I have a commercial Blued Browning H.P. that has dovetailed, "drift adjustable" front and rear sights. It shoots about four inches to the left at fifty feet (my standard target distance). I have tried drifting the rear with a brass punch and small ball pein hammer and when it would not budge, tried the front sight with no more success than I had with the rear. What gives? Did Browning loctite those dovetailed sights or what?
"Drift adjustable", my foot!
- Thread starter dahermit
- Start date
Hit harder and tape the crap out of it in the process. Or find someone with a sight pusher. Or buy a sight pusher if you really plan to keep it a long time. There are some universal ones that are passable from what I've seen. Honestly the degree to which it makes your life easier is amazing.
A penetrating oil, and some time for it to work can do wonders.
Other option is the specific application of heat. Done right, it will expand the dovetail and allow the sight to be moved. Done wrong, and its easy to do wrong you can damage the gun. IF penetrating oil won't do it, pay a professional. That way, if they screw it up, they are liable for the repair cost.
Other option is the specific application of heat. Done right, it will expand the dovetail and allow the sight to be moved. Done wrong, and its easy to do wrong you can damage the gun. IF penetrating oil won't do it, pay a professional. That way, if they screw it up, they are liable for the repair cost.
NoSecondBest
New member
The gun needs to be sitting on a hard surface. NO, I don't mean concrete. I mean it needs to be sitting on a hard wood block on top of a surface that doesn't have any bounce to it. You also have to hit it very hard sometimes to get it to move. I've moved dozens of them over the years this way and they will all move if you hit them hard enough on a surface that doesn't absorb the energy of the blow. Don't "tap" it over, HIT that sucker! It'll move, I promise.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
It seems many manufacturers are using red Loctite under the rear sights these days. Red Loctite is the one that needs heat to soften it. 
First step,by depth mic or dial indicator or whatever means you can come up with,get a base line measurement of where your rear sight is,probably from the flat side of the slide.
Measure the sight radius.In inches. 25 yds is 900 inches.Divide your sight radius,in inches,into 900.The results will give you the multiplier of your sight movement. Just for example,if your sight radius is 6 in ,your multiplier is 150.
Now,if you want to move the group 3 in at 25 yds with a 6 in sight radius,divide 3 in by 150,and you get .020 in.
I suggest by knowing all this it is not trial and error.You should only have to do it once.
Measure the sight radius.In inches. 25 yds is 900 inches.Divide your sight radius,in inches,into 900.The results will give you the multiplier of your sight movement. Just for example,if your sight radius is 6 in ,your multiplier is 150.
Now,if you want to move the group 3 in at 25 yds with a 6 in sight radius,divide 3 in by 150,and you get .020 in.
I suggest by knowing all this it is not trial and error.You should only have to do it once.
Like someone else mentioned, get a good sight pusher. Here is the one I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Engineering-Armorers-Handgun-Sight/dp/B01B3NU0U2
If you continue to beat on it, you will either mar up your firearm, break the sight or just flatten our your brass punch. I bought the above sight pusher since there was a sight on a Sig Sauer I could not punch off. It is on the expensive side, but you will have it for years. Besides, night sites do loose their glow and you have to replace them from time to time.
https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Engineering-Armorers-Handgun-Sight/dp/B01B3NU0U2
If you continue to beat on it, you will either mar up your firearm, break the sight or just flatten our your brass punch. I bought the above sight pusher since there was a sight on a Sig Sauer I could not punch off. It is on the expensive side, but you will have it for years. Besides, night sites do loose their glow and you have to replace them from time to time.
g.willikers
New member
Gun cleaning solvents will usually soften even the red loctite.
But work quickly as it will rebind again as soon as it dries.
And make danged sure the loctite doesn't run into other parts.
But work quickly as it will rebind again as soon as it dries.
And make danged sure the loctite doesn't run into other parts.
The best sight pusher I have ever used is a drill press. Lock the slide (with leather wrapped around it to protect the finish) in a drill press vise, use a piece of steel rod that bottoms out in the chuck, and grind the working end to match the sight channel. Then use the press to push the sights.
BTW. don't turn it on, in case you were wondering
Only sight pusher I've ever owned..........
At 73 years of age, I will not have anything for years ...I don't even buy green bananas anymore. That expensive sight pusher would only be used on the Browning and not likely ever be used again, so it seems way too expensive for a non-gunsmith with limited expectation of use. Also, the Browning does not have night sights...it has two vertical white lines on the rear which I assume are painted...another reason I do not want to apply heat. I am afraid that heat will burn the white paint even though it would take way more heat to damage the blueing.
Don't count yourself out yet Dahermit!
Look what happened to this guy who tried to count out a 90 year old gal in Paris.
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/29/world/a-120-year-lease-on-life-outlasts-apartment-heir.html
Not that it matters but Andre-Francois Raffray was a lawyer.