attaching a front sight with a screw

[tek4260]

I have a few OM's to shorten and have been considering using a screw. I have been soldering them in the past, but want to try this way. Now drilling the factory sight isn't much of a problem, but drilling the barrel is a problem. Seems like I can't get it set right in my press now matter how hard I try, plus my junky cheap drill press has enough slack, that the head wants to wander. I was looking on Belt Mountain's sight and saw a neat tool that they called a drilling collar that might be just the ticket for drilling the barrel for a sight.

http://www.beltmountain.com/number5/bowen_style/Mvc-016s.jpg

With that tool, it would be a snap to drill the barrel. Especially if that flat was perpendicular to the hole. I could clamp the revolver in a vice and level the top strap. Then clamp the drilling collar to the barrel, level the flat of the collar and drill with a bit and a stop.

For that matter, it could be a flat bar with a "V" that I could clamp to the barrel and use that as a guide. Anybody know where to get the tools I am talking about? Or have any experience with them?

Or maybe, use a 1 piece Redfield base for something with a round receiver, drill out the front screw hole and install a hardened bushing that will fit a #6 bit. Then I could clamp that at the rear, close to the cylinder frame and avoid any clearance problems that would come from OM's ERH studs.

Thanks,
Thomas

[Wicky]

Tek
Best thing may be to shout yourself a new drill press and start your holes with a centre drill - yhey will not walk.
The new drill press will probably be cheaper than getting all the other stuff to use in the old press.

Cheers

[Mk42gunner]

tek,

The problem I see with the jig in your link, is that it appears to be set up for drilling a dimple in the barrel for a setscrew to retain the center pin, not drill a straight hole to tap for sights. And there is nothing to help hold the dril inline.

The tool you want is the Forrester drill jig. The only problem is I think they run about $320.00 form Brownell's, and you still need a decent drill press.

With a good drill press with a working depth stop, you might get away with using a vee block and vise.

If you drill too far you have to shorten the barrel again.

Have you considered using a barrel band sight base?

Robert

[Tom-ADC]

Midway USA & Brownells has these tools.

[JIMinPHX]

The jig in the picture was made from a standard 2-piece shaft collar. The standard collar can be had for about $4. The price varies with size. All that was done to it, was mill a flat & drill a perpendicular hole. Than can be done on any Bridgeport with a vice in less than 10 minutes.

That jig should work fine for a 1-off. if you were going to use the same jig over & over again, then you would want to bore out a larger hole & use a drill bushing to avoid wear issues.

[Southron Sanders]

Learned this one the HARD WAY: Drilling and then tapping a "Blind Hole" in a barrel is a "_itch."

Before you start the tap, fill the hold with BEESWAX. That makes the tapping a heck of a lot easier. For one thing, as the beeswax comes out of the hole, it brings most of those pesky chips with it!

Try It, You Will Like It!