Traditions front sight options?

[Greg_E]

Missed another fun shoot because the front sight on my Traditions Hawken was loose and sliding around. Chewed one out of aluminum but same thing happened after I knocked it back and forth a little to try and center it. Need a decent option and that brings up questions.

This barrel is cut for the 0.360 dovetail (from what I read), do I find one that fits or do I cut it out for the 3/8 dovetail? Is Brownell the best place to get a good file to cut this? I have a file from a cheap set, and it's garbage.

Still trying to figure out a rear sight solution, but a simple blade or post at the front is good enough. Height adjustable for the front is best, but that can be adjustable with a file because once it is set, the rear will be adjustable.

 

[sb 54 cal.]

look at Track of the wolf or any muzzleloading supply and see if you can find what you like.

 

[Greg_E]

There are several that would work, most in 3/8 dovetail which is why I'm considering cutting the barrel out to fit.

 

[Grimord]

I made the front and rear site dovetails on my Traditions Shenandoah and Trapper pistol 3/8" using the dovetail jig sold by Dixie and a few others. There seems to be far more selection of sights using the 3/8" dovetail.

 

[64Springer]

Remove your front sight. Take a sharp center punch and stipple the bottom of the dovetail. This will put little raised dents all over that surface. Then tap your front sight back into place. If it still moves, try staking it from the top.

 

[Greg_E]

Since the original is plastic, and the aluminum one is UGLY, I don't want to stake the barrel yet, but a possible solution once I get something of decent quality.

I think the 3/8 cut is probably best, I'll check Dixie and Brownells for the tools, got mine and step son's to fix. Mine has been the one to catch all the problems, probably won't start on his until nearly the holidays. I may also want to cut a rear dovetail, both of these rifles have holes drilled and tapped for the rear sight. Size and spacing matches nothing I can find.

 

[64Springer]

Make sure you buy a triangular file with one safe side. Or carefully grind/stone the teeth off of one side. So you don't cut the bottom of the dovetail while you're working on the width.

 

[Greg_E]

I was going to buy the file that Browells sells specifically for dovetail work. Not sure if it has 1 or 2 safe edges but it has been recommended by many in the searching I did before posting. BROWNELLS 60° DOVETAIL STANDARD SLOT SIGHT BASE FILES | Brownells

I want the 60 degree, correct? They have a 65 degree too.

 

[64Springer]

60 degree.

44 BUCKS????? Does it cut the dovetails for you?

Go to Ace Hardware. Buy this. I think was 13 bucks or so. What's nice about this file is that it is only .295 wide. Works great on those smaller Traditions dovetails.

 

[Greg_E]

I don't have a way to grind the safe side. I have other triangle files, and the corner is not sharp enough, makes a big radius. But yes the sticker shock of those files is slowing me down.

 

[necchi]

Height adjustable for the front is best, but that can be adjustable with a file because once it is set, the rear will be adjustable.

Your right,, so "set" the front blade. Once your comfortable with the front sight position while sighting in, Take a small sharp center punch and "peen" an edge of the barrel dove too the sight base.
You don't need a massive blow that will damage the cosmetics, just a single pin prick punch at the very edge will stop the horizontal drift of the front. If done properly it will serve as a "witness mark" to see if any movement has occurred.
I like this rpl rear sight for the traditions,, I file down the 3/8's dove to fit the .360, with a 3 corner file smoothed on one side with a grinder, then drill and tap the center of the base for a horizontal movement set screw.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/882/1/RS-LA

 

[jefair1]

Get a brass base front sight and file it down to fit the slot in the barrel. Brass files easier than steel and if it gets screwed up, you're not out a lot. Go slowly and check the fit every couple of file passes.

 

[Greg_E]

I'm needing to fit a peep rear, my eyes are bad enough that regular rear sights are no longer working. I have a Williams glued in place for testing. Hoping the epoxy last long enough to get on target to figure out if it is going to work for me. It's a little far forward for a peep and I probably need to buy a tang mounted sight.

 

[Greg_E]

Log Cabin Shop had a Lyman 37ML sight with .360 dovetail, also ordered a cheap steel 3/8 dovetail tall blade that I can file to fit what I want. The Lyman sight might turn out to be too tall for the peep sight I'm trying to use, and no way to file it down due to design.

I did pick up a file and sat with a cheap "diamond" hone from Harbor Freight and flatted off one side enough that it won't cut. Wrecked the 200, 300, and 400 grit sides of the cheap hone. Gave up and called it good enough. Still has some lines showing, but no edges that can cut on that side.

 

[Greg_E]

Strike that, the order system at Log Cabin Shop is jacked up, ended up with two different steel sights. Guess I'll see what I really get when stuff arrives. Probably not going to order from them again, nothing but issues getting items into my cart. First impressions are important.

 

[necchi]

I did pick up a file and sat with a cheap "diamond" hone from Harbor Freight and flatted off one side enough that it won't cut. Wrecked the 200, 300, and 400 grit sides of the cheap hone. Gave up and called it good enough. Still has some lines showing, but no edges that can cut on that side.

Ok, but ya gotta be careful with that, those triangle files are tappered, meaning they ain't straight,, so when they cut ya get an angled cut,, heavy on the start side and lame on the back,
Just go slow and check fit frequently,, that's why I add the tapped hole for a set screw in the rear sights dove base section.
If ya ain't careful, ya end up with a rear that'll drift or wobble.
A trip to the local hardware store will set ya up with the needed bit and tap along with a short allen head set screw.

 

[kyron4]

Your right,, so "set" the front blade. Once your comfortable with the front sight position while sighting in, Take a small sharp center punch and "peen" an edge of the barrel dove too the sight base.
You don't need a massive blow that will damage the cosmetics, just a single pin prick punch at the very edge will stop the horizontal drift of the front. If done properly it will serve as a "witness mark" to see if any movement has occurred.
I like this rpl rear sight for the traditions,, I file down the 3/8's dove to fit the .360, with a 3 corner file smoothed on one side with a grinder, then drill and tap the center of the base for a horizontal movement set screw.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/882/1/RS-LA

This Is the route I'm going on my current " Hawken" project. Looks somewhat period also compared to other adj. types.

 

[pwbsmokey]

Since the original is plastic, and the aluminum one is UGLY, I don't want to stake the barrel yet, but a possible solution once I get something of decent quality.

I think the 3/8 cut is probably best, I'll check Dixie and Brownells for the tools, got mine and step son's to fix. Mine has been the one to catch all the problems, probably won't start on his until nearly the holidays. I may also want to cut a rear dovetail, both of these rifles have holes drilled and tapped for the rear sight. Size and spacing matches nothing I can find.

Cut a new dovetail