Traditions Kentucky Rifle Build

[Jack Barnes]

Hey guys,

I am putting together my first kit and only have a few steps left. One of them being installing the sights into the dovetails.

My problem is that when I put the sights into the dove tail ( from right to left) it slides completely though with little to no resistance on both the front and read sights.

Any way to fix this?

 

[bldtrailer]

place the sight in the dove tail center it then with a pointed punch and a hammer hit the barrel to force the dove tail to close/upset pinching the sight in place (only do this after finishing the barrel ,I filed /sanded and then browned)I also dress mine up and used cherry stain
In the mean time you could shim with some paper under the sight base.

 

[bang]

If it seems too loose you can add a thin shim to one side along with pinching.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

If it seems too loose you can add a thin shim to one side along with pinching.

If you add a dab of solder to the bottom of the base it will be a permanent shim. Make sure the solder is stuck, not just blobbed there. You don't have to fill the whole base. This bump will now have to be trimmed down with a file. Work slow and make sure you don't remove too much solder. Once you get the sight started, hammer drive it in, using a brass punch against the sight base. It is very important that the barrel be locked in a vice at the sight location, so it does not bounce while driving the sight in. Another method is to stipple the base with a punch. In other words make the base have bumps, making it thicker to wedge against the dovetail in the barrel. A third method, is to turn the upper lip on the barrel dovetail down with a hammer, then install the sight. This can be ugly, if you are not neat about it.
Good luck

 

[Nameless Hunter]

I have used the stipple method on the bottom with a spring loaded center punch, with good effect.

 

[Pete G]

Place a socket across the female dovetail and tap it with a hammer.

 

[Jack Barnes]

Ended up stipple on the bottom and flailing the corners of the dovetail with a nail punch. Worked great! Thanks all for the replies.

 

[Jack Barnes]

I finished her up. Certainly not perfect (my cat knocked my hammer off the table onto the forestock lol) but I am definitely happy with it for a first build!

 

[Ray Settanta]

Looks very good!