Ken G]

This would be my suggestion too. 
Ken

Take the sight out of the gun. Melt the solder joint. File the groove in the base so that the blade lays flat on the barrel. Re-solder the blade onto the base. Easy Peasy. I wouldn’t mess with the dovetail in the barrel.
 There are a lot of solutions but this one is mine.
Good luck friend!!

[Daniel Coats]

Jay if you were to deepen the dovetail it would also make it wider because of the angle. Don't make the dovetail deeper.

[heinz]

Jlayne,  If the range is convenient take a few shots with the new site to be sure it is now shooting low before you do anything else.  There are other ways to fix that gap if you do not have extra height to play with.   The advice to not mess with the dovetail notch is 100% correct

[smylee grouch]

I would shoot lots and develop your best shooting load first before you move any sights. Also make sure your shooting style/technique when working up a load isn't making the gun to shoot high.

[JLayne]

Hi,
I did try out the new sight first. It is now grouping too low, so some of the new height needs to be filed down. However, before I do that, I figured that I will first address the gap below the sight blade because that will affect the POI as well.

Jayquote author=heinz link=topic=66999.msg672493#msg672493 date=1628289027]
Jlayne,  If the range is convenient take a few shots with the new site to be sure it is now shooting low before you do anything else.  There are other ways to fix that gap if you do not have extra height to play with.   The advice to not mess with the dovetail notch is 100% correct
[/quote]

[JLayne]

Thanks, Smyleegrouch. The rifle seems to be consistently grouping well (shots touching) when I do my part with 60 grains of Goex 3F and a denim patch about .023”. I am using Mr. Flintlock Lube. I just need to get the groups  to land where I want at this point.

Jay author=smylee grouch link=topic=66999.msg672498#msg672498 date=1628292938]
I would shoot lots and develop your best shooting load first before you move any sights. Also make sure your shooting style/technique when working up a load isn't making the gun to shoot high.
[/quote]

[JLayne]

I will try taking apart the sight, deepening the notch and resoldering it as suggested above. Thanks. Jay

[P.W.Berkuta]

Take the sight out of the gun. Melt the solder joint. File the groove in the base so that the blade lays flat on the barrel. Re-solder the blade onto the base. Easy Peasy. I wouldn’t mess with the dovetail in the barrel.
 There are a lot of solutions but this one is mine.
Good luck friend!!

Maybe it's just the picture but I see a glint of "light" at the front of the joint of the sight and barrel dovetail (gap maybe) that is why I suggested on making a new sight to fill this "gap" . If this is not the case then modifying the original sight will work.

[kutter]

The sight looks like one piece (?) or more probably a blade that is hard soldered to the base.

I would leave that assembly alone assuming it's a nice solid joint.
The gap look uneven betw the ends of the blade overhang and the bbl flat.
I would scribe a line on both sides of the blade parallel with the top flat of the bbl onto the over hanging blade portion.
Just enough to allow a clean even cut into the brass on both sides.

Then remove the sight from the rifle and place it in a vise upside down
Use a file to remove the extra matl from both ends of the blade down to the scribed line.

Now you have a nice clean and even 'gap' on the bottom of each end of the blade!

Reinsert the sight back into the bbl dovetail.
Now use the bbl itself as a soldering jig...

Take some brass  plate stock and file to fit so it slides into place  under the blade to fill that just filed even gap. One for each end.
A nice close fit.
Leave the sides of the brass pieces wide so they are supported by the top flat of the bbl.

Scribble w/a common lead pencil the entire area on the bbl around the sight. The graphite in the 'lead' pencil will avoid any solder or flux from sticking or damaging the bbl finish should it get on it.,,,It shouldn't with the miniscule amts to be used.

Once in place, put a tiny amt of soft solder flux on each joint betw the blade and the new shims of brass.
Now solder the 3 pieces together right while they are in place on the bbl.
I would use a propane torch carefully and direct the flame near the top of the sight blade. It'll heat up that brass very fast and a touch of soft solder wire will complete the job.

You can also use an electric soldering gun if you have one of the larger Watt ones. They heat up well. I use one to tin SxS shotgun bbls and ribs.

Let it cool on it's own.

Drive the sight out and put back in the vise and carefully trim the excess brass shim from the sides of the blade and polish it back up.

Back in the rifle, the blade will bottom out perfectly on the bbl . The tiny soft solder line will disappear with use and handling if it's at all an issue.

[T*O*F]

Take a rubber mallet or dead-blow hammer and whack both sides down until they touch the barrel.  it's always worked for me.  These guys are always recommending forging a lockplate or barrel tang to fill a gap.  Why not a sight?  I assume you're going to file it into a teardrop or triangle when you sight it in anyway.