Shotgun Bead Replacement

[Sulaco]

I have a 1968 Remington 870 Wingmaster Police. It has an 18" barrel with a bead front sight. The sight looks to be staked in place although I may be wrong because I don't really know what 'staked' means. All I know is it doesn't screw in like my newer one does. I ordered a Marbles Tritium front sight using 6-48 threads thinking it would work. It doesn't. What can I do?

Thanks.

 

[slopemeno]

Remington Stakes their beads in. Staking is a term that describes the controlled crushing of a part to attach it to another part. Example: many 1911 .45 Autos have a staked in front sight, where the tenon ( a "root" of metal) extends into the interior of the slide. In manufacuring, this tenon is crushed flush with the interior of the slide to retain the sight. In your Reminton shotgun, the bead is dropped into a predrilled hole, and a die is pressed down around the bead, upsetting the metal and capturing the bead.
I cant remember, but I think the interior of the hole is larger than 6-48. Anyone?
I would be inclined to carefully remove the dome of the stock bead, dress it down to the level of the sight base, and drill and carefully drill and tap the base thats already staked into the barrel.

 

[Jim K]

If the hole is larger than a 6x48, the only alternative, other than drilling and tapping the old sight stub or welding the hole, is to go to 8x40, the only common bead size larger than 6x48. That might limit the type and size of bead you can use, but may be your only choice. Check Brownell's for beads.

Jim