Greetings,

The largest NECG banded front sight is 0.827" I.D. Can this be stretched to fit a 0.870" O.D. muzzle?

Thanks

You would probably have to enlarge the inside diameter to just .0005" of your barrel diameter so that it can be sweated on.

Roger... I donno thats getting kinda thick! It depends on where you are measuring your dimensons at this point. I dont think I have ever "stretched" a band that much. If you have a old barrel as a mandrel and mark not quite where you are going to finaly fit it, you can work from there. I do a combination of stretching and peening. Make sure the "try barrel" is polished good. I make my peening tools out of O-1 or old screw drivers. When stretching (pounding) it onto the mandrel I use wood blocks only. Hopefully someone with more experiance will help answer this question.

So once the barrel band is "stretched", it will be either soldered or secured in some other fashion to prevent movement? What is the preferred method of securing band type front sights? KMule

You can use a flat hammer to expand the metal a good deal. (I use the end of a Brownell's action wrench). Tap it on the barrel until it is snug, then use the flat hammer on the sides of the band until it is loose again. Keep doing this until you have it where you want it, then remove it and reshape/polish it.

If you don't solder the band on, rust will eventually form between the barrel and the band.

To stretch a band past .020 you will need to anneal it.

In the good old days before I started making the band ramps It was even reguired to cut the band lengthwise stretch it closer and weld the cut back together. Then polish or lathe bore the ID out.

Small Fry is right about the old barrel as a mandrel and having the hammer face polished to reduce the marks on the out side of the band when done.

After it is fitted to a slide fit within 1/8" or less of where you want it. You can use locktite to secure it. I have blued the barrel and ramp, then used a solvent to clean the area and applied locktite and quickly tapped the ramp in place with a wooden or plastic mallet.

I use # 609 Locktite, I figure if it is good enough for bearings and engine cylinder sleeves it will work on a ramp. In 15 years I have not had one come off yet.

I do not inventory ramps that big any more, just can't justify it when I would only sell one or two a year. So I now do special runs of them a couple times a year. Am just finishing up some this weekend. So it would be most likely the end of the year before I do anymore specials.

Mr. Wisner,

If you are finishing up some this weekend, does this mean you would have one available or are they all spoken for?
This is not critical, I can use something different.

Roger,

You have an email