Help removing a stuck foresight

[Wm.Traynor]

I have never known anything like it
The foresight of one of my rifles will not budge. It was clamped vertically at the muzzle, between two pieces of wood. I am hitting a brass rod with a fair sort of Chinese hammer and all it does is rotate. And my good drift is bent.

Thinking of hacksawing it until it falls out in bits. Would be quicker and cheaper than a 'smith. This one has defeated me
Anyone got any ideas

[Heckler303]

I have never known anything like it
The foresight of one of my rifles will not budge. It was clamped vertically at the muzzle, between two pieces of wood. I am hitting a brass rod with a fair sort of Chinese hammer and all it does is rotate. And my good drift is bent.

Thinking of hacksawing it until it falls out in bits. Would be quicker and cheaper than a 'smith. This one has defeated me
Anyone got any ideas

You could try blowing a hot air gun over it then smacking it again.


Try getting a hole punch and a good hammer too.

[TheDude]

Is the dovetail tappered at all? Or maybe hit it with a little penetrating oil/heat in case there is some crud built up around it that's binding it up

[brett1868]

WD40 (oil), Heat or maybe a bigger hammer

[tom604]

try hitting it the other way, you may be making it tighter

[Varmtr]

Picture may help

[Wm.Traynor]

try hitting it the other way, you may be making it tighter

Believe me, that quirky thought did occur to me and I did try it but not for long Hitting it from left to right as you face the butt has been the "correct" way however and is how this one has been approached.
Overnight, penetrating oil has been soaking in. There is a hair dryer available but if that fails I have something really Hi-Tech; a Dremel

As for pics, you are looking at a severely challenged Luddite here boyzngirlz but I will work on that too. Seriously though, it is amazing how people breeze through those procedures that confuse the living daylights outta me

[<<Genesis93>>]

Please remove the hammer from the vicinity of the firearm

Then find someone who can take a picture and post or OR tell us the make model and whether this is a modded unit.

I reiterate.... remove the hammer, chinese or not

[Wm.Traynor]

It's out at last. Will post a pic when I find out how to downsize.

Thanks for all your replies

[TheDude]

It's out at last. Will post a pic when I find out how to downsize.

Thanks for all your replies

Bigger hammer?

[Wm.Traynor]

It's out at last. Will post a pic when I find out how to downsize.

Thanks for all your replies

Bigger hammer?

No. Lube did not work. Applied the tip of a half inch soldering iron for 5 minutes without success. Hacksaw And Dremel worked. I always knew it would.
Putting the replacement in was a performance too. Got about half-way before quitting. Gave the bottom of the new sight two strokes each in both directions on a single cut file. Got about three quarters of the way and reversed out. Cunningly, I gave it One stroke in both directions on the file and am now very close. Cleaned up the burrs on the dovetails too and applied moly grease to the dovetail in the barrel and on the sight.

Will need to consult my GF about shrinking pics. This could take a while. Stay tuned

[huccl]

The Dremel solves all

[Wm.Traynor]

Here it is. Sight removed, scar remaining.

[Oldbloke]

WD40 (oil), Heat or maybe a bigger hammer

A bloke I knew did that 30 yrs ago trying to get a rear brake drum off a truck to check the linings.. As it happened he had left the hand brake was on and he smashed the brake drum. Smart dude.

[Wm.Traynor]

As for the bigger hammer idea, I cannot imagine what kind of force they used to install the sight initially. I don't know Exactly How they did it either but it is a wonder to me that the barrel is not bent.

[Ariat]

Applied the tip of a half inch soldering iron for 5 minutes without success.

You'd have needed to soak the thing in flame.

A disposable butane torch etc. from Bunnings.

[Homer]

G'Day Fella's,

Wm Traynor, generally, the female dovetail has a slight taper in it.
For installation (with the muzzle facing Away from you), you insert it from the Right to Left.
For removal, you tap it out from Left to Right.

A bit late but...............

Doh!
Homer

[Noisydad]

Good that you beat it eventually it's always satisfying.
In forty years of vintage engine restoration you wouldn't believe the stuck and busted stuff I've dealt with! There's ALWAYS a way to beat it! I usually console myself by saying "well it's already FUBAR and I can't make it any worse than it already is". Mostly all the that's needed is a bigger hammer swung the right way.

[Wm.Traynor]

The foresight wasn't the only drama with this rifle but I can't remember where the relevant post is. However, yesterday's trip to the range was fruitful in an unexpected way. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment folks