Author Topic: '60 Army Sight Question  (Read 3770 times)

Offline Fox Creek Kid

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'60 Army Sight Question
« on: November 17, 2013, 04:57:05 AM »
I have a project in mind for an early '60 Army that has not only Navy size grips, but the correct 7.5" barrel that the early ones had. Obviously, cutting off 1/2" of barrel will not remove the key slot for the front sight entirely. My plan theoretically calls for a dovetail front sight as IMO they are just plain better. As well, Colt did manufacture some percussion revolvers with factory dovetail front sights.

Now to the question:  would it be better to merely TIG weld up what is left of the front sight key slot after cutting the barrel back (and before cutting the dovetail slot, obviously) and then polish down to spec? Pettifogger, I know you've redone a million front sights so weigh in here on how you would do this?  ;)

Offline rifle

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2013, 09:11:38 AM »
Fox Creek.......Welding the slot so all of it will be gone when cutting the barrel to the length you mention is touchy to say then least.
The heat of TIG or MIG can stress relieve the welded spot and let it bulge a small amount into the bore. Not good.
It's hard to file out or lap out even a small bulge in the bore even if close enough to the muzzle. Lapping with a tight lead lap over a bulge can get rid of the bulge but widden the spot directly above/opposite it and make a loose spot. Loose spot can be tolerated as long as it's not right at the muzzle.
You'd be better off to just take a little extra off the barrel annd lessen the authenticity of your creation instead of the accuracy.
Even a dove tail cut can cause a stress relieved bulge in a barrel and the thicker the barrel walls the better but the barrel walls of a Army "60" are somewhat thin.
If you want to weld and file finish before the cut off then go to a "good welder" that can put softer steel at a lower temp just in the rear portion of the slot(the part left on the barrel when the cut takes place) and tap a steel rod tight on the lands into the bore below the weld spot and make the rod cold as possible. Frozen. Then...dip the end of the barrel within a second of the weld into cold water to as soon as possible get rid of the heat.
An old trick was to take a plug of "potatoe" and shove it in the barrel to keep the inside cool when the weld takes place....but......make real sure to clean that spot as soon as possible so the predictable rust spot from the potatoe is warded off.

When I have my welder (MIG) do a spot on the barrel I like to see him turn the current knob down some and hope a softer metal wire is being on the machine.

Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2013, 02:43:12 PM »
You're right, Wayne. I was afraid that would be the answer. Another angle would be to merely cut another key cutter slot for the new sight after filling up what's left of the old one after cutting the barrel back. Of course, that would dictate using another blade front, but that's not that big of an issue. Thanks.

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #3 on: Today at 07:00:37 AM »

Offline Blair

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2013, 03:11:44 PM »
FCK,

TIG will be your best bet to keeping the potential heat damage to a minimum.
I would suggest you do the TIG welding before you cut the bbl. to length. (one less area to clean up after the welding is done)
Just my opinion based on my past experience.
My best,
Blair
A Time for Prayer.
"In times of war and not before,
God and the soldier we adore.
But in times of peace and all things right,
God is forgotten and the soldier slighted"
by Rudyard Kipling.
Blair Taylor
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Offline Pettifogger

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2013, 04:35:46 PM »
What I have done is solder a piece of soft mild steel into the slot with Hi-Force 44 or some other strong, but relatively low melt solder.  Then I hammer it with a small ball peen hammer to make sure it totally fills the slot and then dress it down.  After you touch up the blue it is barely visible if visible at all.

Offline rifle

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2013, 07:56:29 AM »
Fox Creek,
I thunk you could get away with welding the slot first....with a cold rod in the bore that fits snug.......and dip  the barrel in water quick after the weld then.......have the new dovetail slot cut shallow as is possible not more than 1/3rd the total thickness of the barrel from outside surface to groove not to land......... know what I mean?
I've done it and had it work alright. If the stress relief bulge was in the barrel it was in a few .0001's in. instead of .001's inch.
Something like you are doing where the weld in the slot would be almost completely cut away any relief bulge would be right at the muzzle and not hurt anything like it could if the bulge was further inside. I should have thunked that one up in round one and not here in round two. ::)
Yer a tough gambler of an Hombre so........go fer it and of it messes up........just cut a lil more off so there's no weld and dovetail sorta shallow and live with it. It would be a good bet.

Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2013, 03:33:31 AM »
I'm going to mull it over for a spell.


On another note, a friend ordered a bunch of new Uberti parts (hammer, trigger & screws) for an old 1970 Uberti '61 Navy and guess what? All the parts are going back as NONE will work as the hammer screw hole has changed as have the threads. I kinda figured they had but he was adamant to try it. The old ones are insupportable unless you have a cache of old parts lying around.


Offline rifle

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Re: '60 Army Sight Question
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2013, 08:12:47 AM »
Getting a lil innovative can uually make things work. Get a screw made at a machine shop(don't say the screw is for a gun.....machine shops are afraid of makin any parts fet guns since they don't understand the rules/laws. Fit a trigger from other parts.....or make a trigger using the old one as a guide ect ect ect ect. File one out of tool steel or something. Weld on the old screw or trigger or hammer maybe........then harden the parts again.
I read that at one time the phrase used to describe a good gunsmith was,"good with the files".
Anywhoooo.......trouble with the parts and/or the parts suppliers is one reason I phased outta fixing more pistolies.
If a person does enough "Kitchen Table Gunsnithing" or "Full time Pro Gunsmithing", it's better to actually buy new guns and part them out. Cheaper in the long run. Save all the unused parts for future projects. Going to pawn shops and gun shows and pickin up any old ragged out gun of the type a person likes to work on pays off in the long run.....if the person does enough fixin......if you don't pay too much fer the ragged out guns. Collecting parts and parts guns is a whole hobby or endeaver all it's own.

 

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