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Thread: Trouble drifting a front sight

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy mustanggt's Avatar
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    Trouble drifting a front sight

    I have recently bought a Winchester 1894 in 25-35. I am shooting 117gr Hornady round nose in it and am getting very good accuracy but it is shooting left by a few inches. I have tried to drift the front sight but it acts like it is welded in. Even using a brass punch it is starting to peen the edge of the sight base. I have a Marbles W1 tang sight on it with no windage adjustment. What can I do to get the front sight to move without boogering it up anymore. Thank you
    If liberals knew what they were missing, they’d give up drugs, sex and rock-n-roll for shooting and hunting. But then the rest of us would never draw an elk tag, so to hell with 'em! — James "Mitch" Vilos aka (Pancho Vilos)

  2. #2
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Any chance you could move the rear sight to get where ya want to go?
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 07-19-2020 at 11:40 AM.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Did you try moving it both directions ? Some are really wedged in tight.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy mustanggt's Avatar
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    The rear sight has no windage adjustment. I have not tried going the opposite direction but will do so now. Thanks
    If liberals knew what they were missing, they’d give up drugs, sex and rock-n-roll for shooting and hunting. But then the rest of us would never draw an elk tag, so to hell with 'em! — James "Mitch" Vilos aka (Pancho Vilos)

  5. #5
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    You might be able to drift it out the other way then file a very little off the sides and drift it back in.

    When I couldn't drift a handgun sight I ended up getting a sight pusher tool. --- got her moved

  6. #6
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    I've seen them rust underneath.
    It might do some good to soak it awhile with penetrating oil and warm it up.
    I wouldn't heat it, but one the dash of the truck it'll get pretty warm on a sunny day.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    most dovetail cuts are tapered and can get very tight depending on how they are fit and how far the sight is driven in. What may help after years of being in one place( pressure weld, corrosion, ) is to make a clay dam around dovetail and sight fill with penetrating oil and let soak for a day or 2. another is to heat cycle with a heat gun expanding the metal to break the bond grip.

    Sometimes you dont need the heavy blow but the light tap of a bigger hammer, more mass and more momentum to push with. Start out with a straight pencil line from sight to barrel as a witness mark then try driving out left to right to break grip bond. The line will show you if it moved and how much.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy mustanggt's Avatar
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    It was easier to drift it out to the right. I took a safe edge file I forgot about and with a few strokes I drifted it back from right to left and it went in to approx. where I wanted it to go nice and snug. It would not go in from left to right so I had to do it this way. Thanks for the help fellas.
    If liberals knew what they were missing, they’d give up drugs, sex and rock-n-roll for shooting and hunting. But then the rest of us would never draw an elk tag, so to hell with 'em! — James "Mitch" Vilos aka (Pancho Vilos)

  9. #9
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    Eddie Southgate's Avatar
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    They go in from right to left and out from left to right . You found this out the hard way . If you install a new sight in a dove tail always drive it in from right to left .
    Grumpy Old Man With A Gun....... Do Not Touch !!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Win94ae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie Southgate View Post
    They go in from right to left and out from left to right . You found this out the hard way . If you install a new sight in a dove tail always drive it in from right to left .
    Indeed! Push it RIGHT out, unless you want it LEFT in.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    Wyoming Sight Drifter will move any stubborn dovetailed front sight .

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by mustanggt View Post
    It was easier to drift it out to the right. I took a safe edge file I forgot about and with a few strokes I drifted it back from right to left and it went in to approx. where I wanted it to go nice and snug. It would not go in from left to right so I had to do it this way. Thanks for the help fellas.
    It is done now, but when I need to fit a too tight dove tail sight, I modify the sight, not the slot in the barrel. Typically, if it is close to fitting, I place sight base onto wet 3M sand paper and on very flat surface and gently remove material from botton of sight base. Put a little grease on the barrel slot and the sight base bottom and sides. I do not know if that is a correct procedure, but it works for me.

    prs

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Bohannon View Post
    Wyoming Sight Drifter will move any stubborn dovetailed front sight .
    This.

    If the rifle is made by Miroku the front sights are tight and in the past i've had to pound on some with a brass punch and hammer to get them to budge.

    I bought the Wyoming sight drifter and it moves the sight in a couple of taps with no marring or damage. It's a fantastic tool that anyone who uses iron sights should have in their kit.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Cut a piece of shim from soda can and put under one side of the tang sight to cant it over a little bit.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    if its dovetailed sight I'd soak it with kroil for quite a while then try to persuade it to move with quick sharp blows with brass punch. if still wants to be stubborn might think of applying heat with propane torch or soldering iron

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    Camo has my same experience with the Miroku rifles and front sights, they are pressed in on a machine and only a Wyoming Sight Drifter will move them without damage.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master Don McDowell's Avatar
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    The Wyoming Sight Drifter makes changing out or moving a Miroku installed front sight easy work, along with other dovetailed sights.
    Long range rules, the rest drool.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Beshears right, I did this to a tang sight 45 years ago and it worked great.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Hit it from the right to make it tight; from the left to make it loose.

    Righty-tighty; lefty-loosey


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    If I awake, and you're inside
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  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    looking at the Wyoming sight drifter I can't understand how it would be different than quick sharp blows from a small ball peen hammer and brass or bronze punch. I'm no physics professor could it have something to do with how firmly the gun barrel is held in place while drifting a sight?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check