1863 sight install

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IMG_0960.jpegSo I’m happy with the results considering it’s my first time silver soldering. The original press fit brass sight was way too low, so I took it out and tried press fitting a few sights I made from washers, a penny etc… with no success. I decided to try silver soldering after watching a few videos on YouTube. I made the sight from a washer I hacksawed and filed to shape. Did everything the video said to do and voila new sight installed! The sight is wider so I filed the notch in the brass frame wider with a square file. May widen it a bit more at some point but I think it’s ok the way it is. Got to get out and try it one of these days. I removed the bluing and “aged” the steel a bit with a wet rag and a dollop of perm blue paste just wiped on and wiped off right away. I darkens the steel a bit to a nice gray finish. Yes I know I left all the stamping on the barrel, just in case I decide to reblue later and polish the brass back to its old shiny self, just like new. The brass was aged nicely in a pan of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and salt. I just set the gun on a wood block in the pan out of the mix and covered with plastic. Two hours later it looked like this.IMG_0954.jpegIMG_0958.jpegIMG_0959.jpegIMG_0957.jpeg
 
It is a nice job. I did a 47 Walker and not as nice but I caused myself problems.

Do you have the Video of the solder work that you followed. Be a good ref item and while I soldered pipe for lo many years, not gun sights.
 
I’ll see if I can find it. It was actually about soldering jewelry, but the techniques still apply. I wasn’t sure about the blueing so I removed it before I soldered. I know you have to heat evenly both surfaces to be soldered, plus apply lots of flux and burn off the excess before soldering.
 
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