Fixing a loose MKll rear adjustable sight

[Cholo]

I have a bought new MKll Competition. I went from iron sights, to a scope and then a red dot that fit in the dovetail. I removed the red dot with quite a bit of plastic hammer tapping. I then put the Ruger rear sight back in and it's a loose fit now. This is going to change, but all I had to tighten down the top screw was a jeweler's screwdriver where I really can't get it as tight as I need it. 2 shots and it would loosen the screw and the sight would move. I have an old Brownell's Magna-Tip screwdriver set I really like, but it doesn't contain bits small enough for Ruger's adj. sights.

When I bought the gun the sights were dead on and didn't need a single click adj. I want it back in the exact same place so the sight leaf is centered. This means I need to have a tighter fit, tap it gently to get it centered and then put some blue Loctite on the small screw threads.

I've read in the past to put a few dimples in the sight base with a punch. I don't want to do anything before consulting with our members who know more about these things than I do as there may be an easier way.

Also, is blue Permatex threadlocker the equivilant of blue Loctite?

Thanks in advance...

 

[contender]

One thing that might help would be to use a brass mallet to gently tap the top sharp edges of the dovetail to compress them down a little into the dovetail groove. Next,, a small punch,, tapping a few 'diviots" in the bottom of the reciever's dovetail groove will raise a little metal to help tighten up a loose base. If you don't want to dimple the reciever,, you can disassemble the rear sight, and flip the base over & dimple it. Reassemble it,, and then install it.
I rarely use loctite so I'm no help there.

 

[Cholo]

Great tips Contender, thanks for responding! Before I go to punching it, I got it centered the best I could and put some of the blue threadlocker on the screw. I'll see if it holds up tomorrow at the range. I just want it to be dead on because I'm putting the scope back on it. If I take it off, I don't want to be sighting it in again.

Maybe Brownell's has a blue allen head set screw where I can crank it down better. If threadlocker doesn't do the trick, I'm still open to suggestions other than using a punch. I need to get one of those hammers that are brass on one side and hard plastic in the other. That is if they even make one :wink:

 

[rugerguy]

the "dimples" are NOT on the base of the sight body ,but on the 'flat' of the dovetail, in the receiver, just a few and will 'raise' up enough material to make things VERY snug again........keep them towards the middle, NOWHERE near the outside edges......neatness counts 8)

 

[Cholo]

Thanks Dan! So I don't mess with the sight at all, just a few dimples towards the middle of the receiver in the dovetail. That's easy enough. I appreciate both your and Contender's input. I've heard that's the way to go, just didn't know whether to do it to the sight or receiver.

 

[RICHGCOOP]

Some thing no one sad is All ways put the sight in and out from the right side of the gun.
The sight is tapered, If you go the other way it will make the dovetale louse.

 

[Cholo]

Thanks RICHGCOOP, I always err on the side of caution and remove/install sights from the right side. Not a bad thing to be reminded from time to time. Even if it doesn't matter, no reason not to do it as you said.

 

[contender]

Dan,, I agree that you should put the dimples on the reciever,, but for the folks who don't want to put them there,, they can put them on the sight base,, even though it'll be softer,,,!

 

[Cholo]

So I got my punches and hammer, good to go right? Seems the Permatex blue threadlocker works pretty good. I couldn't budge the small screw with my high quality jeweler's screwdriver. You just can't get the torque with them. I need a bigger boat! Brownell's is out of their $300 master set and it's made for a work bench, not the range.

A man can never have enough tools to get the job done right...