Front sight options for chopped LE?

Suther

Suther

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
27   0   0
Location
Fraser Valley
So i have a sporter No.I mkIII from 1918 that I want to cut the barrel on. It currently has an uncut barrel, but the receiver was modified by a previous owner so its not a candidate for a restoration. I figure a 19 or 20" barrel will make it handier (I want it to be my bush rifle).

My problem is I have no idea what to do about a front sight once it's done. As i am sure many around here have dabbled in this sort of thing, what are my options?
 
Maybe consider selling it and buying a sporterized rifle.
Someone may really like to get an uncut barrel for a restoration.

Why add to the "cut barrel" barrel.
 
oldstarfire said:
Maybe consider selling it and buying a sporterized rifle.
Someone may really like to get an uncut barrel for a restoration.

Why add to the "cut barrel" barrel.
Click to expand...

Its not really worth enough to sell just to buy another. I don't think demand for just a barrel is very high, as I've seen quite a few barreled actions for $100ish on the EE - and this gun doesn't have a usable receiver for a restoration, nor the wood, ect.

Plus, i bought this gun for cheap ($142 shipped to my door) so if i bugger it up chopping the barrel then I'm not out a lot of money. I want to do it myself, I consider myself pretty handy and take great pride in successfully completing a project such as this.
 
Butcherbill said:
Have you thought of using a front sight from a no.4 le? Someone here used one on a cut Mosin barrel, you might get lucky and it will fit the barrel dial when cut.
Click to expand...

I haven't thought of anything, pretty much. I know I want to chop, and i know i want to keep iron sights on it. That's about as far as I've gotten...
 
A gunsmith could drill and tap the barrel and install a sporting ramp for a front sight. Including the parts, cutting and crowning, this would scare $150.
The banded front sight base could be shifted back, but its ID would have to be adjusted. It could be soldered in place. Note that at present it is keyed and pinned in place.
A No. 4 sight base mounts with lugs. I suppose one could be adapted, diameter adjusted as need, and soldered.
If the bore is really crisp, your barrel would be of interest to a rebuilder. Selling yours and getting one already cut, crowned and with sight installed could make sense.
 
tiriaq said:
A gunsmith could drill and tap the barrel and install a sporting ramp for a front sight. Including the parts, cutting and crowning, this would scare $150.
The banded front sight base could be shifted back, but its ID would have to be adjusted. It could be soldered in place. Note that at present it is keyed and pinned in place.
A No. 4 sight base mounts with lugs. I suppose one could be adapted, diameter adjusted as need, and soldered.
If the bore is really crisp, your barrel would be of interest to a rebuilder. Selling yours and getting one already cut, crowned and with sight installed could make sense.
Click to expand...

The bore is decent but it's not amazing or anything. I don't want to pay a gunsmith for any work. I want to do this myself if at all possible.
 
Well, you can cut, file and polish, and use a brass round head screw and valve grinding compound to finish the crown. Then you have the choice of installing a sporting ramp and sight or adapting a banded front sight. Sometimes it is better to install the new front sight before cutting. You can get it lined up using the original as a reference.
 
tiriaq said:
Well, you can cut, file and polish, and use a brass round head screw and valve grinding compound to finish the crown. Then you have the choice of installing a sporting ramp and sight or adapting a banded front sight. Sometimes it is better to install the new front sight before cutting. You can get it lined up using the original as a reference.
Click to expand...

Yah i understand the process for cutting/crowning the barrel. I'm lost on the whole front sight business though
 
Because I have a lathe, I turned the barrel down at the muzzle to the right diameter and used the original sight. This was on a No. 1 I have.
 
If you want, i have a few sporter no1 barrles. I could cut one to 20" and turn the end down to 14.5mm so you can install a factory no1 front sight. I just did this 2 weeks ago. You ship the barrel to me when i get trcking id ship the sporter barrel to you.... just an option. Or i could dril and tap and install a ramp.. in the hunting and sporting arms section you can see pics of what im talking about in a thread called " my LE (32 carbine) squrrel gun" it may be on the second page now.
 
Evanguy said:
If you want, i have a few sporter no1 barrles. I could cut one to 20" and turn the end down to 14.5mm so you can install a factory no1 front sight. I just did this 2 weeks ago. You ship the barrel to me when i get trcking id ship the sporter barrel to you.... just an option. Or i could dril and tap and install a ramp.. in the hunting and sporting arms section you can see pics of what im talking about in a thread called " my LE (32 carbine) squrrel gun" it may be on the second page now.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, but I want to do this one on my own. I've been toying with the idea for some time, and have decided it'll be a good project for me over the summer, between spring bear and fall deer seasons. If I fkk it up you might get a PM from me about purchasing one though lol
 
I put together a Sht.LE truck gun from spare bits and pieces working with what I had on hand.

It aint pretty, but it is very functional. This is a pic of the military Sht.LE front sight base with the barrel sleeve cut off. It is soldered onto a cut down barrel.
IMG_3035.jpg
The commercial sight blade insert was in a box of .22 bits, the dovetail fit the block and so sighting can be adjusted for windage.

Using the Sht.LE rear sight, one would need quite a tall front sight to work. Not the best application for a dovetailed sight blade directly into the barrel, the insert would need to be tall and ungainly.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3035.jpg
    IMG_3035.jpg
    54.3 KB · Views: 71
Last edited:
englishman_ca said:
I put together a Sht.LE truck gun from spare bits and pieces working with what I had on hand.

It aint pretty, but it is very functional. This is a pic of the military Sht.LE front sight base with the barrel sleeve cut off. It is soldered onto a cut down barrel.
View attachment 100242
The commercial sight blade insert was in a box of .22 bits, the dovetail fit the block and so sighting can be adjusted for windage.

Using the Sht.LE rear sight, one would need quite a tall front sight to work. Not the best application for a dovetailed sight blade directly into the barrel, the insert would need to be tall and ungainly.
Click to expand...

What kind of solder did you use? How secure is it? Any worries about it coming off if you drop it or knock it off a tree or anything? I won't be babying this rifle when Im out and about with it...
 
You can make a sight block from metal 3/4'' thick, 7/8'' wide and 1 1/4''tall. Draw a circle 7/8 Dia, the center 7/16'' from one end. On the other end have a flat 1/2'' and connect that to the 7/8'' circle. Drill a hole through the center little smaller than barrel Dia. Cut a dovetail on the top, make and slide sight blade in, fit the whole assembly on the barrel and pin it.
 
I make banded front sight ramps as follows:
Take a thin walled tube that will just start onto the barrel. Drive it on a short distance. Tap around the circumference to expand the tube. Drive it on further. Repeat until the tube is a couple of inches onto the barrel. Solder a front sight ramp to the tube. Cut away most of the tube, leaving a band under the dovetail. Drill and tap for a lock screw under the dovetail. Cleanup and cold blue. Done carefully the results look professional.
 
The underside of my sight base has been filed perfectly flat and square. There is a corresponding flat notch filed into the top surface of the barrel in the horizontal plane. The sight base is hand fitted good and snug in the notch. I use soft solder, 50/50 tin/lead and borax as my flux.
The secret to having a strong solder joint is well fitting surfaces with as large an area of contact as possible. Hence the prep of square and flat surfaces. A thin solder joint is strongest.

That puppy is on there good. I have never wiped one off the barrel, yet. I have bounced my barrel off rocks and trees and it gets bounced around behind the seat of my truck and on ATV. Of course, one has to be careful with the sight to a certain extent, but the sight insert would be the vulnerable part to damage or being knocked out of adjustment, not the soldered on base.
 
Last edited:
You mention cutting back the length of the barrel to 19 or 20 inches.

The 'magic' length for the harmonics of a Sht.LE barrel in a sporter seems to be around 21 inches.

Cavalry carbines have a very similar barrel with regards to diameter and taper, they are 20-3/4 inches long.

Lee Speed sporters could be ordered with any length, but the catalog listed many of them them with 21 inch barrels.
inch barrel.

Just saying.

I have a bush gun with an 18-1/4 inch long barrel. It is loud and has an impressive muzzle flash at night!
Perfect for dogging deer where snap shots are taken close up and personal in heavy bush.
IMG_0575.jpg

This is the same one that has the soldered front sight ramp that I show.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0575.jpg
    IMG_0575.jpg
    35 KB · Views: 42
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom