First time screwing up a dovetail

[ZastavaGuy]

After decades of getting older and getting poorer, I recently got back into black powder scene and decided it was time to upgrade the sights on my old Investarm Hawken.

I picked up an elevation adjustable plains rifle rear sight from The Log Cabin Shop, cut a perfect dovetail in my barrel, fitted, smoothed and polished the rear sight, and then...

I made a slight adjustment to the height of the sight's tail and went a couple of swipes too many. Needless to say, I ended up having to hammer out some very thin brass to shim the sight.

As I've never had to do this before. Should I leave it shimmed? Should I pop it back off and tin a little bit of solder onto the sight? Or should I just spend 18 bucks and do it over?

I've never messed one up before and therefore I've never had a shimmed sight. No idea of how well it will hold up.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

After decades of getting older and getting poorer, I recently got back into black powder scene and decided it was time to upgrade the sights on my old Investarm Hawken.

I picked up an elevation adjustable plains rifle rear sight from The Log Cabin Shop, cut a perfect dovetail in my barrel, fitted, smoothed and polished the rear sight, and then...

I made a slight adjustment to the height of the sight's tail and went a couple of swipes too many. Needless to say, I ended up having to hammer out some very thin brass to shim the sight.

As I've never had to do this before. Should I leave it shimmed? Should I pop it back off and tin a little bit of solder onto the sight? Or should I just spend 18 bucks and do it over?

I've never messed one up before and therefore I've never had a shimmed sight. No idea of how well it will hold up.

To me it is all a matter of ZastavaGuy accepting what he has, as long as it does the job and the shims are in solid. If you don't like it, better pop for another $18.
Just remember you are not the only one on this forum that filed a couple too many.
Larry

 

[sheriff john]

Depends on what got filed and how particular you are. Several times faced with an undersized sight base or similar thing needing a home in a dovetail slot, I've used a cold chisel and hammer. Put the cold chisel real close to the opening on both sides, parallel, and give it a solid whack. Do the same on the other side. Bends metal down towards the hole. Bubba work.

Yup, it'll leave a sideways mark on either side of the slot, but if the cut wasn't too large to start with - it'll hold. If you really screwed it up or can't stand the thought of two "tasteful", perhaps somewhat decorative lines adjacent to the slot in question, just buy another sight and start over. I have had and have still several guns around here fixed thusly. Poor folks ...

 

[ZastavaGuy]

Depends on what got filed and how particular you are.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty ocd. I still can't believe I did that. First time for everything I guess.

 

[rchas]

Murphy's Rule for gun makers: modify the part that costs the least.

In this case I would leave the barrel dovetail alone. I see three options. One, leave the shims; Two, gently peen the sight base to spread the metal to fill the dovetail; and three (the least risky) buy another sight.

Situations like these is why I have a "moaning chair" in my shop where I can sit down, hold my head in my hands, and contemplate the vagaries of the universe....

 

[Mgbruch]

Your gun doesn't really need an adjustable sight, does it? When we find a good load, we also know what the trajectory is for its effective range. Or, in my case, the effective range of my eyes. Get a chunk of iron and make a rear sight, leaving the dovetail oversized. Then you can gradually file it down to fit.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Adjustable sights are ALL fixed sights once you stop adjusting them.

 

[Ed C.]

You might try some of the green penetrating loctite on the dovetail to give it some more permanence.

 

[Norman Brooks]

I have seen guns with shims under the sights before. As long it is a good tight fit I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[ZastavaGuy]

Problem solved. I had a screw on California sight sitting here collecting dust and I figured why not use it for something. I cut about 3/4 of an inch off of it and turned it into a 3/8 dovetail base. My OCD is now at rest.