Chaps,
Somehow 'managed to bugger the front sight blade on the .318 whilst in Africa and I need a spot of advice on its correction. Can I just put the old girl in the Bisley and play a propane torch onto the blade and gently straighten it out? Seems rather a waste of expensive 'smith's time to send it off into the UPS just for so minor seemin' a repair but I don't want to risk snappin' off the blade, don'tcherknow.

If you can post a photo we can see the extent of the damage then proceed from there.

Materials are usually suspect in front sights and there is a good chance that it might break in the process.
I am finally back from vacation and if you bring your gun in I suppose I could take a look at it, otherwise I stock any sight you would want to replace it with be it Marbles, Williams, Burris, Lyman, etc.

Cliff's Gunsmithing
1856 W. 17th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

-Spencer

Well that is good, it is original and steel!

With that slight a bend just tap it back. If you have a lead ingot use that as an anvil as it will be more forgiving on the backside. You'll probably mash the heck out of the corner of the lead but better that than the sight. Make sure the face of the hammer is spotlessly clean and free from burrs, pits, gouges and scrapes. I'd keep heat away from it, it is not needed. Is the sight soldered? If so you may knock it loose but if you do it needed to be resoldered anyway.

Good luck!

As was said, post a pic. I'm a cheap skinflint usually but the problem with sights is if you bend them back they are usually weaker and will either break or bend even easier at a later date. However, if it is only bent a blade width or two or so you can probably just carefully tap it back with a 2-4 oz hammer. If it is aluminum personally I'd think about replacing it no matter how slight the bend, and give shopcart a call.

Well, that seems t'have sorted things out admir'bly. Thanks awfully, lads, all I need now is a trip t'the range t'correct the sightin' and it will be ready fer California pigs in April, Canadian bear in August and Texas whitetails next December. Probably, we'll even go back t'Natal in '06 where I have some very personal business t'complete with a couple of zebra!