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Thread: Ruger army sight conversion

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Ruger army sight conversion

    For sass rules, you are not to use the adjustable sight old army but per their rules you can convert it.
    However they require welding area where the rear sight was, then recutting the notch.
    If doing this would the frame need to be heat treated after?
    Would be easier to just machine a piece to fit there but that is not allowed.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    A great way to spend $1000 to turn a $1000 gun into a $200 paperweight.

    While welding up the sight cuts, annealing the frame, remachining and running the frame back through the entire heat-treat cycle and re-fitting everything, is technically feasible, if done correctly it will also be EXPENSIVE, all the time hoping that the finished frame doesn't warp or shrink, so it is rolling the dice.

    For what you would spend ruining a perfectly good adjustable sight Old Army, you could probably find a pair of used fix sight ones on GunBroker...
    Last edited by Outpost75; 10-05-2017 at 10:50 PM.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Fixed sight are all going for more than 600.
    They are very proud of them these days.

  4. #4
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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    Can't you just remove the rear sight and shoot without it? The one SASS match I shot in, the targets were big and close.

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  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Not legally by their rules. Some clubs will let you, but not all of them.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    If you REALLY want to do this, $600 for a fixed sight ROA is not unreasonable, compared to the gunsmithing costs for absolutely ruining a perfectly good gun...

    Buy a gun to shoot in their matches.

    Leave your adjustable sight ROA alone, use it for a hunting gun and kill truckloads of meat with it!
    The ENEMY is listening.
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  7. #7
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    Here is an example.
    http://www.gunbroker.com/item/704967406
    Current bid on this one is $155, no reserve. Not mine.

    Just a thought. Buy the one you want to shoot Sass. Sell the one you have. Cost difference has to be close and no gunsmithing. No botched job. No waiting.
    Chill Wills

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Well it is up to 250 now and 8 days to go.
    All this does not answer the question asked. If you weld the sight area what do you have to do to the frame after? There are some smiths out there that do this. Let's just learn the process whether I do it or not, I am asking the question to learn.

  9. #9
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    Okay. Sorry. Just trying to help.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mach_Cat View Post
    If you weld the sight area what do you have to do to the frame after? There are some smiths out there that do this. Let's just learn the process whether I do it or not, I am asking the question to learn.
    A good place to starting asking would be these smiths, and get back to us, and then we can all learn together.
    Chill Wills

  10. #10
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  11. #11
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    Just buy a 58 Remington clone?

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  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

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    For black powder only you might not have to re heat treat the frame, The cost here is if you do heat trear you need to use a jig to keep the frame from warping or straighten it afterwords.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    for the price of the welding alone you can buy a uberti Remington.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Theres several things welding stainless the wrong filler and it gets hard and brittle, or soft and gummy. The other is depending on the welding being done, TIG would be my with a argon mix flux would be my choice ( and this would be done in a shield box to ensure the flux didn't get pulled away), then MIG again with a argon flux and lastly ARC. I would pack all of the frame ina heat sink also to keep heat from spreading. With the TIG a piece of the correct grade Stainless could be welded in the sight cut very precisely with controlled localized heat.
    Do they allow silver solder as welding ( Brazing and soldering fall under the welding definition) If so low temp silver solder from brownells could be used to hold the fill in piece in place and machined to match frame after installing. This would be easier and safer than the welding. Again I would pack most of the frame in a heat sink of some sort to keep heat from spreading into it. Brownells has a heat sink paste, or in a container with water soaked rags. Or even with the frame cut out filled with a steel block and plates clamped to sides. to keep heat from building up spreading into the whole frame.
    Welding the frame can be done but requires some special things to be done for it to be right. I think the Low temp silver solder if allowed would be easiest and wouldn't require re heat treating the whole frame. It will require pretty much complete disassembly as you don't want the heat in the springs and other parts.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    I'd call Hamilton Bowen and ask him. May as well go straight to the master.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    Theres several things welding stainless the wrong filler and it gets hard and brittle, or soft and gummy. The other is depending on the welding being done, TIG would be my with a argon mix flux would be my choice ( and this would be done in a shield box to ensure the flux didn't get pulled away), then MIG again with a argon flux and lastly ARC. I would pack all of the frame ina heat sink also to keep heat from spreading. With the TIG a piece of the correct grade Stainless could be welded in the sight cut very precisely with controlled localized heat.
    Do they allow silver solder as welding ( Brazing and soldering fall under the welding definition) If so low temp silver solder from brownells could be used to hold the fill in piece in place and machined to match frame after installing. This would be easier and safer than the welding. Again I would pack most of the frame in a heat sink of some sort to keep heat from spreading into it. Brownells has a heat sink paste, or in a container with water soaked rags. Or even with the frame cut out filled with a steel block and plates clamped to sides. to keep heat from building up spreading into the whole frame.
    Welding the frame can be done but requires some special things to be done for it to be right. I think the Low temp silver solder if allowed would be easiest and wouldn't require re heat treating the whole frame. It will require pretty much complete disassembly as you don't want the heat in the springs and other parts.
    sounds reasonable to me

    (or find someone with a fixed sight that wants one with adjustable and trade)

    i'm sure there are many who would like to, or am i the only one?

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy blackbahart's Avatar
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    seen a ruger old army that is blued where the owner removed the rear sight and filled with what appeares to be JB weld type putty and reshaped for sight grove

    It did not look out of place you have to look to notice what he had done

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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  19. #19
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    Ruger army sight conversion

    If it was me... I would remove the existing adjustable sight and file/grind a piece of bar stock or aluminum to fit the existing sight slot and utilize the same screw. I would would then groove the fabricated piece for a rear sight. I would not permanently alter my gun, and if I was a gambling man I would bet that Ruger will re-make the Old Army.


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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by 2ndAmendmentNut View Post
    I would not permanently alter my gun, and if I was a gambling man I would bet that Ruger will re-make the Old Army.
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