Blackhawk rear sight blade issue (3 screw)

[Roamin_Wade]

Howdy from Texas!
I bought a rear sight blade because this revolver of my step-fathers was missing the blade. The lateral screw and spring are present. The blade I bought had a little tab installed in the blade which is meant to line up with a certain spot on rear sight assembly. The only problem is that there is no relief in sight assembly. The blade can't slide in from right side because of threaded area for lateral screw. I ended up attempting to align that little tab with the blade with gentle effort with duckbill pliers, but it broke the dang thing. Every blade I see for sale has that locating tab, so what is going on here? That rear sight assembly is positively missing the relief necessary to install the blade.
Can anyone tell me what the deal is? If nothing else, I will buy another blade and them dremel the relief needed for that notch. That would be preferable to filing down that tab that keeps blade down into rear sight assembly.
Thanks in advance for helping me out with this…

 

[RoninPA]

Welcome to the forum.

It would help a whole bunch is you could completely describe your rear sight to include and markings (Ruger emblem, "MICRO", etc. and if it has a "bump" on the bottom and what shape the bump is. Also, look at both middle left and middle right sides of the sight channel to make sure there is not a cutout where you have to slide the "tab" into from the left or right and then drop the sight the rest of the way into the channel.

 

[Bruce51]

The small tab on the blade is to prevent the blade from flying out of the channel during recoil.
Older NM's did not use a tab on the sight. I had one disappear myself while shooting full power loads.
My NM was missing the blade when purchased. There was no slot present for the newer blade style. I ground off the tab.
You have a couple of options. One is to buy a new rear sight with the slot. What I did was find a tiny bearing that was placed into the sight behind the spring. With the increased tension the sight stayed in place.
BTW Brownell's sells a higher sight blade if you need some additional elevation.

Bruce

 

[Fox Mike]

I believe you will find the tab part you broke aligns into the small spring.

 

[Roamin_Wade]

Welcome to the forum.

It would help a whole bunch is you could completely describe your rear sight to include and markings (Ruger emblem, "MICRO", etc. and if it has a "bump" on the bottom and what shape the bump is. Also, look at both middle left and middle right sides of the sight channel to make sure there is not a cutout where you have to slide the "tab" into from the left or right and then drop the sight the rest of the way into the channel.

I'll remove rear sight assy when I get back home and report what I find. Thx!

 

[Roamin_Wade]

The small tab on the blade is to prevent the blade from flying out of the channel during recoil.
Older NM's did not use a tab on the sight. I had one disappear myself while shooting full power loads.
My NM was missing the blade when purchased. There was no slot present for the newer blade style. I ground off the tab.
You have a couple of options. One is to buy a new rear sight with the slot. What I did was find a tiny bearing that was placed into the sight behind the spring. With the increased tension the sight stayed in place.
BTW Brownell's sells a higher sight blade if you need some additional elevation.

Bruce

I see. So I'm not crazy. There is an era where that tab relief was not milled out for the tab. That's good to know. This model was made in '72.

I like how you used the small ball bearing to increase resistance to popping out. Thx!

 

[Roamin_Wade]

I believe you will find the tab part you broke aligns into the small spring.

It's not the tab of the blade that fits into the spring. The tab I'm referring to is a tab that makes the blade itself thicker at the base to keep it from popping out of assembly. I'm probably not being very good at describing it all.

 

[rugerguy]

the "divot" is on the bottom off the newer model blade, the "notch" is in the slot cut in the 'newer' sight body...Older models do not have either, so simply file down the "newer model"blades tip/side/flat (divot) so its flat, matches the thickness of the blade....I believe they are talking about putting a small ball bearing, in the hole ,riding on the angle of the ends of the bottom of the blade on the older models, this ball bearing has got to be slightly larger than the width of the slot so as to NOT allow the blade to "jump up and out " of the rear sight slot...........interesting concept, have never seen one, nor did one, but sounds feasible...........surprised its not on some "socialist media" as youtoob, or farce book.........

 

[Roamin_Wade]

the "divot" is on the bottom off the newer model blade, the "notch" is in the slot cut in the 'newer' sight body...Older models do not have either, so simply file down the "newer model"blades tip/side/flat (divot) so its flat, matches the thickness of the blade....I believe they are talking about putting a small ball bearing, in the hole ,riding on the angle of the ends of the bottom of the blade on the older models, this ball bearing has got to be slightly larger than the width of the slot so as to NOT allow the blade to "jump up and out " of the rear sight slot...........interesting concept, have never seen one, nor did one, but sounds feasible...........surprised its not on some "socialist media" as youtoob, or farce book.........

10-4, thx!

 

[Bruce51]

Just to make things perfectly clear the ball was placed into the hole first. Just adding some tension to the spring.
However the idea of placing a small solid angled piece against the sight angle has merit. Both increasing spring tension and wedging the sight blade to retain it below the slot. The spring is supposed to hold the blade but it does fail to do so under heavy recoil.

Bruce

 

[rugerguy]

yes, when the "points" on th e bottom of the blade are sharp ,do their job and can engage with a properly shaped coil spring (not mushed, bent or flattened out) keeping constant pressure/engagement on each end ,one for the open coil of the spring and the other in the 'slots' of the windage screw things are fine, , anything OUT of line or not properly 'engaged' this allows the blade to jump up and out of the slot in the sight body...the newer ones with the cutout and the divot keeps the blade down and in place, as it was designed to do...........

 

[Randyzzz]

I probably have a sight blade here without the bump on the bottom. Let me check later and if I do I would be glad to put it in an envelope and mail it your way. I've upgraded many of my sights to the RW Gripframes/ 2Dogs rear sight.

 

[Roamin_Wade]

Just to make things perfectly clear the ball was placed into the hole first. Just adding some tension to the spring.
However the idea of placing a small solid angled piece against the sight angle has merit. Both increasing spring tension and wedging the sight blade to retain it below the slot. The spring is supposed to hold the blade but it does fail to do so under heavy recoil.

Bruce

10-4.

 

[Roamin_Wade]

I probably have a sight blade here without the bump on the bottom. Let me check later and if I do I would be glad to put it in an envelope and mail it your way. I've upgraded many of my sights to the RW Gripframes/ 2Dogs rear sight.

Wow, No kidding, huh? That's awfully nice of you. I'll see if I can figure out how to privately message you my address.

 

[Roamin_Wade]

I probably have a sight blade here without the bump on the bottom. Let me check later and if I do I would be glad to put it in an envelope and mail it your way. I've upgraded many of my sights to the RW Gripframes/ 2Dogs rear sight.

Hmm, I'm not much good at computers. Perhaps we could text through the phone. My number is 281-222-3789.

 

[Randyzzz]

Hmm, I'm not much good at computers. Perhaps we could text through the phone. My number is 281-222-3789.

I found one without the bump. Sending a text.

 

[Randyzzz]

I found one without the bump. Sending a text.
View attachment 55826

Headed your way today with a couple springs too.

 

[Bruce51]

You are a good man Randyzzz! I'm sure your generousity is greatly appreciated.

Bruce

 

[Ruger44fan]

My method of dealing with that little tab is to simply grind it off. The nice white outline blades all have it so it is necessary to do something in order to use the white outlined blade. Be careful as you hold it and grind off just enough so it will be of uniform thickness. When installed, the portion you grind away will not show. Hope this helps.