New Army (Pietta) Front Sight

[Steve Swartz]

Gurus:

In trying to "adjust" the front sight blade on my Pietta built 1858 New Army (you guessed it) the blade broke off. No great loss (!) but I would like to replace it.

Checked out Dixie Gun Works and a couple of others . . . "dovetail" mount front sights always come up. This is a *screw in* front sight (apparently)? Dixie found a "Post" type (unthreaded) is this what I need? Glue in?

TIA
Steve Swartz

 

[Old Fuff]

What I have always done is leave the sight base in the barrel, file it flat, and then cut a dovetail - either with a file or have a machinest or gunsmith cut it using a milling machine. Drive the new sight into the dovetail and then move it right or left to correct for windage. It should be high in the first place so that you can file down the blade to correct for elevation. A cold-blue touch up and you're good to go.

 

[sundance44s]

Sundance44s

Ya might try solder or jb weld or something ..it might hold ...i did the same thing on my first one ...ended up cutting a dove tail for an adjustable fit ... like it much better .....the other stuff might hold though ..i just didn`t try .

 

[Steve499]

I added metal with a wire welder to the front sight on both my 1858 and to a Colt .45 replica I have. Works fine, looks o.k., seems as durable as the rest of the sight and didn't cost me anything.

Steve

 

[Steve Swartz]

Redux

O.K. gusy- thanks for the help so far- "upon further review" apparently

1. The front sight hole (threaded or not?) goes through the (too thin for a dovetail) barrel. Don't know how they did it (Pietta not returned email yet) but the base of the front sight is cleanly rifled and polished inside the barrel. A slightly different color- under bright light the base is visible.

2. Dixie Gun Works has a front sight that has a cylindrical base (like a dowel or stud) that seems to be as close as anyone else has come so far.

3. The inside of the broken off sight hole ont he top of the barrel is 0.235" and is about 0.040" deep.

My current plan- unless you guys know of something better- is to get the Dixie Gun Works "stud base" sight and *superglue it* into the shallow hole on top of the muzzle. The hole will need to be drilled out/cleaned up a bit though; it's very shallow and has a rough surface.

Any better ideas?

Not that the front sight was very useful . . . this is a "Minute of Barn Door" shooter!

Steve Swartz

 

[Old Fuff]

I don't have much faith in super-glue.

If I was faced with this problem I would cut off the barrel just behind the front sight, and then cut a dovetail. I know this works because I've done it.

Or depending on the cost, I might buy a new barrel (with sight) and switch barrels.

Last but not least, might whoever sold you the gun make it good?

 

[gmatov]

Steve, If you can soft or solver solder, or know anybody who would do it for you, buy the stud sight, clean out the pocket with a small rotary wire brush, clean the new sight and flux and solder it back in.

Had one broken out in a gun in a box I bought. They're soft soldered in. Takes less than 500F for soft solder, takes near 1200F for silver solder, dull red glow from the heat, probably have to touch up the bluing.

On the other hand, if you decide you want to go with a dovetailed sight, unless you want to shorten the barrel, again, if you can do it or get someone to do it, center the dovetail on the pocket already there and have it milled there. Buy the sight first so you or your machinist/smith can measure and fit.

While you are at it, you could buy an adjustable rear sight and install that in another dovetail on the topstrap. One nice thing about the Remmie, HAS a topstrap.

One thing, when you choose height of the sight, go a 1/16 short. If you get a solid blade, you can file it down, if you get a nice brass bead, you'll lose the bead. All mine shoot low with the standard post sight, have to take at least 1/16 inch of blade to center at 25 yards.

Cheers,

George

 

[Steve Swartz]

The thickness of the barrel at the muzzle (octagonal; measured from groove-flat on top of barrel) is only 0.118"

This sure doesn't look thick enough to cut a dovetail . . . but I haven't practiced as a machinist since 1978.

Please let me know if you think that is enough meat to set a dovetail- because a dovetail mount front sight would be the best way to go.

The Dixie Gun Works front sight is "stud mount, .4" high." It looks like it will do the trick.

I haven't soldered pieces this big together before (just electrical connections) - where could I find information about how to do this reliably?

Otherwise I would affix using JB Weld, epoxy, or superglue but (as already mentioned) that is a pretty shaky rig.

Thanks again for all the help . . . !

 

[Wwalstrom]

The thickness of the barrel at the muzzle ...

That's plenty of material for a front sight dovetail ... if it wasn't, Uberti wouldn't have a standard model with a dovetailed front sight ... and they do! I believe you can also get a higher end (more $$) Pietta with a dovetailed front sight.

 

[Steve Swartz]

Guys:

Thanks again for all the help. To close the loop so to speak I dropped off the gun at a gunsmith in town who will do the work including parts and labor for around $50.

Oh and yes I went with cutting a dovetail and installing the (more standard) "1858 Remington" style front sight.

Just in time too . . . my blood charcoal levels were getting dangerously low!

Steve Swartz