What tool and How to restake a front site on a Gold Cup

[Master Blaster]

My front sight is loose and it seems that its not worth the shipping to send it back to colt.

So how do you do it and what tool would I need.

Ho do you properly clamp the slide while restaking?

Thanks

 

[Traveler]

Here's the tool:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=383&item=1988229577&rd=1

Strip the slide, and hold it upside down in your vise. (I use a small machine vise to keep the work down on the table.) You need to put some solid item under the sight. Then peen the tang of the sight where it protrudes through the top of the slide.

 

[Penman]

How important is it for you to maintain the stock appearance of your Gold Cup? The best solution would be to have a new front sight mounted in a transverse dovetail. If that's not an option, you might consider buying a new front sight blank, and then filing the profile of the front sight after it's been peened in place. Working with a front sight blank would give you better support when you peen the tenon, and then you can profile it to your taste. When you do the peening, watch out that the tool doesn't touch the front of the slide where the recoil spring plug fits. I've seen that face of the slide get dented slightly, to where the plug wouldn't fit.

 

[Art Eatman]

MMC makes a sight-staking tool which is very good and quite simple. It's not real cheap, but if you mess around with Gummint models and change sights, it's a Good Thing.

Most gunsmiths who do pistol work oughta have one or one like it, so you might check with those in your area...

Art

 

[Pistolsmith]

The staking tool has a special brass piece that is inserted to even out the pressure on the slanted sight top. Staking with the ordinary setup will only loosen the tenon. I personally like to replace the GC front blades with a ramp.

 

[Kahr carrier]

Brownells carries the tool you need.