T/C hawken front sight

[Contenderman]

My T/C Hawken Flintlock even with the Rear sight down all the way still shoots high at 50 yards. Is the front sight just driven into the dove tail. I want to put a higher sight if possible but cannot move the front sight. Tried driving it front the left side to the right but it will not move , any thoughts, certainly don't want to damage the barrel or dovetail

[Buzzard II]

Use a sight pusher or brass punch & hammer and move it from LEFT to RIGHT (as you look from the breech toward the muzzle) . You need to place the barrel in a vice (DON'T CRUSH IT!) (use leather or tight layers of cloth to protect barrel) (close to the muzzle) or against a table that has cloth or blanket on it. Gun must be steady. Bang against the BASE of the sight. It will move. It may be rusted in place, but it will eventually move. Don't get frustrated, you can do it. Apply grease to base of new sight before installing. Sight base is 3/8 dovetail. You may have to file it a bit to get it started. File sight only, not the dovetail in the barrel. A little at a time. Good luck with the rock lock.

[pietro]

.

* Pre-soak the front sight dovetail with a liquid thread loosener (penetrating oil), like Liquid Wrench for a few hours.

* Solidly support the barrel near the front sight, not on a kitchen table or across the knees ( the Best Practice is to use a padded bench vise).

* Hold a strong/non-marring drift pin (I used the hinge pin of a common household door hinge) solidly against the left side (looking from the rear) of the sight blade base.

* Move the sight via hitting the drift pin with a HEAVY hammer (a household claw hammer is usually too light to be effective).

* Hit the drift with the hammer like it owes you money (No love-taps, here).


:popcorn:


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[country gent]

As above posts have noted use a non marring drift and a heavy hammer 2 lbs is good 3 may be better. Have the barrel clamped very solidly on a heavy bench. I have also clamped the muzzle in a bushing in my barrel vise. I prefer the sight on the die with direction of travel down so the punch is up and hitting is a downward blow. If using a padded bench vise block up from the bench to the barrel also doing this. Kroil or penetrating oil will help. another is the cautious use of heat on the barrel around the dovetail. Some have taken to locktites or glues when installing and heat will loosen this bond also. Heat may also expand the barrel enough to loosen the dovetail slightly. Once it moves you have it beat. Scribe a line on the sight base even with the barrel flat so you can tell when it starts to move

[waarp8nt]

Another thought, I have seen a few rear sights that would not go down all the way due to improper base screws being used. If hardware store screws were used as replacements the sight will bottom out on the head of the screws before it ever really reaches true bottom. If you bought the gun new this would not likely be the case, but if you Johnny Cash'd it together "one piece at a time"...who knows what the last guy used. Ran into this twice tinkering the T/C Hawkens and Renegades.

[Buzzard II]

another thought, i have seen a few rear sights that would not go down all the way due to improper base screws being used. If hardware store screws were used as replacements the sight will bottom out on the head of the screws before it ever really reaches true bottom. If you bought the gun new this would not likely be the case, but if you johnny cash'd it together "one piece at a time"...who knows what the last guy used. Ran into this twice tinkering the t/c hawkens and renegades.

how true!

[Nit Wit]

All good advise, it will come out!
Nit Wit

[bob208]

drive the sight out left to right. in stall right to left.the sight base and or the dove tail slot are tapered.