if my barrel diameter is .625 what dia. sight would i want to install. Planning on using loctite. thanks

.626, but since NECG does not sell a .625 ID sight, or anything close to that it is moot. Unless you have another source. I do it the opposite way; machine the barrel to fit the band.

NECG has some good detailed instructions for fitting their banded sights.

dpcd's method works good too.

Theirs are all metric and convert to odd inch sizes. Available Sizes:
.532" R-100-532 Height: .512"
.551" R-100-551 Height: .500"
.571" R-100-571 Height: .421"
.590" R-100-590 Height: .421"
.610" R-100-610 Height: .421"
.630" R-100-630 Height: .421"
.650" R-100-650 Height: .421"
.670" R-100-670 Height: .386"
.689" R-100-689 Height: .386"
.708" R-100-708 Height: .386"
.728" R-100-728 Height: .386"
.748" R-100-748 Height: .362"
.768" R-100-768 Height: .362"
.788" R-100-788 Height: .362"
.807" R-100-807 Height: .362"
.827" R-100-827 Height: .362"
.866" R-100-866 Height: .354"
.886" R-100-886 Height: .

Dang I have been doing it, and telling my customers how to do it WRONG for DECADES

I was taught to modify the cheapest part FIRST.
So all ways set the lathe up to bore the taper inside the front ramp hole to match the taper and diameter of the barrel

Have done it that way for about 45 years and it has all ways worked well for me.

James Wisner
Life ACGG Member

I ain't had one fall off yet.

Turning down the barrel? Seems like a days worth of work...One would really have to taper most of the barrel to make a smoth transition. ??

I bore out to "Close" then peen to make a PERFECT fit

quote:

Originally posted by J Wisner:
Dang I have been doing it, and telling my customers how to do it WRONG for DECADES

I was taught to modify the cheapest part FIRST.
So all ways set the lathe up to bore the taper inside the front ramp hole to match the taper and diameter of the barrel

Have done it that way for about 45 years and it has all ways worked well for me.

James Wisner
Life ACGG Member

Me too.

You guys are over thinking it; it ain't rocket surgery and there are more than two ways to skin cats. I have done it both ways. Also, the Recknagel/NECG bands are not tapered; they are straight. So I taper the bands, and/or make the barrel fit. And it doesn't take me a day to fit one.

Compared to the good Mr. Wisner's 45 years of experience, I am a neophyte, a plodding amateur with only 33 years in the trade. That said, I concur 100% with Mr. Wisner. It's only logical to taper bore the banded front ramp to match the barrel. Since I have never studied "rocket surgery"--surely a slip of the tongue for the combined intricacies of rocket science and brain surgery--, please allow me to play devil's advocate. As it has been correctly stated, NECG bands and ramps are not tapered. The radius of the band and the ramp are the same. Let's say a rifle barrel is .580 at the muzzle and that we have bought a .571" diameter banded ramp and that we have turned down the last 3+" of the barrel to a straight cylinder .571" in diameter. Behold, the banded ramp fits nicely. However, our barrel tapers about .010" per inch which would create about a .030" step at the end of the ramp. Functional but fugly. Kindly enlighten us how one turns the last 3+ inches of a barrel to accept a banded ramp without leaving a unsightly shoulder about as inconspicuous as the cliffs of Dover.

Certainly, I lack the experience to see the obvious expediency of turning down a barrel to match a sight and would be most appreciative were the light of first class workmanship to be shown upon my hide-bound ways.

Cheers,

Roger

I like the peening method because the tail of the sight usually ends up sitting down nice and tight on the barrel.
Anyway Recknagel has reduced it's inventory significantly of late, the smallest banded ramp is .590" so if you want one for a light sporter you are screwed.

Definitely not a slip of my tongue, which never slips.
As for fitting front sight bands. NO, there is no gap or step; I often say, come over and I'll show you how to do it. Totally fitted singly with no cliff. I didn't start doing this yesterday.
Please; no hate mail; I got a ton of it from the Reloading section. Everyone who does not understand what I say, wants to write me and yell at me.

I have been making banded front ramps in semi production to full production since 1986.

Currently have the following sizes on hand
.552
.595
.613
.645
.720
.750
Tail Shapes and heights vary, most have the Euro sight slot, and a few with the 3/8 x 60 degree cross dovetail, some with hood and some with out

Over the years have made as small as .500, and as large as 1.00

Tricks of the Trade

Most important put the tail of the band ramp inside the chuck jaws, so you do not crash and bend the tail

Measure your barrel taper,for example if is .005 per side x inch (not total)
Then set your lathe compound at .0035 - .004 x inch, the tail will spring/deflect as you are boring and we want the tail to sit tight with no gap under it.
I run the lathe at 350 rpm. Max depth of cut with the boring bar would be .005
When you have the bore ID .005 under the muzzle OD its time to take it out and check it on the barrel
Many times a spring pass, another pass at the same setting is all that's needed at this point
Its better to have it slip on the barrel and not go to the point its loose

If not far enough back to suit, put some light oil on the barrel, and tap the band ramp with a lead or plastic hammer to where you want it

Then go fine polish the face of your ball pein (peen) hammer and lightly massage around the band until the ramp starts to move

Remove the band ramp, and de-grease the parts, final polish the parts, then get ready to final install the band ramp with loctite

Easy Peasy, have done hundreds this way

Just my 2 cents worth

James Wisner
Life Member ACGG

Great info thanks James.

Measure your barrel taper,for example if is .005 per side x inch (not total)
Then set your lathe compound at .0035 - .004 x inch, the tail will spring/deflect as you are boring and we want the tail to sit tight with no gap under it.
I run the lathe at 350 rpm. Max depth of cut with the boring bar would be .005
When you have the bore ID .005 under the muzzle OD its time to take it out and check it on the barrel
Many times a spring pass, another pass at the same setting is all that's needed at this point
Its better to have it slip on the barrel and not go to the point its loose

If not far enough back to suit, put some light oil on the barrel, and tap the band ramp with a lead or plastic hammer to where you want it

Then go fine polish the face of your ball pein (peen) hammer and lightly massage around the band until the ramp starts to move

Remove the band ramp, and de-grease the parts, final polish the parts, then get ready to final install the band ramp with loctite

Easy Peasy, have done hundreds this way

Just my 2 cents worth

James Wisner
Life Member ACGG[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the info. Just one question. Once you tap it back to the desired position with a plastic or lead hammer, what is the purpose of the peening with your ball pien hammer? I thought that would only be needed if you had to slightly enlarge the band.

Thanks again,
John

Gasgunner.

Years ago I found out the hard way about over pressing on the band ramps in place.
So you now have it pressed on to where you want it front and rear from the muzzle.
You then look down the action, and lengthwise of the barrel only to find out the DANG band ramp had /moved/leaned about 5 degrees to one side.
Try as you might you can not get the ramp to move/twist over to TDC
The only way to get it back off is to peen the band to loosen it up

When I put these band ramps on I like to get the fit where I can slip them in place by HAND Pressure
Easy to adjust side to side then, and it leaves just the correct amount of gap for the locktite to work well

Hope this helps

James Wisner
Life Member ACGG