1891 Argentine Mauser question....

[woad_yurt]

Hi. Does anyone here know how the added on muzzle piece is held on? The front sight is mounted on it. On my rifle, that piece is oriented to about 12:30 and I have to have the sight all the way to one side in order to shoot straight. I'd like to orient the piece correctly so the bottom part of the sight isn't sticking 1/4 of the way out of the dovetail.

How does one move it? Can it be twisted or does it have to be removed and reinserted correctly? Is the piece itself rifled and will re-orienting it mess up the rifling? Also, I'd like to know the proper name for the piece: I don't know the correct term. Thanks for any help.

Below is a swiped picture to make sure we're talking about the same thing:

 

[rcmodel]

They are soft-soldered and pressed on.

You would need to use a torch to just melt the solder, and then tap the sight band slightly in the direction it needs to go with a small hammer.

You need to be very careful and not overheat the barrel.

rc

 

[dfariswheel]

Many Mauser's also have an alignment screw under the actual sight blade that enters a shallow hole in the barrel to prevent the base from shifting.

Remove the sight by pushing it out from left to right (as you'd sight down the barrel).

If there is a tiny screw under it, remove it.

Warm the sight base and barrel. (Note: these are soldered on with a lead based solder and DO NOT take a high amount of heat. Don't over heat).

While the solder is soft, use a small brass hammer or a block of hard wood to nudge the base over.

Allow to air cool. DO NOT quench in water.

Use a small drill to carefully re-drill the shallow hole in the barrel. Be careful not to damage the threads in the base, and do not drill very deep. All you need is a shallow hole for the screw to seat.
Replace the sight blade.

 

[woad_yurt]

Thank you all! It's been under my skin for years and it's so easy to fix! I love this place. Thanks again.

 

[Jim K]

I would make a bet that the sight was not crooked when the rifle left the factory. So either it was loosened at some point or the barrel was messed with. It might be a good idea to find out if there is something else involved besides a crooked sight base.

Jim