Epoxied front sight

PJ Hardtack · December 10, 2012, 01:22:41 PM

I recently used some JB epoxy to fit the head of my wood splitting maul onto the plastic/fibreglass shaft. Once mixed, it had a pleasing gun metal grey colour to it and that reminded me of a repair done to an IPSC pal's 1911 way back when .....

It was in the middle of a monthly club event when the front sight of his Series '70 1911 came off the gun during a stage. We were able to find it in bark mulch when we picked up his brass.
Someone had 'Lepage's 5 Minute Epoxy' in his tool kit, and during a lunch break, we used it to glue on the front sight so he could finish the match.
He decided to leave it on until such time as it fell off again and then have it silver soldered. It was a year later before it once again departed! A lot of rounds and several cleanings had finally weakened the bond.

This stuff is the Duct Tape of the shooter.

Will Ketchum · December 10, 2012, 02:35:23 PM

I often refer to JB Weld as "Duct Tape in a tube". I have a friend that made a front sight for a beater truck rifle maybe 20 years ago. Last time I asked he still had that old rifle in his truck and used it often.

Will Ketchum

Lumpy Grits · December 12, 2012, 10:28:53 AM

JB does NOT do well with oil on it.
Good temp fix....
LG

PJ Hardtack · December 12, 2012, 03:00:35 PM

It wasn't JB, it was Lepage's 5 Minute Epoxy. I was the one using the JB on my wood splitting maul.

I'd call a year's service pretty good for a product that finds oils detrimental to best bonding. At least as good as the p!ss poor factory staking job done by Colt.

Lumpy Grits · December 12, 2012, 03:06:36 PM

Long time issue with most 1911 makers the front sight 'leg' breaking off.
Think that is why most went to a dovetail now.
LG

rickk · January 09, 2013, 10:55:42 AM

A recoil buffer - even the rubber bumpers that go on the end of the spring guide, will do wonders towards saving wear and tear on sights.

Dovetailed sights are really the way to go if you want them to stay in place.

I have a Gold Cup with an .062 roll pin holding the rear sight in place. I wound up buying a box of 100 roll pins so I could replace the pin when it broke, which was every few hundred rounds.

I replaced the spring guide with one of those ones with the spring loaded plunger in it and also added a rubber bumper that needs replacing every few hundred rounds. That was many thousands of rounds ago. The same roll pin that was in there when I added the bumper stuff is still in there now.

Rick

Lumpy Grits · January 09, 2013, 11:24:54 AM

After break'n a rollpin on my GC rear sight. I replaced it with a drill rod.
No issues for the last 25+ yrs.
LG

PJ Hardtack · January 09, 2013, 01:34:24 PM

I replaced the Elliason rear sight on my GC with one by Millett, held in place with a drill rod. The Millett has 'melted' edges out of the box and looks better.
It's also fitted with a recoil spring guide rod, probably not something I'd do again. Doesn't cause problems, and has withstood several thousands IPSC 'major' loads.

One mod on a standard 1911 I've always liked was milling a GC rib on the slide. Looks way cool and lightens the slide a tad, for what that's worth.