How to TIGHTEN a front dovetail site?

[MIOutdoorsman]

Hello friends.
I was affected by the recent Lyman barrel recall. I'm happy to report that I received my replacement Lyman .54 cal barrel for my flintlock Great Plains Rifle, and now it's time to put it all back together and get to the range again.

However I now have a problem that I'm hoping someone on this forum can assist with.

I had previously purchased and installed a fiber optic hunting site to this gun (https://www.lymanproducts.com/brands/lyman/sights/muzzleloader-sights/fiber-optic-hunting-sights.html)

I know.. I know... crazy to install a modern site on a replica rifle ... but this is my hunting flint, and the factory sites that came with the Lyman were not at all functional, so I went with these.

The front site fit nice and snug on my original barrel, but now with the replacement barrel, the front site slides right through the dovetail with barely any resistance whatsoever.

(1) Is it possible to TIGHTEN the front site dovetail?

(2) Enough to overcome essentially zero resistance??

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

Rob

 

[mooman76]

Peen it with a small ball peen hammer. If it is real loose, just lightly until it's snug and you get it sighted in and then a little more when you get it where you want.

 

[tenngun]

I’ve taken a 1/4 inch wood chisel and dulled the edge. Then Laing on each side of the sight just where the base and barrel edge comes together and tap.

 

[Artificer]

It all depends on how loose the dovetail slot is in the barrel, compared to the length of the sight base front to rear.

I have a ball pein hammer that has been filed flat and polished flat to peen dovetails and other sorts of peining/peening work. The polished surface usually leaves no unsightly marks.

Some people suggest using a center punch in the barrel dovetail to upset enough metal with a lot of "dings" on the surface that will be covered by the sight dovetail, to get the dovetail tight. Personally, I have never found that to be a good long term solution.

Something that I do when other things fail is use brass or steel shim stock between the barrel and front sight base. You have to have several thicknesses of the shim stock to get the one that really tightens things up, but still allow the front sight to be drifted into place or adjusted. However, this seems to be long lasting solution.

Gus

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Peening can work as Moonman76 suggested. Another method....Turn the the sight upside down and solder a light film on the bottom of the base. This will raise the base up and tighten the sight. You can easily trim or thin the solder with a file or even sandpaper.
Flintlocklar :wink:
PS, Don't know about the fiber optics, if that is something that will not take heat. I am assuming it won't so then my suggestion for your situation will not work.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Thanks for these ideas guys.

When you say to peen with a light touch, are you suggesting that I tap on the edges of the dovetail on the BARREL, as in tapping that edge downward a tad? Or are you suggesting that I tap the edges of the front site itself, making them duller in a sense?

Sorry for the detail follow-up, but as you can tell, I’m no gunsmith! I’m comfortable doing this work but want to make sure that when the hammer comes out, I swing at the right parts!!

 

[necchi]

Peen the barrel.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I always just took a nail-set punch, and stippled the flat of the dovetail slot on top of the barrel a bit, then..., I took a vice and inverted the front sight-post and base, with the blade of the front sight post in the vice, between a couple scraps of leather. With the bottom of the front sight inverted upward toward me, and flush against the vice jaws so they would support the base, I use a nail set to stipple the underside of the front sight-post base. That way the under side of the front sight base is distressed, and it comes into contact with the flat surface of the dovetail slot in the barrel that is also distressed, and voila, not loose any more.

LD

 

[M. De Land]

I developed a method of tightening dove tail/sight interference that does away with the unsightly peening of barrel metal.
What I do is make a shim that is the width of the shoulder on the sight and about twice as long as the sight width, of the proper thickness to make a snug fit.
I then fold the end over the sight body on the side that is driven into the slot that leaves a tab that keeps the shim from sliding off the sight as it is driven in.
Being on the shoulder and not underneath the sight, it cams the sight down to the bottom of the dovetail.
When the sight is in place the tab is raised and the under side is scored with a sharp dry wall blade. It is raised and lowered until it breaks off at the score line flush with the edge of the dove tail slot and sight. Now the bright metal at the break is touched up with a q-tip dipped in cold blue and it disappears to the naked eye.
I have even used a sharpy to blacken the end break of the shim and the same effect occurs.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Interesting options here. Thanks everyone.

Now I need to build up courage to whack on a perfectly new barrel””one that took months to get replaced, and for which I don’t want to risk damaging beyond usability, else sacrifice my muzzle deer season.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Now I need to build up courage to whack on a perfectly new barrel””one that took months to get replaced, and for which I don’t want to risk damaging beyond usability

See what I wrote above...,

The stippling isn't seen from the outside once the front sight post is inserted into the dovetail, and it doesn't harm your barrel.

LD

 

[Eric Krewson]

I would make the sight bigger by peening or shimming and would leave the barrel alone.

I have tightened several front sights by turning the sight up side down in my vise jaws and peening the base lightly. It will surprise you how far the metal will move with some tapping. I use a small ball peen hammer I picked up at a flea market.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

I would peen the barrel. If you want to shim it instead, a feeler gauge makes good shimming material.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I would make the sight bigger by peening or shimming and would leave the barrel alone.
:thumbsup:

Right on, why mess with an expensive barrel when a sight only costs a few dollars!
Flintlocklar :wink:

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Update-- I contacted Lyman about this, and they recommended shim tape. Trouble is, as I look online for assortments of shim tape, it seems to be available only in bulk, and at prices starting over what a new site costs. If I were a gun builder, worth the price perhaps. Not so much for a one-time (or very seldom) use...

I assume I'll need to try different thicknesses, but very small pieces that would fit in the dovetail. If anyone is aware of a source for small pieces of shim tape, I'd be eager to investigate further on that idea.

Otherwise, I'll peen the site, save the barrel, and if all goes wrong I'll get new sites I guess.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

If anyone is aware of a source for small pieces of shim tape

https://www.harborfreight.com/feeler-gauge-32-pc-63665.html

 

[Pete44ru]

I've always used a BCS (Beer Can Shim), appropriately cut to size, on the floor of the barrel's female dovetail slot.

I generally drift the shim into the dovetail with the sight (at the same time), then camo any shiny spots with a black Sharpie.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

If anyone is aware of a source for small pieces of shim tape

https://www.harborfreight.com/feeler-gauge-32-pc-63665.html

Thanks for this! I drive right past Harbor Freight almost every day... will run in and grab one!

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I've always used a BCS (Beer Can Shim), appropriately cut to size, on the floor of the barrel's female dovetail slot.

I generally drift the shim into the dovetail with the sight (at the same time), then camo any shiny spots with a black Sharpie.

Necessitie is the mother of invention, eh? Good idea!!! (Wonder if dark beer has thicker cans?! Haha)

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

They're located in the automotive aisle, put your blinders on or you'll walk out with half the store.