A Sight Question

[Beekeeper]

I am in the process of building a couple of sportsters in .308.
I am using M98 Mausers that the Israili forces redid.

I was thinking of putting Lyman or Williams peep sights on at least one (maybe both)
Is the installation something a ham handed tinkerer can do?
Is it even a worthwhile project?

Would I be just as well off leaving the original mauser sights on the weapons

Would appreciate any opinions ,pro or con as that helps me to learn.


beekeeper

[deltaenterprizes]

What kind of tooling do you have?

[Beekeeper]

I am in the hand tools only class.
Very space limited and no chance of adding anymore at this time.
Am able to do most stuff but no space for drill press or lathe.

Don't mind having it done by someone else .
More interested in wheather it is worth it or not and I guess if I can do it with hand tools.


beekeeper

[kawalekm]

I put a Williams peep sight on my M96 Swedish Mauser. Here's a pic of it next to its un-altered twin. It's sleek, low on the reciever, and works with an un-turned bolt.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/kawalekm/Sporterized_Swedish_Mauser.jpg

I did this with a press, machinist vise, and center punches. If all you have is hand tools, my advice is to forget it. You'd ruin the reciever and then what do you do?

[housedad]

I agree. It could be done with hand tools, BUT you run a great risk of severe damage to the gun and even to yourself as the drill bit slips off the reciever. The results probably would not be very good. At a minimum you need a drill press with a decent vise.

I would recommend you take it to someone. It will be worth it.

Bion

[Maven]

Beekeeper, I had my gunsmith install a Lyman #57 receiver sight on my Argentine Mauser (Model 1909) after I changed the barleycorn front sight to one for a Swedish Mauser. Aiming is much easier now!

[Shiloh]

I agree. It could be done with hand tools, BUT you run a great risk of severe damage to the gun and even to yourself as the drill bit slips off the reciever. The results probably would not be very good. At a minimum you need a drill press with a decent vise.

I would recommend you take it to someone. It will be worth it.
Bion

Good Advice.

Shiloh

[MtGun44]

Peep sight is a good improvement. Drilling on a receiver with a hand held drill is a
bad idea. Either buy a cheapo Chinese drill press or spend the same money or a bit
more for a gunsmith to drill your gun. I'm all for home gunsmithing, but not butchery
which is most often from inadequate equipment.

Bill

[Beekeeper]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.
I agree ,taking it to a good gunsmith is the way to go and when I reach that point in the build I wiil do it that way.
Thanks for the sight number , It will help when I start argueing with my gunsmith.
He sometimes has his own ideas , Most are great but sometimes I like to be right too.


beekeeper

[docone31]

All my Mausers have the Lyman reciever sight. Installation is simple.
Spot the holes, drill with a #67 wire drill, adjust the hole if needed, then go up a step. From there, I use the drill reccomended with the tap.
I used the #54 series barrels. With the reciever sight, that combo recquires the AUG globe sight to match the height with the stock.
Of course, my eyes are the limiting factor. I am makeing them all scope ready also.
With the reciever sights, very pleasant to fire.

[Red River Rick]

docone31:


Spot the holes, drill with a #67 wire drill, adjust the hole if needed,..................

How do you adjust a hole? You can't move the location once it's drilled. Or, did you mean "Open Up" the hole?



Beekeeper:

Save yourself the aggrivation and have someone competent do it for you. There's nothing worse than "Screwing" up good receiver.

Having someone try to repair the damage, you may inflict, will only make the job more difficult.

FWIW :drinks:

RRR

[docone31]

The #67 wire drill measures .032. After I drill with that drill, I then check again. If the pilot hole is a little off, I can open the center in the direction I want it to go with an HSS ball burr.
Even if the hole is slightly off when starting, the opening will make the hole only slightly larger. The drift of the hole makes a good pilot starter hole.
After that, it is simple. It becomes self centering.
When I tap, I go 1/2 turn, back it out, go 1/2 turn, back it out. I never just thread in one pass! I have had to learn how to remove too many taps that way.
The best way to remove the broken tap I have found, is to burr out one of the concave valleys in the broken tap. I then slice the tap in half lengthwise. The pieces can then be removed leaving the threads already cut. I the burr hits any threads opposite the cut, the infamous run around, it is so slight, at least on a sight mounting, that torque will not be compromised.