Cimarron R&M front sight fix/replace?

[John William McCandles]

When I was cleaning one of my 1860 R&M's I knocked the front sight out. I reinstalled it but it seems to move fairly easily. Is there a fix or is this normal. I have ordered a new sight blade just in case it will need replaced.
This is one from the pair I bought from Bob Taylor at Traditional Effects, back when Uberti was just starting to make them and hope the sights have not changed as the barrels and cylinders have. Also are the internal parts still the same?
While I have the floor I saw during a search that some shooters modify the rear sight notch in the hammer to a "U", does this help much? I'm pretty good with a file and may try it. Just clean up the "V" to a "U" correct don't go any deeper?

Thanks
JW

[Pettifogger]

First, what kind of front sight are you talking about?  Blade staked in groove in the barrel or dovetailed?  (Not really "normal" for a front sight to move around.  Kinda makes zeroing a little hard.)  Second, Internal parts are the same.  Third, doesn't matter whether it's a "U" or a "V".  The object is to simply make the rear sight a little bigger and easier to see.  I've done "U's", "V's" and lately put the hammer in a mill and make a square cut in the hammer for the rear sight.  Anything is an improvement over what is there.

[John William McCandles]

First, what kind of front sight are you talking about?  Blade staked in groove in the barrel or dovetailed?  (Not really "normal" for a front sight to move around.  Kinda makes zeroing a little hard.)  Second, Internal parts are the same.  Third, doesn't matter whether it's a "U" or a "V".  The object is to simply make the rear sight a little bigger and easier to see.  I've done "U's", "V's" and lately put the hammer in a mill and make a square cut in the hammer for the rear sight.  Anything is an improvement over what is there.

It is a blade in a groove similar to a woodruff key.
Was not staked and the grove looks to be a dovetail along the length of the barrel. Could a person silver solder it in the groove (dovetail)?
Thanks on the hammer sight grove.

JW

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[Pettifogger]

For that sight you can use a low temp solder like Hi Force 44.  You can also try putting a little JB weld on it or use some red loctite.

PS.  On some of my C&Bs I use a "U" groove in the rear and a .175 shotgun bead for the front.  Like pumping a pumping on a fence post.

[John William McCandles]

For that sight you can use a low temp solder like Hi Force 44.  You can also try putting a little JB weld on it or use some red loctite.

PS.  On some of my C&Bs I use a "U" groove in the rear and a .175 shotgun bead for the front.  Like pumping a pumping on a fence post.

Thanks, believe I have some red loctite, the sight seemed a little loose when I put it back in.

JW

[John William McCandles]

 "I've done "U's", "V's" and lately put the hammer in a mill and make a square cut in the hammer for the rear sight.  Anything is an improvement over what is there."

What size end mill did you use?

JW

[Pettifogger]

1/8"  (.125).

[rifle]

I've got some of that Low Temp Hi-Force 44. Can't get it to stick right.
If the gun sight blade is a little loose it needs something to take up that space. Hard solder it needs be.
The front blade should be a perfect fit to the width of the slot and perfectly parallel sides to mate to the sides of the slot then the sides of the slot peened inconspiculously.
A very thin stake tool with a flat end (made one from a chisel for wood carving) is used to stake the sides of the slot against the blade.
Not really noticable if done well. Unless you want to go thru the trouble of milling a piece of brass/silver/steel the right thickness for a blade the hard solder is the trick.
I've seen where the slots seem to be under cut or dovetailed some along the sides. The blade needs inserted from one end of the slot to be tapped home in that case. Don't ask me how to make a dovetailed blade slot though. I thunk maybe the sides are peened inconspiculously instead of dovetailed.
I have no faith in JB Weld or Loctite thread locker to take up space in even a slightly loose slot for a blade sight. They compress too easy and the sight will loosen again too soon. They might work in conjuction to the fine line peen along the sides of the slot that "moves steel against the blade". Even so.....the steel against the blade will loosen too soon also if there is any space between the blade and the sides of the slot below the peen and will probably loosen again even with Loctite or JB Weld takng up the space.
The most important thing is to have a slot with parallel sides and a blade sight that exact width with perfectly parallel sides.

[Coffinmaker]

The front sights on most of the Uberti built open top type guns are German Silver blades.  They are installed at the factory with a drop of some kind of epoxy and light staking.  Some seat the bottom of the slot ad make good glue contact and some don't.  Those that don't make good contact ant pop out (usually during a match) I have replaced for my customers by thorough cleaning of the slot and JB Weld.  All of those I have replaced over the last 10-12 years are still in the guns.

Coffinmaker

[John William McCandles]

The original sight seems to be making good contact. Just loose enough that I can push it out. I used the red loctite and will see how that goes.
I did get the new sight that i ordered just in case i loose the original if it does come out again on its own.

Thanks
JW