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1898 Krag Front Sight

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07 August 2017, 16:49
Dan Stone
1898 Krag Front Sight
Does anyone know how Springfield attached the front sight on these rifles? It's a dovetail but for military use it probably needed solder of some type. Did they use soft solder or silver solder? Thanks
08 August 2017, 02:30
dpcd
The sight base is forged as part of the barrel. The blade is held in by a cross pin. You would never want to solder in a front sight; too hard to replace in the field.
11 August 2017, 05:08
gnoahhh
Au contraire. Krag front sight bases occupied a long shallow dovetail, and were soldered in place with high temperature solder.
11 August 2017, 07:01
speerchucker30x378
coffee

And I say there was a slight flat milled into the top of the barrel and the ramp was brazed on !
The blade was pinned into the ramp with a single pin.


When I was a kid. I had the stick. I had the rock. And I had the mud puddle. I am as adept with them today, as I was back then. Lets see today's kids say that about their IPods, IPads and XBoxes in 45 years!
Rod Henrickson
11 August 2017, 07:55
dpcd
You are right; and I am not a Krag expert.
Anyway, the OP asked about the sight, not the base.
11 August 2017, 10:31
speerchucker30x378
coffee

Well, providing its original, as said, the blade is pinned in and the base is brazed on. I suppose if the Op wanted to, he could soft solder the blade in with rosin core electrical solder. That stuff seems to melt when you rub it to hard. I can't see it breaking down the brazing at all. As long as one didn't get to ambitious with the torch.


When I was a kid. I had the stick. I had the rock. And I had the mud puddle. I am as adept with them today, as I was back then. Lets see today's kids say that about their IPods, IPads and XBoxes in 45 years!
Rod Henrickson
11 August 2017, 16:55
Dan Stone
Thanks for the replys. I was asking about the sight base. I'll try to be more specific in the future. I'm replacing the barrel on an 1898 Carbine and the replacement barrel has the long shallow dovetail which cannot be depended on to retain the base without some help. I will use soft solder and see how that holds up.
12 August 2017, 19:51
Snellstrom
quote:
Originally posted by Dan Stone:
Thanks for the replys. I was asking about the sight base. I'll try to be more specific in the future. I'm replacing the barrel on an 1898 Carbine and the replacement barrel has the long shallow dovetail which cannot be depended on to retain the base without some help. I will use soft solder and see how that holds up.


When I got a Krag I drifted out the old sight and put an old Lyman banded ramp sight on it that covers the dovetail.