Very loose rear sight on a GPR

[nessmuk1953]

This weekend I thought I would change out the adjustable sight on my GPR for the fixed one. Well the adjustable came out without too much fuss at all, but when I went to put in the fixed it sailed right through the dovetail. A bit on the small side. I have searched and found a short discussion on "sweating" the sight with solder to take up the slack. I was wondering if someone might give a brief description of the method for someone who has never done it before. I am a bit nervous about applying a torch to the barrel. Also, is there a certain type of solder I should use?

 

[jtmattison]

You don't have to go through all that trouble.
You can just peen the edges of the dovetail slot over a little so it holds the site.
I've done this on my rifles.
It only takes a few light taps on the edge with a ball-peen hammer and your site will be snug when you install it.

HD

 

[John Taylor]

depends on how loose it is. The standard sights dovetail for guns in the US is 3/8", some from over seas are about .030 to .040" under size. That would take a lot of peening to hold and that much solder would show.
To solder, clean both barrel dovetail and sight to bright metal, sand , file or bead blast. Coat both parts with flux and put them together. Heat from bottom of barrel untill solder will flow at sight ( please to remove from stock first). Let cool without moving. Clean off excess flux with water and steel wool or corse cloth. If you get to much solder it can be carved with a knife or filed away. Some of the cheap solders will not flow on steel very good so you might want to get a good solder. I use high force 44 from brownells and it works very good on steel but it ain't cheep.

 

[nessmuk1953]

Thanks for the replies. I may try what Huntin Dawg suggsted. I am thinking that I might want to contact Lyman first for a new sight. This is the one that came with the rifle and it sails right through the slot with no resistance. If you lay it in and tip the barrel it can fall out. That seems to be just a bit out of tolerance to me. I hate to order something like that solder that I am not going to be using on a regular basis.

 

[dmills]

I had the same problem with the rear sight on my GPR. Couple of taps on the edges of the dovetail tightened it up nicely. BTW, the Lyman dovetails are the smaller European size as are the Lyman sights.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

There are a couple of options you can do. I've not heard of anyone soldering the rear sight in place. What if you decide you want to move it? Peening is an option. I used a small pointed drift punch and put a punch mark on the edge of the dovetail to peen the metal tighter to hold the sight. I've also used shims under front sights to tighten them. When you go to the dentist, the little bite wing x-rays they stick in your mouth have very thin sheets of lead in them. Those sheets of lead a perfect shims for loose sights. Slip the sight out of the dove tail, put in the lead shim and pound your sight back into the dovetail (Using a brass or copper punch of course so you don't damage anything). That lead will squeeze in to hold the sight tightly in place. If I was at a gun show and saw a gun for sale with soldered sights, That would worry me. I'd pass that gun by like a bad penny in a heartbeat.
Ohio Rusty

 

[nessmuk1953]

Well, I will have to say that Lyman Customer Service is pretty good. I called and they are sending me a new sight and going to check it on a barrel for fit first. I am thinking that i just may have gotten one that had been made a bit undersize. When you put it in the slot there is quite a bit of room and I am afraid that it would take a bit too much peening to fix the problem. Thanks to all for the input.

 

[Norskie]

Drink a can of your beverage of choice and then snip a piece of shim stock out of the can. Shim the underside of the sight. Dead simple.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Check first to see how much daylight you can see under the sight in the dovetail. If you can see any, try just wiping a coat of soft solder on the bottom of the dovetail, after heating up the barrel. Let it cool and try the sight, then, It will probably take up the air space and give you a tight fit. If not, you can wipe solder on the bottom of the sight, and let it cool, and try the two together. Only if both of these didn't work to tighten things up would I start peening on the edges of the dovetail. I have done it, but after using the above solder techniques, find I don't have to go there very often.

 

[boar]

Heres what I do, take sight and put in vise, base up, take center punch and put a dimple om each corner. This will spread the base. I don't like to beat on the barrel. If this dose't work I would put solder on bottom of base. Dilly

 

[nessmuk1953]

Lyman is sending a sight which they said they would make sure fits, but I think I might just peen the base of the one I have. I am not too fond of the idea of putting the torch to the barrel. I figure between a few hits with a punch and a thin shim, as also suggested, it just might fit. The first time I slid it into the slot I thought that I must have missed it and slid it over the barrel, that is how loose it is.

 

[noahmercy]

Had the same problem with mine...I bought a nice period correct replacement sight from Track of the Wolf. The base is WAY oversize and allows for the user to file it down to fit the barrel dovetail perfectly. At the same time, I replaced the front with a German silver blade/ brass base sight (also PC). Not very expensive, looks great, and gives a finer sight picture than the factory sights.

:thumbsup: