What holds on the front sight base Ruger SS Blackhawk

[shooting on a shoestring]

I’ve got a problem with the front sight base on a stainless Ruger Blackhawk.
The holes for the front sight pin are drilled too low. That leaves only the tiniest slip of metal on the front sight tab under the pin. The result is the front sight rips out under recoil every 200-300 shots.
The gun has been back to Ruger for several other problems and I’ve had to take care of a few more myself. Not wanting to send it back again. If I can cure the front sight base problem I think I can finally get happy.

If it’s silver soldered or brazed by some fashion, I just might try torching it off, then either drilling and filing more relief for a deeper front sight tab, or installing a new correctly drilled sight base.

Here’s a pic showing my problem 10mm with my solid 357 for comparison.
260984

[Wheelguns 1961]

I don’t know if this will help you or not, but here is what happened to me. I have a ss blackhawk bisley 41mag. The first front sight didn’t last 100 rounds. I called ruger and instead of sending in the gun, I just told them to send me a new blade. The new blade wasn’t drilled. The blade was tight in the base, but after some tapping, I decided that it was fully seated. So, I drilled the hole, and haven’t had a problem since. When comparing it to the original, you can tell where the original wasn’t fully seated in the groove. Like I said, I am not sure if this is the case with yours, but good luck! I hope you get it fixed!

[onelight]

If the bottom of the sight is long enough you may be able to drill it for another pin and use 2 pins
But wheelguns may be right about getting the new blade set as deep as possible.

[adcoch1]

There is a pin to locate the sight base and then it is soldered on. Torch to heat it and tap with a dead blow hammer. I used the original pin and high temp epoxy to relocate my Super Blackhawk front sight after chopping the barrel.

[megasupermagnum]

I can see that sight blade is not fully down in the slot. While the hole does look a little low, I have to wonder if you couldn't get a blade with enough reach. It might take some touch and go with a file, but if you can get the blade to sit lower in the slot, you will be good to go. If not, as painful as it always is, sending it to Ruger is the best bet. It doesn't cost anything but time and a little heartache.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Looking closer at your picture, I see the gap under the blade on the breech end of your sight. Mine had that also. This is what tipped me off that mine wasn’t fully seated.

[fn1889m]

If you want to do it yourself, punch out the pin, and determine if the pin hole is low or the hole for the sight tab is shallow, or both. And order a new sight from Ruger. If it is not possible to install the new sight, both flush and with enough base depth to capture the sight with the pin, then send the gun pack to Ruger.

If you send it back to Ruger, they may just install a new barrel with a new sight. I suspect they have a “box-o-barrels”. Fast and easy for them.

I have drilled a couple sights for pins with a drill press. I can get a 3 inch vice to hold the barrel if I take off the ERH and pin/cylinder. Masking tape and/or aluminum jaws help.

I have replaced a .45 FT NMBH sight to match a Rough Country sight, and another to correct sight on a new FT that was not flush. I am not a gun smith or a machinist, just a guy in the garage. So it’s not that hard. But go slow and use the right tools. Or send it back.

If you don’t have a vice, you can set the sight in the slot, scribe it through the pin hole, remove it and drill the pin hole on the mark, and then install.










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[country gent]

While not ideal you can plug the hole with a pressed in solid pin cleanup sides and then refit and drill the new hole Maybe add a light wipe of blue loctite right before assembly. You also might consider increasing hole size .010-.015 in diameter when you drill it.

When the old timers built barns and furniture they marked the tenon for the dowel then moved it back 1/32" or so so when the dowel was fitted it pulled the joint together sealing the seam. This also greatly reduced wear from flexing

[shooting on a shoestring]

Thanks for the responses.
Y’all are pretty much right, especially noticing the gap under the sight.

It was clamped tight flush when I installed it (same as the previous couple). This one was tight flush for the first 224 rounds. Another cylinder or two and it will vacate its seat.

The cross pin is resting maybe 0.010” or so from the bottom of the cupped cut. I’m thinking if I can get the sight base off, I can drill a couple of holes just under 1/8” ID from the bottom side of the base up into the cupped slot, then file the two holes into an oblong slot which could probably gain me something like 0.030”- 0.040” more room under the cross pin. Then reinstall the base, fit another blade filing the underside of the base to get more tab to reach deeper past the cross pin.

Adcoch1, that’s exactly what I wanted to know. Big thanks.

Now I want to research a bit on what type of brazing or soldering can stick stainless.
The idea of using high temp epoxy might be the ticket alright. Going to have to ponder that a little before I light the torch.

I guess if I screw it up, then I could have Ruger fix it on my nickel.

So it’ll be a gamble. Either send it back and see what Ruger does for no money, or spend a few hours and either come out happy, or come out mailing it to Ruger with a check. Hmmmm???

[country gent]

If your going to be soldering anyway why not just solder the blade in with a lower temp solder. use high temp on one and low temp on the other.

[megasupermagnum]

I would not remove the base if I were you. Ruger will fix it. If you write a short note describing the problem, and send it with the blade coming out as it is, I guarantee they will fix it free of charge, no more questions asked. Unfortunately my guess is due to the current situation it may take a little longer than normal, but they are usually very fast. Again, I would do anything but take that base off. I would weld that blade in before I do that.

What I was thinking for a fix, is if the rounded part of the blade is not bottoming out in the slot, you could file under the flat parts of the blade that sit on top of the base, so that you gain a little more protrusion into the slot. It's tough working on something you can't see inside of, but if you can gain just a little bit, it will fix this. Along with that, it might not be a bad idea to use something like green Loctite retaining compound inside the slot when you install the new blade. This will make it a royal PITA to ever change the blade again, but with some heat it is removable. It would be better than a strong epoxy that would be permanent.

[onelight]

I have replaced the slight on a couple of stainless Ruger SA guns that I had to file the sight to get them to seat correctly .

[shooting on a shoestring]

Well...when I finished all the stuff that had to get done today, the day was done. No time for working on the front sight. Next chance I’ll get will probably be next weekend.