Sharps40
Old Mossy Horns
Dovetailing the front sight is as you've seen before. Ususally the dovetails are .1" or less deep and the Blackhawk .357 barrel is plenty thick for a dovetail.
Jig in place and squared with the frame, hacksaw, file and otherwise remove the metal layed out by the jig. Remember, the jig makes a dovetail a bit too small for a .375 sight base....that's intended. You file in a slight lead on the sight base and finish up the dovetail with a safe sided file that allows for a tight push fit 1/3 of the way and drift or sight pusher to fully seat the sight. Some folks piss and moan that the jig doesn't cut the right size dovetail....they gotta learn to use it. Cut small, fit tight, right the first try.
If you were careful with the leveling and the layout and filing, you wind up with a nice clean dovetail that is going to give you a straight up and down sight blade out front.
Clean up the sight undercuts with a safe sided file until the gib lock is a slightly snug tap in fit....center up the gib lock in the dovetail. A good dovetail has razor sharp edges. As evidenced by the blood and the smooth but snug fit of the giblock, this is a good dovetail. I'll break those sharp edges later before bluing.
Test fit the ramp in the giblock and its wiggly, the screw is about a thread and a half too long. To get a nice square cut on a short screw that won't need any chamfering to enter the gib lock again, simply clamp gently in a wiring plyers and knock off the unwanted thread with a single cut bastage file.
Jig in place and squared with the frame, hacksaw, file and otherwise remove the metal layed out by the jig. Remember, the jig makes a dovetail a bit too small for a .375 sight base....that's intended. You file in a slight lead on the sight base and finish up the dovetail with a safe sided file that allows for a tight push fit 1/3 of the way and drift or sight pusher to fully seat the sight. Some folks piss and moan that the jig doesn't cut the right size dovetail....they gotta learn to use it. Cut small, fit tight, right the first try.
If you were careful with the leveling and the layout and filing, you wind up with a nice clean dovetail that is going to give you a straight up and down sight blade out front.
Clean up the sight undercuts with a safe sided file until the gib lock is a slightly snug tap in fit....center up the gib lock in the dovetail. A good dovetail has razor sharp edges. As evidenced by the blood and the smooth but snug fit of the giblock, this is a good dovetail. I'll break those sharp edges later before bluing.
Test fit the ramp in the giblock and its wiggly, the screw is about a thread and a half too long. To get a nice square cut on a short screw that won't need any chamfering to enter the gib lock again, simply clamp gently in a wiring plyers and knock off the unwanted thread with a single cut bastage file.
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