Attaching bead base to shotgun barrel - tips/techniques?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff, CA
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J

Jeff, CA

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I want to replace a screw-in bead sight with a bead base, to raise the bead a little and bring the point of impact down. The base I plan to use has no screw holes, so it seems like it has to be soldered. The gun is a M590 with the parkerized finish.

Should I leave this to a pro, or can I do it myself? How would I do it? Will the heat of soldering ruin the finish? How big an area of finish will be affected? Are there any alternatives to soldering? Thanks.
 
I was hoping a real gunsmith would answer but even though I’m not one, I’ll tell you what I know. Soldering is not hard but your gun barrel is not the place to learn it. You can get the base soldered on but the problem will be solder runs to areas you did not intend. If it is a utility sort of gun it would be fine but if it were a gun where the appearance matters to you I would take it to a smith. If you want to try it yourself I would get some pipe or something similar to a barrel and practice first. You will also need to get past the finish to solder. Good luck.
 
Jeff, it isn't difficult to solder a sight on. But you really should take it to your local smith. I wouldn't think anyone would charge more than $25 or $30 to do this for you and the money paid is worth it. You'll probably pay more than that for the clamp, torch, solder, etc. George
 
George - How would it affect the finish? I mean in the visible area around the base, not under it.
 
Jeff, it really depends on how much heat you use. Sometimes using a product like Swifts 95 or a low heat solder the barrel will discolor but it more or less wipes off. If you silver solder you will definitely discolor the barrel and it will need bluing. Something I would probably attempt first is a good epoxy like Acra Glass. George
 
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