Ruger army sight conversion

[Mach_Cat]

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.

[Outpost75]

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...

[Mach_Cat]

Fixed sight are all going for more than 600.
They are very proud of them these days.

[Texas by God]

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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[Mach_Cat]

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

[Outpost75]

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!

[Chill Wills]

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.

[Mach_Cat]

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.

[Chill Wills]

Okay. Sorry. Just trying to help.


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.

[M-Tecs]

Couple of frames here but both have sights.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/704385748

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/705195369

[Texas by God]

Just buy a 58 Remington clone?

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[KCSO]

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.

[bob208]

for the price of the welding alone you can buy a uberti Remington.

[country gent]

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.

[Nobade]

I'd call Hamilton Bowen and ask him. May as well go straight to the master.

[aephilli822]

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?

[blackbahart]

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

[Nobade]

[emoji21][emoji26][emoji31]

[2ndAmendmentNut]

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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[nicholst55]

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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Already been announced.

[John 242]

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 .

What would you recommend for a filler rod? 309L, 312L or something else?
Why an argon mix? Why not straight argon?
Why a purge box?

I'm new to TIG welding so I'm kinda curious as to what your thoughts are.

[country gent]

Would need to know what the rugers stainless is to recommend a rod for filler. The wrong filler can leave welds that don't match the piece, and are hard or brittle. Ive always used the argon mixes. They just seem to give a better weld. The purge box shields the weld from atmosphere and holds the gas flux around the weld better giving an inert environment. Welding stainless pipe in the food industry we filled the pipe with argon and a flow when welding we got a complete weld with no flash thru on the inside same nice even weld as the outside. Shielding the welding with blocks keeping air away makes for a much better weld with few inclusions. Another welders trick is use a u shaped groove instead of a Vee. its easier to get into the bottom and makes for a more complete weld.

[mazo kid]

Where has the OP said it is a stainless gun? If it is stainless....how is is that legal in SASS?

[M-Tecs]

Where has the OP said it is a stainless gun? If it is stainless....how is is that legal in SASS?

SASS does not require NON stainless firearms.

[John 242]

Thanks Country Gent for the response and info. Appreciate it.