I have in the past used acraglas to stick on barrel band sling swivels. I can't see a reason it won't work to put on a barrel band front sight and rear island like the NECG sight. Has anybody done this? Also what type of cold blue would you recommend for a barrel band swivel. I could take it to my gunsmith, but if I believe there are some pretty decent cold blues available now. The second part is, when you put the sight on, how is the best method to get them mounted so they're straight up and down?

I have wondered this myself. I am thinking of trying it out on a 7 mm Mauser I am working on. This gun is just a knock around gun and a chance to experiment on, so no loss if it doesn't work.
As for getting them straight, I came up with an idea...probably a rube goldberg type of method, but I think it will work, especially if you don't have access to a lot of specialized tools.
Take barreld action out of stock. Put the barrel in a vise with padded jaws. Now this will work only with a receiver that has a flat bottom, not curved like a Rem. 700. Now take a level and put it on the bottom of the action where it is flat. Once you get that level, the top of the action should be level. Now put the sight base, rear or front, on the barrel. Take another level and put across the flat part of the sight base. If you check that both the bottom of the action is level and the sight base is level they should be straight.
AGAIN, this is something I have NEVER tried, but in theory it should work....if there are any others out there that can suggest a simpler method without specialized tools, or taking it to a gunsmith I would really like to hear about it also.
Again, I might be WAY OFF BASE here, as I have been on other things, but it is worth a try.

Actually after posting this, I realized that I have a magnetic angle finder that I used to use to set up the pinion angle, etc. on race cars. With a flat bottomed receiver, I could just set it on the bench, put the angle finder in front of the barrel and align the sights with the 90 degree mark. That should work perfect. Mine is a nice old FN actioned .338, so I hate to use it as an experiment, I just hate to have it at the gunsmiths for 2-3 months.

Some people may laugh at it, but I have had very good results with Oxpho Blue on small parts. The cream seems to be easier to use than the liquid.

If you mount the band on a wooden dowel and hold it in a vise, or mount it in a drill motor, you can buff the blue in with steel wool or even a piece of soft cloth... just like shining your shoes and the results are really nice, IMO.

quote:

I can't see a reason it won't work to put on a barrel band front sight and rear island like the NECG sight.

If a barrel band comes loose the result is a nuisance.... If you loose either of the sights it's a disaster.

That said both of the sights have the ability to be drilled and tapped to the barrel prior to epoxying.

I've only installed one such set of sights and soldered them on. In retrospect I'd have installed a screw first prior to soldering to prevent any slippage during soldering.

If I'm hunting something other than DG and am using my sights as a backup to a scope sighted rifle I'd attempt to epoxy them on but only after installing at least one screw in each sight.

For me the work of drilling and tapping a 6-40 screw to be a cake walk. Bigger ones are easier!!!~

if you heat the parts before you coldblue them, you will get a darker result... and if you soak them in wd40 for about 24hours, it will mostly kill the smell...

i am thinking about trying some penetrating oil on those.
jeffe

I'll second the recommendation of the oxpho blue. It works very well and doesn't smell like most cold blues. I just degrease the part and then rub in the oxpho with some steel wool. I buff it oof with paper towels and repeat 2 or 3 times till it's the darkness I want. Then spray it with wd 40 and let it cure. Here's a project I touched up with oxpho blue where the bluing had been stripped by some chemical (probably blood) right down to the bare metal. You had to know where to look to find the touched up spot after using the oxpho.

Regarding the epoxy. I have used JB weld to attach a williams style ramp front sight after shortening a barrel on a .22 and it has held up well for years, but i've never tried it on a centerfire.

Weagle

I used JB weld to put a set of rifle sights on a 20 ga singl shot shotgun for my kids to use as a deer gun about 12 years ago. After about 4 years they moved up to pump guns and I take the old single along as a spare. the sights have stayed on even tough the gun has be dropped and bent the front blade.
Mike

Might come loose in real freezing weather.

quote:

Originally posted by vigillinus:
Might come loose in real freezing weather.

exactly and that's why I'd suggest a screw.

the other thing about epoxy is that they will let go in high heat (like 200 degrees) so on a centerfire that gets some shooting the barrel can easily get hot enough for the epoxy to release

Mine would pretty much be as a backup for a scope. I think it still wouldn't hurt to d&t a screw in each since this will only take 5-10 minutes.

As mentioned, my concern with epoxying an island sight is the heat involved. I think the barrel band front would be OK though.

I JB welded a scope base to a 20 guage single shot that is now a dedicated turkey gun. It has a red dot sight on it. It was a cobble-together-from-parts-on hand situation, and I had a spare aluminum 10/22 scope base so I degreased everything and scuffed the base, but not the barrel. It has held up well. I was planning on replacing it with a soldered on steel base at some point but think this will be fine. Of course we don't shoot it to where the barrel gets too hot to hold. At any rate, if this ever falls off then I'll solder one on but it doesn't look like that will be happening any time soon.

I like the appearance of T4 blue over the Oxpho, but the Oxpho is more durable. I've posted this before but I cold blue in 2 steps, first with Oxpho and then followed with T4. I like rubbing it in with a small patch of steel wool. I went from cotton to a toothbrush to steel wool to scotchbrite and now I'm kinda back at steel wool, then clean then more steel wool to bring out the shine. I don't really use heat anymore, though I like the metal at least neutral to the touch and not feel cold. After all is said and done then I like to get the barrel warm while doing the final oiling.

quote:

epoxy works on barrel bands, will it work on sights?

It sure will! I had the soldered-on rear scope mount base (claw mounts) pop off an old German double rifle, and I epoxied it back on with Brownell's Acraglas Gel. That was in 1987, and it has not moved since!

I'd do a drill and tap for a 6-48 screw(or 2 screws) besides the epoxy. Cold and/or hot can pop the bond. The level idea works good for setting up iron sights-I use something like a line level-only about 3" long. Oxpho blue is the king of cold blues, too!

Also, in regards to setting up the fore-aft line for sight placement this is how I do it-

Clamp the action down so it doesn't move, then use a caliper on the muzzle to find the diameter and then I have a little 6" machinist rule that I can measure 1/2 the distance. You can double check by measuring first from one leg of the caliper and then the other to make sure you have the center. Mark it with a fine tip sharpie or a .05mm automatic pencil.

Now do the same thing at the breech end of the barrel, and connect the two marks. Now here is the thing- take your time laying out the straight edge between these 2 marks! I like to use a metal 36" rule but I think a wood one would be fine too as long as you make sure it is not bowed or warped (hold it against a piece of plate glass to check). Brace, shim, and clamp the rule and then make your marks. Clamping really helps everything and will take only a few extra minutes, and if you make the mental committment beforehand to do it then you will know nothing has moved while you were making your marks.

For me, it takes longer to clean off my bench than to do the layout and then you will know it was done accurately.

I have used epoxy on all kinds of gun stuff. I there is a chance of it falling off during use I like to use a screw all so. It makes a great filler for some ill fitting parts. Like scope bases and the like . But becarefull about getting it hot.

I used Acra Glass to install sights on my 12 ga. turkey gun. Defined the sight installation and roughed up the inside of the outlined areas on the gun and also the mating surfaces of the sights. No problems to date.