Securing front sight in dovetail

[school of mines]

I posted earlier about installing a front sight in my 1870 trapdoor project rifle. I decided to dovetail the barrel and use a replacement carbine front sight. I have the dovetail cut and the front sight fits well, however it is a little too loose! I plan on taking it to the range and sighting it in for windage and then securing the front sight by peening and using red loctite. Does anyone have an alternate suggestion or tips that can help me out?

Thanks!

[largom]

Don't know what you call peening. I would stake it [punch] with a medium strike with a center punch at the seam of the dove tail slot and the sight. If the sight moves later you will be able to see it by the punch mark being out of round. If this happens stake it on the opposit side. If you do not want a punch mark, which shows, you could always put a 1 0r 2 thousands thick piece of shim stock under the sight. Depending on how loose it is you may need thicker shim. Hope this helps.

Larry

[ANeat]

I think I would get a new front sight, loose isnt a good fit. It should be an interference fit, tap into place.

If there is enough meat in the front sight I would consider a set screw.

[winelover]

I can vouch for the shim stock procedure.

Winelover

[waksupi]

You can use a sharp punch, and put a half dozen dimples in the barrel metal under the sight base. Should raise the sight enough to tighten it.

[S.R.Custom]

Drill & tap the sight base for a 4-40 or 5-40 set screw. That way, you can adjust it and set it, and folks will think you intended to do that to begin with.

[buckndee]

I have peened the top edge od the dove tail slot with good results to tighted loose sights.

[school of mines]

Thanks to everyone who responded! I put shim stock under the sight and that tightened everything right up. I'll peen/stake the sight once I get it to the range and get the windage set.

Have a great day and thanks again for the advice!

[KCSO]

A word of warning here, if the dovetail leaves the barrel wall thin do not try and dimple as you can put a dent in the barrel and ruin any potential accuracy.