Sights and barrel finishing

[MagKarl]

I'm working on my first ML, a 54 caplock GRP kit. This site has proven to be an excellent resource so far. Got the fitting complete, working on the stock finishing now and prepping the metal for finishing. I think I'm going to attempt to rust blue using LMF browning sol'n. I don't know what to do with the sights. I know they will need some filing and a few whacks to get them dialed in. Right now the dovetail fit it tight for both, I don't want to drift them in and out unnecessarily and loosen the fit. Do you all fine tune sights before you blue or brown, as in shoot a box of balls first, then finish the barrel with sights in place? Or finish the pieces separately and touch up the sights later? Is it even possible to touch up rust bluing? I intend this to be a deer gun shooting PRB and somewhere in the 70-100 gr 2F. Thanks in advance.
Anthony

 

[jtmattison]

I recently finished a GPR flintlock kit. I fitted my sights before finishing them. The dovetails were very tight and required some filing before the sight would go in. I fitted them so they woud go in tight and be centered. The front sight on Lyman rifles is WAY too tall. I filed mine down about 2/3 before finishing it. After you get them to fit properly you can tap them back out and finish them. If they are loose going back in all you have to do is peen the edge of the dovetail a little to hold the sight in. I took my rifle out this past weekend and the first shots were on paper at 50 yards. There should be no need to fire your rifle before finishing it. I hope this helps.

HD

 

[Zonie]

If I were building your gun, I would brown or blue the sights before installing them, brown or blue the barrel, assemble it and shoot it.

After filing the front sight and drifting the front/rear sight as necessary I would touch up the bare metal areas with Birchwood Casey instant blueing.

It's such a small area that no one looking at the gun will notice that the sights have some blueing on them.

zonie

 

[MagKarl]

Thanks for the feedback fellas, helps a lot to minimize the slope on the learning curve.
Anthony

 

[54ball]

One thing you may want to consider for a small item such as sights is to fire blue them. The process is very easy. Take a heat safe container such as a ceramic mug or metal pail and fill it 1/4 the way with water, then add a thick layer of oil, cooking oil will suffice. This is your quench. Take a pair of pliers or tongs, something to hold the item without getting burned, heat the sights or item with a propane torch. When the item reaches a desired color drop in the quench. It will turn blue before it will tun red. Experiment to tweak the color. The result will be a bluish black sight. This color more than likely will not match your barrel but you see different color components on originals. This is also a good method for bluing screws.