Author Topic: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice  (Read 4468 times)

Offline Shotgun Franklin

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Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« on: March 04, 2014, 08:19:37 PM »
I have a nice old Uberti but last week the front sight fell off. Unlikely as it seems I found it. I tried to put it back on using JB Weld. Well, it came off again. I found it the second time too. I need advice on how to put it back on for good.
Yes, I do have more facial hair now.

Offline Michael Bear

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2014, 10:11:15 PM »
Are you hitting up the barrel as well? If you start slowly at the barrel and then add the front sight it should bond really good. Also, are you using any of those welding.powders? If no, that's what you should.get.probably or just bring it to someone who.does.this type of.work a lot. Perchaps a place.where they fix radiators. Good luck

Offline rdstrain49

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2014, 11:40:58 AM »
Had front sight of my Cattleman come of on the third shot.  Silver solder is the only way to fix it one time and one time only.  I have to admit that taking a torch to a new weapon was unsettling, but it was worth the effort.

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #3 on: Today at 12:21:38 AM »

Offline Rebel Dave

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2014, 11:54:02 AM »
Franklin
The sight should be "silver soldered" on . If you cannot do this , I suggest finding a good gunsmith. You want to get it back on in the same place it was, or else you will have windage problems when you shoot. I silver solder sights on Civil War muskets quite a bit, and it is very strong. It is a little tricky. You can get silver solder at a good hardware store, alon with the flux it needs. You will have to rough up the area under the sight to  get a good solder bond.  I use paste flux.

Clean the base of the sight. Rough it up with 320 grit sandpaer
Clean the bbl wear the sight belongs. Use 320 grit sand paper, to rough it up.
Apply paste flux top area. find something to hold the sight level on bbl. You might be able to use a small C clamp. If possible level the front sight with the rear, this will keep them in line with each other. This is the tricky part.
After all this apply the torch heat to the sight base, and put a drop of solder at the base of the sight. when the heat is right the solder will flow under the sight base, and form a strong bond.

I hope this helps, and you can understand it the way I wrote it.

Rebel Dave

Offline Pettifogger

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2014, 12:07:16 PM »
The biggest thing for any repair is the parts have to be CLEAN.  Now that you have put JB Weld on it you will have to do a really good job making sure it is all removed or you won't get a good bond with the solder.  JB Weld has been used by a lot of people to reattach front sights.  Again, the parts have to be clean and oil free first.  You might want to try cleaning off the old JB Weld, clean the slot and sight with Lacquer thinner or Acetone and try the JB Weld again.

Offline Shotgun Franklin

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2014, 08:09:09 PM »
SAA copy.

BTW, what is the difference in regular solder and silver solder?
Yes, I do have more facial hair now.

Offline Pettifogger

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2014, 09:50:45 PM »
Strength and the temperature it takes to melt it.  Regular soft solder can be melted with a soldering iron.  For silver solder you need a torch.

Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Offline Gus Walker

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2014, 12:00:27 AM »
 ;D  It might not be traditional but my 72 open top lost its front sight on the first cylinder full. I put it back on using 30,000 lb 2 part epoxy from Kmart or wal mart. Been there for three years ,hundreds of rounds and a bunch of cleaning. Still there and still tight.
Aye its been quite a ride aint it?

Offline St. George

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2014, 10:11:34 AM »
The Loctite and the Epoxy will work - but for a small silver-soldering job like this - your local jeweler can effect the repair quite easily.

They're used to working on small stuff, and many would enjoy the challenge - just take the barrel assembly with you and tell him, before you bring it into the shop.

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Offline Blair

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Re: Front Sight Fell Off, Twice
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2014, 10:47:20 AM »
St George,

That is an excellent suggestion!
They may also use a low temp silver solder witch may cause less heating problems on the parts involved.
My best,
 Blair
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