Stubborn sight

[RugerFan]

I have a Lyman Plains rifle with a stubborn front sight. I have purchased a rear 57 GPR and front target sight, but I can't get the old front sight out. A hammer and brass drift just won't do it. I don't think it has budged at all. I have not tried to heat it. Short of finding an hydraulic press, is there any other tricks?

Thanks- Todd

[45 2.1]

Look and see which way its supposed to come out and be sure to drive it out that way. Soak well with penetrating oil. Place barrel in lead jawed or padded vise snugly. Use a bigger, harder drift and a bigger hammer, be carefull here and be precise. I've had to resort to this method once. Nothing else worked but this.

[RugerFan]

Thanks 45 2.1, I'll give that a whirl.

[BABore]

Dovetail sights are not necessarilly bigger on one side than the other, but you always drive them from left to right when looking at the muzzel end. I was told this is to prevent loosening the barrel threads. Since the barrel is usually in a vise I don't really see this happening though.

As far as getting it out, like 45 2.1 said. If that doesn't work you can also try freezing the end. Turn a CO2 fire extinguisher upside down and hose it down with the liquid CO2. Due to mass properties, the sight will shrink the fastest.

Just a dumb question, but did you check for set screws?

[waksupi]

I'd try heating it. I think that Lyman used to put a drop of Locktite on the bases.

[RugerFan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will have to locate a bigger vise and better suited jaw caps before I can continue (no set screw on the sight BABore). I believe I'm armed with the knowlege to finish the job now though.

[floodgate]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will have to locate a bigger vise and better suited jaw caps before I can continue (no set screw on the sight BABore). I believe I'm armed with the knowlege to finish the job now though.

IF you do not want to save the sight, and IF nothing else works, take a fine-tooth hacksaw (or better, one of those mini-hacksaws modellers use) and saw across the sight base, just inside one edge of the dovetail. Saw VERY carefully, with the saw dead level; when you are about half-way down through the base of the sight, tap the edge of the base closest to the cut, to collapse the base, and it should then drift out easily. If not, cut a little deeper and try again. If no go, continue sawing until you JUST break through the base of the sight, without cutting into the barrel, and you should be able to flick out the pieces of the sight. Lotsa luck!

When fitting a new sight, you may have to enlarge the dovetail and taper it VERY slightly - wider to the right, as seen from the breech. You can get a triangular pillar file from Brownells with one side smooth so as not to cut (this side goes down, against the bottom of the slot), or grind one out of a hardware-store "extra slim taper" triangular file, and open the dovetail a bit at a time, checking the fit frequently, until the sight goes in about 3/4 of the way. It can then be tapped home with a brass drift.

floodgate

[AZ Pete]

I have had good luck with penetrating oil (Kroil) and a little heat from a paint stripping gun, a hair dryer should work too. The heat speeds the penetration of the oil and both seem to cut any crud or gunk that is holding the sight.

[brimic]

Are you sure that the sight isn't staked in place? If there is a little ping or dent where the sight meets the dovetail, you can use a small drill bit to relieve it and it should loosen it up enough to drive out.

FWIW, I built a GPR a few years ago from a kit and remember that the front sight did fit really tight. Use a big hammer.

[Frank46]

Ruger Fan, I have a winchester 94 canadian cenntennial in 30-30. When I went to swap out the frong sight I found out that the slot that the prigional sight sat in had not been completely milled out on the left hand side. This left a bump on the left side of the slot. A few minutes work with a 3 cornered file cleaned up the bump and the globe sight went in with no problems. Funny thing about this carbine (20"bbl) its chambered very close. On new ww factory ammo you can see rub marks on the case mouth where the crimped portion of the case has unfolded right up to the throat. Aside from that it shoots j word bullets very well. Or at least was well as I can see nowadays. Frank