Dovetail & blueing question

[JustsayMo]

I have an old rifle that has the front sight slotted into a dovetail. It's a little loose and I was wondering if there was and easy way to insure it holds fast.

The previous owner also had a scope mounted on it and used some form of locktite on the screws. The locktite oozed out and left residue under the scope mounts that is a bugger to clean off. Is there a solvent that is safe for my blueing but lethal on locktite?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dfariswheel]

Acetone and lacquer thinner dissolve Loctite, and are non-harmful to bluing.
You have to soak it for a while, or keep the area wet.

 

[cracked butt]

It's a little loose and I was wondering if there was and easy way to insure it holds fast

Once you have it sighted in, take a small chisel shaped punch and punch a mark behind the sight where the edge of the dovetail meets the metal of the sight perpendicular to the meeting surfaces- this is called staking the sight in place.

 

[JustsayMo]

Thanks to both of you!

 

[45crittergitter]

Reid Coffield of Brownells recommends not staking or punching up dimples in the bottom of the slot. Instead, he recommends using a flat-ended brass drift to bump the top edges of the dovetail slot down to tighten the fit.