Filling holes

[Lippy984]

Good morning. I’m rebuilding a T/C Renegade for a project. I had already sent the barrel out to Bob Hoyt, so now that it’s back I started draw filing to brown it. I plan on getting a Lyman peep sight or something similar, so I want to fill in the stock rear sight threaded holes. What would be the clean way to go about this? I was going to thread in screws with loctite, and file them down. Only concern would be, how will the browning process turn out around the threads. I’m not making a showpiece out of this...just want a nice clean target rifle. Thanks

 

[LawrenceA]

Why not use plug screws?
Yes you will see them but you also retain the option of refitting the rear sight.

 

[Eric Krewson]

If you want to permanently fill the holes countersink them ever so slightly, screw in the right sized screw, cut it off, peen it into the countersink, and draw file it smooth. They won't show.

I did this on of a missdrilled lock bolt hole, you can barely see the patched hole in front of the bolster screw.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Do you know the steel the barrel is made from? Try to match that if you can with your plug material. I tried filling a hole in a nickel-silver inlay one time with a flathead screw filed down to be barely discernable. It looked great---until--- I hit it with some tarnishing agent and the screw metal stuck out like a sore thumb against the nickel silver. Thankfully I did this as a science experiment on some scrap to see if it was a viable fix---it wasn't. I wound up ripping out the inlay and making a whole new one--this time out of thicker stock so I wouldn't file through it. That little gaffe set me back about a week in the build, but I learned a lesson with it; doing the job right takes a lot less time than trying to do it fast.

 

[SDSmlf]

Being factory holes I would just leave them and plug with a screw as @LawrenceA suggested. You will hardly notice them and you or any future owner will have the option to use them again.

 

[Prairieofthedog]

I can never find the right size plug holes when i need them.Take a piece of round brown or black plastic about the size of the screw holes.Cut it to length and tap it in the holes flush.Can't hardly see it, and you can get them out later if wanted.I put a little grease in them to protect from moisture,before tapping them in.

 

[Lippy984]

If anything, I’d cut a dovetail for a traditional sight if I ever went that route. That’s why I’m not worried about doing anything permanent, or semi permanent for that matter. I’m just curious how the browning will take to it. I’ll just have to try it and see.
Eric I like your idea of peening it in.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’m just curious how the browning will take to it.

Plugs are so small you will have to look hard to notice any color difference, and in your own words ‘not making a showpiece out of this’.