.44 FLATTOP FRONT SIGHT NEEDS REPAIR

[OMHUNTER]

I JUST GOT AN OLD FLATTOP, ABOUT 1958, iT IS A SHOOTER FOR SURE. CYLINDER HAS BEEN CHANGED, CONVERSION DONE AND REBLUED. SOMEONE GROUND THE FRONT SIGHT DOWN, I GUESS THEY WERE DOING LONG RANGE SHOOTING, ANYWAY iIT SHOOTS ABOUT A FOOT HIGH AT 25 YARDS. WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR RUGER TO PUT ANOTHER SIGHT ON IT OR SHOULD I SEND IT TO A GUNSMITH?
I DON'T WANT IT REBLUED AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD NEED TO BE BLUED AFTER A NEW SIGHT IS SOLDERED ON. WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST ?
i WOULD LIKE TO POST A PICTURE BUT DON'T KNOW HOW.
THANKS,
KEN

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum Ken!
Ok, first, remove the "caps" & type in normal letters. Using all caps is usually considered "shouting!"

Now, as for the OM Flattop. It sounds as if someone has already removed any possibility of it being a collectable. (Unless it has something unusual about it.) Any good gunsmith can install a proper sight on it. However, it will need reblueing due to doing the proper repairs for it to look right.

As for posting pics, go to the "Gallery" and read the "sticky" at the top of the page. It gives an excellent tutorial on how to post pics.

 

[flatgate]

Your Ruger can be fixed w/o a ton of work if you have a skilled machinist nearby.

Bowen has published the procedure.

Plunge cut a proper width (Bowen sells the proper front sight blade blank.) slot in the existing front sight blade/base. A little bit of math and some "steady shooting" will get one the proper height needed.

I believe Mr. Bowen's web site, with some digging, will reveal the procedure which will eliminate trying to understanding my poor attempt at outlining the job..........

flatgate

 

[OMHUNTER]

 

[OMHUNTER]

Flatgate,
I thought about having a dovetail cut into the existing front sight and putting in a riser with a vertical face like a target sight. That would eliminate having to solder and reblue. I will look up the Bowen sight and try to find a gunsmith to do it that way.
I tried the photobucket trick but I cannot get it to post. If you could see the gun you would see there is plenty of front sight left to do that work.
Someone only filed off about 1/8 inch of the ramp ftront sight.
Thank to you and contender ( I quit shouting).
Ken

 

[OMHUNTER]

Flatgate,
I thought about having a dovetail cut into the existing front sight and putting in a riser with a vertical face like a target sight. That would eliminate having to solder and reblue. I will look up the Bowen sight and try to find a gunsmith to do it that way.
I tried the photobucket trick but I cannot get it to post. If you could see the gun you would see there is plenty of front sight left to do that work.
Someone only filed off about 1/8 inch of the ramp ftront sight.
Thank to you and contender ( I quit shouting).
Ken

 

[targetshootr]

One of mine was filed down so I dovetailed the blade and JB Welded it. So far so good.

 

[contender]

Ken, Flatgate offered an idea I wasn't thinking about. It is a good alternative to a welding & reblue option.
And no worries about the shouting, you aren't the first, nor will you be the last! :D
And targetshootr has thrown out another option as well.

 

[tek4260]

You can also pin and solder a piece of 1/8" key stock on top.

But after doing it, I will be pinning and building up Labmetal like targetshootr did with JB if I ever need to do another.

 

[OMHUNTER]

Thanks for the replies. Target Shooter and Tec4260's front sights are exactly the profile I would like.
I will let you know how I get it done,
Still cannot post pics. cannot get it from bucket to the forum.
Ken[/url]

 

[Rclark]

Still cannot post pics. cannot get it from bucket to the forum.

In photobucket, pass your cursor over the picture. It should pop up with a little dialog with an 'IMG code' at the bottom of the dialog. Click on the link and and it should say 'copied'. Then, just paste contents into your comment with a <cntl>v. Done! If you click on the picture you go to the full picture page. On the right you see a box labeled 'Links'. Same instructions as given above.