First time front sight

[Hank Mcmauser]

Stopped by the local H4H restore and found the perfect candidate for my front sight blade. A Brass house number 6.
So decided to give it a whirl.
Base is juist plain steel . This is the first I've soldered anything In years.
It aint perfect and it might break at the joint but that's the Beauty of it. I can fix it. Or completely remake it. I have about an hour and a half in it. Sure I could have ordered one from TOW for 10 bucks it thisbis so much more satisfying. Up next will be my first dove tails. I think I'm going to do the under barrel lug first to get the hang of it. I may even practice on a chunk of scrap. Maybe I'll install a dovetail on my 3 ft crowbar for practice

 

[kyron4]

Nice. I made the front sight for a few of my rifles also. I like the house number idea, how thick is the brass ? I found a 1"x12"x 3/32" (.093") flat stock of brass at our local hardware store, but I like your idea. I made mine to short the first time and had to go taller on the next try. Got it zeroed perfect after that.

 

[Hank Mcmauser]

Nice. I made the front sight for a few of my rifles also. I like the house number idea, how thick is the brass ? I found a 1"x12"x 3/32" (.093") flat stock of brass at our local hardware store, but I like your idea. I made mine to short the first time and had to go taller on the next try. Got it zeroed perfect after that.

It measured right about .010 with my HF digital calipers that was before any filing/ sanding.Id guess It's probably about .0090-.0095 now. It's a bit wide, but I can always re do it down the road if I choose.

 

[kyron4]

I like the wider front sights, easy for these old eyes to pick up.

 

[Hank Mcmauser]

I like the wider front sights, easy for these old eyes to pick up.

That might be on good benefit. It seems as though my arms started getting shorter at about the age of 45. Most of my lever actions now have peep sights on them for that very reason.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My old eyes prefer an iron front sight, a brass one disappears on a sunny day unless I black it.

 

[kyron4]

My old eyes prefer an iron front sight, a brass one disappears on a sunny day unless I black it.

Same here, I soot them up with a match for a flat black non glare surface.

 

[Hank Mcmauser]

Well, with a lit of anxiety I cut my first dovetail. The sight is mounted, like I said earlier it isn't perfect, but I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Alan O]

and so you should be! Nice work - that's not at all easy to do in my experience.

 

[longcruise]

Same here, I soot them up with a match for a flat black non glare surface.

I clean the sight with alcohol then cut a slit in a large piece of cereal box, slide it over the sight and spray with flat black paint. I have the same problem as Eric with brass or silver fronts.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Ace hardware sells brass plate in a couple of thicknesses. I bought a large sterling silver fork for a couple of bucks at an estate sale that I used for a front sight blade. I like a silver sight for all around shooting better than brass or steel unless I'm shooting in bright light coming from a bad direction then I blacken it.

 

[Hank Mcmauser]

and so you should be! Nice work - that's not at all easy to do in my experience.

It definitely made me pretty anxious taking the hacksaw to the barrel. But like they say go slow and take your time. I've got 4 more dovetails to cut for the rear sight and the 3 pin tennons.

 

[longcruise]

I used a nickel on a revolver. A dime or penny might work too.

 

[Rebel bull]

when I could still see I started with a brass front sight fast forward several years and I switched to a german silver sight it showed up better on the variety of targets at the monthly shoots and in the woods for hunting now 30 years and 2 surgeries later if I'm shooting a match it has a red fibre front sight and green for hunting but to be truthful at 70 my days of chasing the woods are very few if I'm in the woods tracking my rifle is a T/C scout 50 cal with a Hi-Viz green front sight and a Johnson peep, for 99% I'm sitting in my stand on top of a 3 acre food plot with my Austin & Halleck and a Léopold scope its the only way I can see to shoot at more then 20-30 yards

 

[Spikebuck]

Nice job.

Looks like it's installed backwards though.

 

[Clark Badgett]

Good job on making your sight. However the base material looks too thick and leaves to underside of the blade too high above the barrel. I would look to reduce the base material and resolder the blade back on.