Punching sights

[Gus Chiggins]

The sights on my .32 crockett are super loose(slide out just by tilting the barrel), I've been given the advice of "peening" the sight base with a brass drift/punch. I have a general idea of how to go about this, but does anyone have any sage advice? Do's/don'ts, size of punch, depth of dimples, etc? I'm sure this isnt a big deal but the idea of banging on my sight/barrel with a hammer is making me do a double check. Thanks.

 

[Stony Broke]

If your sight is that loose, you might end up having to replace it or do some modification with a shim under it or something similar. If you just want to peen the dovetail, you can do it be tapping along the both sides with a flat faced punch lightly. I have done it with a small piece of pipe and it works well also. Just lay the pipe or something round like that across the dovetail and tap straight down and you will lower the edges the same on both sides. There are numerous fixes also, such as epoxy in the dovetail...etc..

 

[Zonie]

I know of several ways to tighten up something in a loose dovetail while still keeping the ability to move the sight after it is installed.

If you hold the front sight by the blade with a pair of pliers and rest the edge of the dovetail on something like a piece of steel, you can lightly tap the dovetail edge that is sticking up. By flattening the sharp edge just a little bit, the material will be moved outward which makes it larger than the dovetail groove it fits into.

Another way is to turn the sight upside down, supporting both sides of the dovetail on two pieces of steel (or, put it into a vise with the blade hanging down so that the dovetail on both sides of the blade are resting on the vise jaws). Then, using a sharp pointed piece of steel like a nail or a pointed punch, place the sharp end on the exposed "bottom" of the dove tail and using a small hammer, tap the nail or punch. Do this in several places. This will form small indentations in the bottom of the dovetail and displace the metal around the indentations upward. This makes the sight dovetail a little "taller" so it will be tight in the groove.

Another way that I haven't had much luck with is to place one edge of the dovetail on a piece of steel to support it. Then, using a old knife or a chisel made for cutting metal, place the blade on the dovetail, cross-ways to the edge. Use a VERY light blow with a hammer to form notches into the sharp dovetail edge.
Again, this will displace the metal around the mark, making it fit snugly into the female dovetail.

A much poorer method in my mind is to use a sharp punch or a nail to deform the upper area of the dovetail in the barrel.
This is done by locating the point about .015-.020 from the upper edges of the dovetail and make a series of small indentations in the barrel by tapping the punch with a small hammer.
The problem with this is, it doesn't always displace or move the upper edge of the dovetail down into the groove and it leaves visible marks on the barrel.
It also violates one of the prime rules of working on gun parts. That rule says, "Always do your work on the less expensive part". By following this rule, if you mess something up it will be the cheaper part. Not the expensive one (like the barrel).

 

[Sidney Smith]

Easiest method IMO is to tap the top of the dovetail with the flat punch. Just do it lightly or you will leave visible marks. This is ok on tenon dovetails as you will never see them once the barrel is embedded in the stock.

Buying larger sights then filing to fit snugly will probably be your best bet.

 

[SDSmlf]

If you hold the front sight by the blade with a pair of pliers and rest the edge of the dovetail on something like a piece of steel, you can lightly tap the dovetail edge that is sticking up. By flattening the sharp edge just a little bit, the material will be moved outward which makes it larger than the dovetail groove it fits into.

If you have a vice you can bump the sharp edges of the dovetail as Zonie suggests, but instead of tapping, squeezing them between the vice jaws, and have a little more control. Unless way undersized, either method will work.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

You have had some good suggestions so far. Another idea, at least for me, is to place a match head size bead of solder right in the middle of the base. Run it down with a file so there is a slight taper making it thinner on the starting side of the dovetail. Be sure to use a brass punch or chunk of hardwood to tap in place.
Just another option.
Flintlocklar

 

[bubba.50]

Lay about a 9/16ths socket across the dovetail & give it a couple light taps with a small hammer. Go slow & try fit often. This works & leaves no visible evidence(marring from punches & hammers) that anything’s been done.

 

[EC121]

Don't try to tighten the dovetail by punching the flat of the dovetail to raise metal. It is possible to dent the bore on a thin barrel with overzealous hammer work.