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Starting a dovetail

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Ok, so it’s obvious how a dovetail front or rear site fit into a barrel, but I’m really struggling to get my front site to start to go into the slot on a Pendersoli Kentucky pistol kit. Any tricks that I should know other than to keep trying?

Happy to fiddle for an hour at a time until the frustration gets the best of me, unless there’s some sort of snazzy trick to getting these things started. The rear one wasn’t easy either but at least it did start after a few tries.

This is a newly browned barrel but I have the dovetail channel smoothed out nicely, and the inside edges as clean as I can get them without breaking out the power dremel, which I’m not keen on trying. I also laid the site flat on some fine sandpaper to take any burrs off that may have been there (I can’t feel any).

Rob
 
Thanks guys. I do have a triangle file, but it's pretty course so not for this job. I have to make a trip out to Home Depot later today for something else, so I'll look for a smaller/finer one.

Follow-up questions please: Grenadier suggested using a triangular file with "one flat ground flat" feature --- is that literally a triangle file where one of the three sides is smooth? Is that hard to find? Is that absolutely necessary (if I can't find one)??

(The Dremel is an evil beast. Every time the going gets a little rough, it calls out to me! Hard to resist that little bastard!)
 
Get rid of the sharp corners on the front site dovetail. Not heavy. Just break that edge. Then do what Eric Krewson says. If you need to break the edge again and try it.
You take a three corner file and take a couple of light swipes on the bevel of your sight base, try a fit and take a couple more. Be patient it will start after you remove a tiny bit of metal. Most of all NEVER file the dovetail in your barrel, always the sight.

Rinse and repeat until it goes in firm. Careful not to round what should be flat. If you only file the sight and don't force anything then you can only bugger the sight.
 
For a three corner/triangle file smooth one side of the file on a grinder. Doesnt take long, dont get it too hot, just take a little off at a time. You are just removing teeth so it doesnt cut on that side. It is nice to have different size triangle files for different jobs.
 
Brownell's sells a triangular file with one side that will file. It's the only file you should use. Another thing to check is the depth of the dovetail on your site. Sometimes all you need to do is use a bench grinder on the bottom of the dovetail to get the right fit. Go slow. Remove a little & check fit. The sight's dovetail will also have a taper, so be sure to start the narrow side in first. If you don't have the right tools, you will butcher it up.
 
Thanks for the tips here fellas. I purchased an inexpensive set of small/fine files an slowly worked at it. I ended up removing all of the browning that was in the dovetail with one of the files, but otherwise all of the shaving was done to the site itself. I did have to ping it all the way in, as I did with the rear site, so this thing isn't moving unless I really WANT it to.

I will add that dovetail sites always seem to be fickle with my guns. I've had to add shims to some of them because they're loose, and I couldn't believe the amount of effort these took to install. I suppose better to be super tight like this is fine, so long as I take my brass hammer & punch set to the range!
 
i have the brownells dove tail file. ive made many of my own dove tails. some time a ready made one is more open on one side than the other. check that part out. none are perfect. do every thing carefully. you will get what you want. its not rocket science but it also something you dont want to do sloppy. have fun when your done with it.
 
To make a safe side file use a bench grinder. Dunk the file in water every few seconds. Use a belt sander to true it up.

Before you begin fitting the sight make sure dept of slot matches the sight. It looks bad to have a bap between the front sight and the barrel flat.

To fit a sight that is close make sure it is close. Measure it and the slot. Measure the slot with a tapered piece of sheet stock that has a 60* angle to match the slot. When you are a few thousands large, put a SLIGHT taper on the slot, maybe two strokes of the file. Put a ,matching taper on the sight. Cut and try. When you get it to start put sharpie marker on the sight and slot. Try it. Note the contact points. File those. Repeat. Make sure you do not get the slot and sight crooked. You want a slight taper. IT should start by hand and require a drift to seat it.

Do not maul the sight of slot to tighten the fit. If you work carefully it is not necessary. It is a sign of poor workmanship.
 
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