Tightening Up a Front Sight Dovetail

C

ckpj99

New member
I have a Marlin 336 that I love. It shoots great, sub-1" at 50 yards. However, the front sight moves around. This is probably due to me changing out the sights for a skinner sight and then changing it back. The sight dovetails were a little jacked up before I started mucking with them, and I probably didn't help things.

My instinct is to peen the dovetail lightly so it grips the sight better. However, I imagine the more professional solution would be to add a brass shim under the front sight. This is a not a collectors item. So what would you do?

Oh, and for those of you who have been following along with my other adventures with this 30-30, I was out at the range again this past week. I pulled another ace out of the deck. 50 yards, standing, unsupported, same old open sights.

acenumbertwo.jpg
 
Last time I had that issue I peened the dovetail. It works well and you don't have
to search for the perfect shim.

Nice shooting, I see venison in your future.:)
 
If you're willing to check placement and remove the front sight you can apply a dab of green loc-tite and reinsert the front sight.
 
If it's really not all that loose, you can take a punch and dimple the unside flat area of the offending dovetail. This will raise little puckers around the holes (like craters)- and three of them should add height evenly enough to raise the sight to where it again has a tight fit. I did that to something or other, and did not want any signs of peening over the leading edges of the dovetail.
 
Dimpling the bottom of the dovetail doesn't affect the barrel exterior shape. I'd do that and add some High Strength Locktite, after cleaning the surfaces with alcohol.
 
Reasons I don't like peening the dovetail.

I bought a 1940's winchester 94 last month. After shooting it I noticed it shot 2 inches low and the rear sight was all the way up. I could have left it but the front sight wasn't original and it was wider than needed so I replaced it.

The PO peened the dovetail to the point that when I finally got it out I had to file it a bit so I could get the new sight back in. The peen was more like an obvious U shape warping the dovetail.


For me I would measure or mark where the front sight is, remove the sight, apply loc-tite and reinsert to where it was and let sit overnight.

But if you plan on owning the gun forever then just peen it if you want.
 
A friend used to tighten 1911 rear sights by holding the sight upside down and lightly hitting the bottom a couple times out on the edges. That curled the edge slightly up and forced the sight bottom down against the dovetail when installed.

He did it that way so if he messed up he only had to try another sight and didn't damage the slide with prick marks or hammering down the edges of the dovetail.
 
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