Loose Front sight

[Splais]

After hanging on the wall for 15 years I took my .54 Hawken out to shoot. That part went fine; but when I got home I found that the front sight was loose in the dovetail. Years and years ago I had the sight changed when I put a tang sight set on her. From looking at it, I have no idea what was suppose to hold it tight.

Can someone help? thanks.

 

[BrownBear]

Slickest, easiest and least painful way I've tried it to use a small punch to dimple the bottom of the dovetail on the sight. This raises the metal a little around the craters, which is often enough to take up the slack.

If you don't like the sound of that or if it doesn't take up enough slack, I've also used a large flat punch to peen the dovetail down either side of the site, thinning it a little but spreading it at the same time. Go too far and you might have to file a bit to fit, but it works.

 

[Zonie]

What holds it tight is the press fit required to overcome the interference of the sights material and the barrels material.

That's why doing as BrownBear suggested and displacing some of the sights or barrels material so that it interferes with the other part works.

Another way is to use a small steel hammer and lightly tap the sharp edges of the sights dovetail.
That will raise the material on either side of the sharp edge and this raised material will interfere with the dovetail in the barrel.

Note that the suggestions usually envolve working on the sight. That is because it is relatively inexpensive to replace a sight if you goof it up but it is very costly to have to replace a goofed up barrel.

 

[albert]

One other way is to cut a small shim and place under the sight,this will tighten it up . some sights will come apart if peaned on too harsh.If you don't have any shimstock,you can cut one out of a tin can.