Staking rear sight on 1911?

03 November 2006, 19:35

skl1

My old GSP's rear sight slides around in the dovetail. It's got a small screw that bears on the bottom of the dovetail and is supposed to keep it tight. I've tightened it and applied the non-permanent loctite. Still broke loose in 10 rounds.

How do you stake the sight? You're basically using a punch to peen the metal on either side of the sight to expand/burr it up a little and tighten the fit, right?

Thanks for any info,

Steve

03 November 2006, 19:41

Fjold

Instead of buggering up the slide where everyone can see it, I peen the underside of the base of the sight. This raises the metal and tightens up the fit in the dovetail.

Frank

"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953

NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite

03 November 2006, 23:04

skl1

Thanks, Frank, but I thought the peening had to be done while the sight was in-place in the dovetail?

04 November 2006, 00:01

malm

quote:
Originally posted by skl1:
My old GSP's rear sight slides around in the dovetail. It's got a small screw that bears on the bottom of the dovetail and is supposed to keep it tight. I've tightened it and applied the non-permanent loctite. Still broke loose in 10 rounds.

How do you stake the sight? You're basically using a punch to peen the metal on either side of the sight to expand/burr it up a little and tighten the fit, right?

Thanks for any info,

Steve

When you tighten that little screw, you are lifting the sight up off the bottom of the dovetail. Depending on how much play is present you might be able to cut a thin piece of shim material and place it on either the leading or trailing edge of the dovetail to take up the slack. My preference would be to take a smooth, slightly rounded and highly polished punch, and rework the top edge of the dovetail driving it back into shape, and then refit the sight.