Dovetail help on smr.

[Mark E. Prickett]

Hey OP, where are you in NC? I’m in Chatham county, maybe I can help out.

Fayetteville area.

 

[deerstalkert]

OP, I can fix this for you if you send me the barrel. Just pay for the part and the shipping. Here's a pic of my shop. Semper Fi.

View attachment 189046
View attachment 189047

much too tidy!

 

[The Appalachian]

I put this oversize dovetail rear sight on my last build just because I liked the look. Ordered it from Track or ML Builders, one of the two, can't recall.

Any old fine tooth triangular file can be safesided and used to cut dovetails. 60 + 60 + 60 is 180, and if I recall geometry class a hundred years ago, that makes a triangle. I make mine on the belt sander, and I make sure I cut the safe side down far enough that the very bottom edge will cut. Most triangle files are slightly rounded there, you need that edge sharp and crisp. That's all your getting with a dovetail file is that edge is done right.

Dovetails are stupid easy, once you learn there's only a couple or three thousandths between right and totally screwed......

 

[skwerleater]

that’s the spirit. It will work out. We have all been there. We spend a lot on these parts and it’s upsetting when things go wrong. I am lucky to have a great friend who is a builder and he has told me that his learning process involves lots of fixing mistakes. Your gonna have a great piece that you enjoy shooting when it’s finished.

 

[JHB]

This time file the sight if you make a mistake the sight is cheaper to replace.

 

[Trot]

I thought the dovetails were already cut on the Kibler kits?

 

[david w]

I thought the dovetails were already cut on the Kibler kits?

They are.

 

[Mark E. Prickett]

I thought the dovetails were already cut on the Kibler kits?

Yes. I think when I draw filed the barrel I messed it up.

 

[TerryK]

I had a gunsmith drill and tap for a barrel peep sight. It is like a laser now.

 

[satwel]

When I started cutting dovetails I used a triangle file with one side ground smooth. After I ordered a dovetail file from Brownells I could cut them faster and with more precision. If you think you will be cutting more dovetails in the future, do yourself a favor and order a file from Brownells. It's money well spent.

 

[longwalk]

You could try and solder the opening then refile it. Clean the area and take a pencil and rub it all around the outside of the cut area, it helps keep any overflow of solder from sticking. I used STAY-BRITE solder kit or SOLDER-IT silver bearing solder. They don't require as much heat to work.

 

[Timber Wolf]

If you do end up replacing the sight(s), I would suggest finding something taller and more visible. Make lemonade out of lemons. I hate making mistakes, and I especially hate doing extra work just to get back to zero. If I am going to be spending more time and money I want something extra out of it!

 

[woodsnwater]

TOTW, taller and longer rear sight, rs-fg-14-t $8.99

 

[Pilgrim]

I'm sure I messed it up beyond repair. I need a longer dovetail and a trip to a gunsmith to have them professionally cut. I would like to replace front and rear and have them fit. I surrender. I'm looking on TOTW but honestly I'm overwhelmed at this point.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Very few things cannot be repaired or worked around. I agree with the suggestion of giving Jim a call lay your problem out to him he should be able to walk you through it.

 

[Reno]

Well you are certainly not the first person to ever cut a dovetail to large. You can use bar stock to fill a over cut dovetail. Just fit it to the size and drive it in. Then draw file the area and when browned it will not show up other than to you.
I always undercut my dovetails. Then as has been said, one swipe with the file then fit. If needed, another swipe with the file then fit.
It’s a slow process but more important is that when cutting a dovetail that we slow down.

 

[garypl]

I replaced the sights on my SMR - front sight was too low for me. I ordered from TOTW:

Square Blade Front Sight, wax cast nickel silver - Track of the Wolf - $11.59
Rear sight, Tall Pennsylvania style for 13/16" or 7/8" octagon barrels, wax cast steel - Track of the Wolf - $8.99

Have to cut the rear sight base to fit but the front sight was an almost perfect fit.

 

[Grenadier1758]

In situations such as described, it's not a mistake unless recovery is impossible. Even then, rework is often possible.

@Mark E. Prickett you can recover. Have faith.

 

[hanshi]

I agree, don't give up! I've changed sights and tinkered with ones already on the rifle and I managed to fix them all. Saying this, I must admit my total lack of skills are aggravated by ra. I even have trouble tying my shoes! I'm sure you're a few steps above me.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Sixty degree is the dovetail file you want. NOT 65. Sixty-five is 1911's. Don't ask me why.

Ok, I am the ignorant one! What difference does it make? I always make my sight base angles match the dovetail.
Help me out here.
Larry

 

[pacanis]

Ok, I am the ignorant one! What difference does it make? I always make my sight base angles match the dovetail.
Help me out here.
Larry

If a dovetail is cut into a barrel it is 60*. When you buy a sight for that rifle it is 60*. If you wanted to do a little filing on the gun's dovetail you should keep it the same angle, 60*. It makes for a better fit so the sight wedges into place with the most surface contact when fit properly.

I used a 60* file just the other day. I was fitting a new Marbles brass bead to an 1866 lever action (Uberti). The way the sight was made I could rest the file's safe edge on it and file the male dovetail. If I had used a 65* file instead it would not have filed the surface evenly.

I like to keep the angles the same. If I decide to get another sight I know it will be dovetailed at the same angle. I'll probably only need to take material off the base to fit it.