Loose rear sight

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joeboleo1

40 Cal.
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Putting together a Lyman GPR kit (before trying something a little more ambitious)and the rear sight dovetail (factory cut) came thru too big for the sight. It goes in but is a sloppy fit. What would be the best way to secure the sight from moving around so easily? It does not slide completely thru, but is very loose.
 
Take a center punch and put a bunch of stake marks in the bottom of the sight. This will displace metal and make the sight larger.
 
Tin the bottom of the sight with soft solder. You can leave it at that and it will be tight but it's better to, after the gun is sighted in, remove the barrel from the stock and heat the sight/barrel with a torch to sweat it in place. Then you KNOW it'll never move.
 
Joe, I did what Stubert said, except I punched the bottom of the dovetail slot, and it helped a lot. After I got the sights set I centerpunched in front and back of the dovetail to tighten it up.
 
I'd suggest using the punch & peening the dovetail's flat. In my opinion it's best to have the rear sight snug in the dovetail, but not soldered in place.....you never know when you might want to make a sight adjustment.
 
I like that. Never thought of soldering. Once the gun is sighted in, it stays there, or at least the sights should. I think about this old original 32 I shoot. I have no idea when those sights were last moved, but probably more than 140+yrs. ago. Soldering sounds good.
 
On my GPR, the adjustable rear sight fit nice and snug. The fixed primitive rear sight was very loose. I also used a punch and peened the bottom edges of the rear sight. Fits very tight now.
 
If the punch doesn't work for you try, silver soldering the bottom of the rear sight itself, (not soldering in place).
The extra build up on the base of the sight itself should allow you to sand off what's not needed and have tight enough fit you will have to bump back in place!!
 
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