How to tighten tang sight stem?

[Bulseyetom]

I just picked up a used but unfired Model 94 Legacy in 38-55 and the tang sight rocks to and from 5 degrees. It is the new style that Winchester provides with the Legacy with the tang safety and is adjustable for elevation and windage. How do I take the play out of this thing? Thanks. Tom

[gnoahhh]

By taking it off, dropping it in the waste basket, and buying a vintage Lyman or Marble's tang sight to replace it. Not trying to be a wise guy, just stating that a lot of these new ones are rather poorly made.

[salvadore]

I bought a Marble tang sight some 10+ years ago, a real *** loose. Sent it back recently and all is well...Who made yours?

[Geezer in NH]

Bed it with an epoxy make sure to use release on tang and sight.

[BCRider]

It's a bad fit on the base to the tang that's causing it. Either shape the metal so it fits correctly, use shims under the open points or bed it with epoxy as suggested by Geezer.

Whatever you do you also want to shape, shim or bed the base so it results in the sight sitting dead nutz vertical to the rifle. Otherwise you'll end up with windage changes whenever you alter the elevation due to the sight's staff sitting on an angle.

For shaping this is one place where a Dremel could prove out the easy and correct solution. Hollow out the center so it arches clear of the tang's shape and the base now sits only on two 1/32" wide rails on the outsides of the base. A little goes a long way so don't go crazy. If it's still wobbly as in from corner to corner than you'll want to use a very small and fine file or a jeweler's metal file to lightly remove a long thin wedge of the metal to let it seat solidly. This can easily turn into a case of "evening the legs on the table" so go slow and work with minor amounts of removal.

A slip of 320 silicon carbide "Wetordry" sandpaper or emery cloth can also be used between the tang and the base to remove the last very slight amount for the perfect fit.

The screws should not provide this bedding feature. They are only there to keep the sight from falling off. The accuracy comes from the sight sitting correctly and stable on the tang first without the screws.

Shimming is just what it says. I've done this on one rifle as a short term fix until I can do a proper seating job. I found that slips of pop can side metal work well. It can be used in single layers or folded double if you need that much. It'll get you through the day and can serve as a double check to see where the looseness from a shape mismatch is on the base.

If you opt for the epoxy bedding idea than you'll still want to work with at least one shim to hold the base square to vertical while the epoxy cures. Again a Dremel to really rough up the base well first is a grand idea. And degrease and wax the tang well with a good furniture or car wax with a good three to four coats only very lightly buffed to remove any lumps. the screw holes should be filled with something like modeling clay, canning wax or even warmed up bar soap.