removing the front sight on a 10/22

[shrewd]

hey all, i just got a pair of techs in the mail for my ruger, and i'm pretty excited to try them out this weekend, but removing the factory front sight is becoming a major PITA

i dont have a brass puch at the moment, and the few attempts i made using a hammer and flat hex head screwdriver (left to right) didnt make it budge

its making me fee very wierd, hammering away like this, im worried ill bend the barrell or something. i dont have a vise. i was told to just make sure its secure (basically on my lap), support the muzzle, and tap the sight out.

well tap tap tapperoo, but the sucker isnt cooperating.


any advice? or, at least, assuage my worries about damaging my new toy?

 

[bobbo]

Just smack it. That's how I got mine out. It was tough. I put the barrel on a butcher's block and used a steel punch on the sight (hanging just over the edge of the block).

 

[Magoo]

Bigger hammer, and put your purse down before trying again .

Seriously though, they can be onery. The better you can secure it, the easier it will be. Make sure the dovetail is spotlessly clean as any crud in there will only make it harder.

 

[shrewd]

haha, but I love this purse!

 

[bigfatdave]

Your lap is NOT secure.

I've done three 10/22 tech sight installs, two were so easy I would have laughed at your troubles ... but that last one was a real maternal copulator.

Get the barrel on a big, sturdy, hard surface, get a friend to hold everything steady or get shims/clamps holding the gun in the right position, and apply some penetrating oil. Now that you're all ready to get serious ... go buy a damn punch! (you'll thank me later)

When you get home with that punch, the penetrating oil will have worked in as much as it will in that little groove. Wipe off the excess oil from the outside, and remember to degrease the inside after you get the factory sight off.

Apply the punch with a good mallet or hammer above it, (you may want to take a few practice swings on less delicate things before you go swinging a hammer over your nice gun) and with the gun supported all over in a secure hold, and support under the muzzle. You're already fighting the round shape of the barrel, bonking the entire gun around in your lap is most of your problem, the lack of tools is the rest, the penetrating oil just makes it easier.

I seriously had to get mad at the last 10/22 I did ... I understand where you're at, and I understand the frustration. But a few simple and inexpensive tools will make a world of difference, and if you're going to be tinkering with a 10/22 you'll need some punches anyway in the long run. I'd buy a set of brass ones and a few steel ones separately, or maybe a steel set, too, depending on what you find bundles at the hardware store (not the gun shop, not walmart ... go to your local hardware store)
Having a friend help can be a relief as well, otherwise you get into the whole "strapping down the gun with tape and newspaper" thing, and none of us want to be there again.

 

[HM2PAC]

If you can't find a punch, go to a hardware store and get a 1/4" brass rod and cut it to the size you need. 4-5 should be sufficient to work with.

 

[bigfatdave]

While that will work, I think that buying a punch set is a better long-term plan, and cutting down brass rod is almost as much work as finding punches.

Although an angled cut might let you put all the force onto the small bit of dovetail Ruger leaves available on there ... ... I suppose there might be a benefit after all, you could make sort of a brass chisel or offset punch.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Making a fixture is the easiest. You can make using an ordinary board about a foot long and a coving bit in a router and just rout a groove down the length of the board. Set the end of the barrel in it and start smacking.

 

[CraigC]

Firstly, I agree, your lap is not secure. The rifle needs to be as immovable as possible. The best thing I've found, that is not a padded bench vise, is to set the barrel against a sandbag on a sturdy workbench. You can use a good steel punch if you do not plan on reusing the front sight. Brass is better, usually. If you have a vise, use it. Just pad the barrel with something substantial like scrap leather. Or better yet, get a relatively inexpensive gunsmithing vise and a set of vise pads.

 

[Mikee Loxxer]

I also had trouble drifting the front sight out of the dovetail in my 10/22. Eventually I used a dremel tool to make one vertical cut in the front sight. This seemed to make the front sight more flexible and reduced the amount of friction between the dovetail and the sight. I was then able to use a Williams Sight Pusher to drift it out.

 

[goon]

I agree on the punches and/or sight pusher. If you mess with guns long enough you'll need to adjust or remove a dovetailed sight again at some point. You're going to need something to do that.

 

[esheato]

I swapped my 10/22 sights for Tech Sights last night. I just clamped the barrel to my bench with the front sight slightly overhanging the edge.

It took quite a bit more force than I anticipated. Get a bigger hammer (and a vise).

 

[wingman]

Another good tip IMO is Kroil oil works wonders on getting stuff unstuck.

 

[henschman]

Just make sure it is solidly supported, and hit it HARD. Don't be skeered, hit it as hard as you can. It will come out. And yes, buy a friggin punch. I punched mine out with a hex socket in a bit driver, but that isn't really ideal!

 

[bigfatdave]

ordinary board about a foot long and a coving bit in a router and just rout a groove down the length of the board

Dude is working in his lap with a screwdriver for a punch ... do you think he has a router handy?

 

[shrewd]

hahaha