How to fasten front sight

straightShot

New member
I have a .45 ACP Balester Molina and the front site has come loose. What is the best way to stake it down? Would some loctite do the trick and keep it secure? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

straightShot
 
there is a staking tool that works really well, If you are going to be playing around with 1911's it is worth the cost...

If you just get a smaller center punch and another person to help, it is usually possible to do it yourself without the tool. Place the sight with a dab of locktite on the shank into the mortise, have the other person hold the slide upside down and firmly against a solid steel surface that will work as an anvil. A real anvil works the best but the back of a vise, or a really solid chunk of bar stock can work too, With the sight pressed into the slide and the slide held firm place the center punch on the tab and strike it smartly with a hammer, slightly move the punch and strike it again, the idea is to strike the shank in such a way as to mushroom it out and thus prevent it from retracting back thru the mortise, You do not want to ever touch the slide with the punch, but rather to strike the tenon of the sight in such a way as to move metal away from the center and out toward the edge,
 
In most cases a sight that's loose and re-staked will come loose again. If it does become loose again you can replace it with a sight with the proper size tenon and stake it in place or you could have the slide milled for a dovetail front sight. Dovetail sights seem to hold up very well; if you go with a dovetail sight I recommend using one with a .330x65 degree base as there's a large assortment of front sights using that base.
As for staking tools it will be best to use the proper tool, you can buy one through Kings Gunworks.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
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