Best shim material?

[Patocazador]

I am replacing the sights on a rifle I bought but someone prior to me (the maker?) made the dovetail accommodate the sight rather than the other way around. I installed the new rear sight and have a large gap at the bottom of the dovetail. It is about 1/32".

Please give me advice on the best way to deal with this. Except for the undesirable sight that was in it, I haven't seen any in TOW that would fill the dovetail. I was/am going to use shims but have never had to do this with rifle sights before. :idunno:

 

[Col. Batguano]

You should make a new sight that fits the dovetail. It will take you a couple of hours with a drill press, bench grinder and a file. Otherwise, you could tig weld some more steel to the existing sight's base, and then file it to the right shape.

 

[vulture]

The advice above is exactly what I would do in your shoes, only not having a welder I would have to solder the extra metal to the bottom. Back in the early days of Green River Rifles some of their fixed sights were made from simple angle iron. They would use a thick enough material so that a slight slope could be given to the upper portion and this would allow enough material at the bottom of the sloping upper to form the dove tail. The front could then be made as long as you wanted to the limits of the size of angle iron used. You drill a hole part way through the upper arm of the angle and this forms the concave for the sight, then you just cut it off through the middle of this concave and file form your sight profile. I wish I could post a drawing of what I am talking about but I can't. Dr. White taught me this way of making a custom sight years ago when I first got started. I have seen a mumber of well made sights created this way and you couldn't tell they were created using simple angle iron.

 

[BrownBear]

Got into your situation once, and the gap was just too thick for the brass shim I use on CF guns.

Bud of mine had a rifle on which the rear sight had been moved and the dovetail filled with a wedge of copper filed flush to the barrel. Looks pretty cool actually, and he said it was HC, whether or not he knew what he was talking about (most likely in his case).

Got my thinking cap out, split open a hunk of copper tubing, flattened it, and filed to make a shim. Been on the rifle for about 5 years now. Total time required was about 15 minutes.

 

[boar]

I have done a few by puting extra solder on the bottom of the sight, then tap in with a non metal hammer. Did the job. Dilly

 

[Col. Batguano]

All the above methods will work. It all depends on how much time and resources you want to dedicate to it, and what your goal is. If you just want something that works, and fast, go one way. If you want something that is perfect, and looks perfect, go the other way.

 

[Patocazador]

I never learned how to weld and, of course, don't have a welder. I think I'll first try to do the solder method that Boar-dilly suggested. If that doesn't work, then copper is the next step.

I thought about using a small piece of steel and making a thick shim out of that and just have a stacked arrangement similar to the copper tubing method suggested.

 

[Vaino]

If you don't want to make a new rear sight, then soft solder a piece of steel slightly thicker than 1/32" and file the top of the "shim" to suit. You might also have to re-file the dovetail.....so a safe on one side triangular file is a must for either or both situations.

Just apply some lead free solder paste in the dovetail, slide the wider than necessary shim in and heat...won't take much. File the sides smooth and start fitting the sight.....Fred

 

[F.G. Ford]

To fill a space below the sight, you can take a piece of soft, flat lead ( hammer it flat ) put below your sight, and then set your sight.
In a few days the lead will turn to a dark grey, and then you will never see it.
Fred