Installing dovetail sights

[crabo]

I have replaced my front sights on my Marlins. The 39A was no problem, but the 1894 was really tough. What is the proper way to make a too tight sight fit the dove tail?

Thanks,

Crabo

[deltaenterprizes]

Take light passes with a file on the sight base,one pass in front ,one pass in the rear, until it fits,the sight is cheaper and easier to replace than the barrel if you screw it up!

[KCSO]

It also helps if you make a safe file or buy one from Brownell's. If you PM me I will send you a copy of a post that never made it on how to cut dovetails, with pictures.

[MtGun44]

I also intentionally file a HINT of a taper on the first 1/8" of the SIGHT dovetail
to get it to start. Also, you can take a bit off of the bottom of the sight
to help the fit, but this can add sharp points to the dovetail on the sight
which must be removed. Any sharp tip should be filed to a slight flat (~.005")
to avoid causing problems with the fit.
All work on the sight, cheaper to replace if you screw up than the barrel!

You can salvage a over filed sight with about 4 LIGHT punch pricks on the
bottom, use a very sharp prick punch, not a center punch and very light
hits.

Sharp file, go slow, check fit often. It is easy to take more off, hard to file it back on. [smilie=1:

Bill

[pietro]

[Take light passes with a file on the sight base,one pass in front ,one pass in the rear, until it fits]

JMO, but I think delta is referring to the male dovetailed base of the sight insert itself, and not the sight base - as in the female dovetail of the ramp or the female barrel dovetail.

[deltaenterprizes]

You are correct,the slight taper is a good idea also!

[Doc Highwall]

Installing dovetail sights. When you are holding the gun in the shooting position the left side is the left side, and the right side is the right side. The reason I mention this is that you always install the sights on the right side and remove them from the right side, in other words you go in and out the right side. By doing this you are less likely to make the female dovetail ( the gun, the expensive part) over size. Always use a file with a safe edge (no teeth) these are special triangular files with a 60deg angle on the two sides and the bottom has a safe edge (no teeth) so you only make the dovetail wider not deeper or deeper but not wider. Another way of saying this is the file only cuts in one direction at a time allowing you to control the dimensions of the male and female dovetails. As has already been mention you should do 99.99% of the filing and stoning on the male dovetail (the sight, the cheep part) and make shure you use a file card and go slow. Measure twice cut once. Some times when you are filing you can put some talcum powder on the file and this helps keep the teeth clean giving you a better finish along with the file card, do not use any type of oil, dry only that is why you use the talcum powder it keeps the filings from sticking to the file.

[Bill*]

A couple of swipes with a piece of kids chalk will work great instead of the talcum if you like