Lee endfield front sight wobble

[fightinghamster]

I’ve got a no1 mk3 enfield that some one cut the barrel down to 18.5 inches on at some point in its life, recently I pulled the front sight off to replace the missing barrel band and after I put it back on it moves side to side, it doesn’t do it unless something touches it and it only moves a little, any ideas for a solution to this problem? The pin is in the sight and this is a 180$ garbage rod I’m just playing around with so I’m not expecting much out of it

 

[Arcosdad]

I had the same issue with a cut down one. I shimmed it in the center (clumsily) then shot it to check center. Once correct position was verified, I just glued it in place.

 

[Butcherbill]

Blue loctite or something similar would be my first thought.

 

[OkayShooter]

Take the front post off, D&T the base for a setscrew. I also would add a shim to tighten it.

My K98 front sight base. There was a set screw under the front sight. so I just JB welded and used the setscrew after the barrel was changed.

 

[fightinghamster]

Blue loctite or something similar would be my first thought.

I’ll probably try this first, I’d like to be able to take it off later on incase I want to thread the barrel

 

[Butcherbill]

I’ll probably try this first, I’d like to be able to take it off later on incase I want to thread the barrel

Is the pin and cross slot the problem or is the movement on the sight base hole itself, if the cross slot is too loose you could always redrill it up a size and make a bigger dia pin from something once you loctite it in the correct spot.

 

[fightinghamster]

Is the pin and cross slot the problem or is the movement on the sight base hole itself, if the cross slot is too loose you could always redrill it up a size and make a bigger dia pin from something once you loctite it in the correct spot.

Cross slot is definitely too big and probably made on the wrong angle, with the cross pin in and the sight rotated as far to the left as it goes it’s perfectly inline with the rear sight, with the pin still in it will rotate about 30 degrees to the right

 

[bearhunter]

Go to the Dollar Store and shell out $1.25 for a small dual squeeze kit of compound, which when applied properly will fill the gaps and hold everything in place for the next century.

That rifle may shoot very well, cut down or not. You purchased it for less than the price of its components. Just because you got very good value for your dollars, doesn't mean the firearm is junk.

I would be more worried about muzzle blast than anything else. It's going to make a No5 appear tame when full power loads are utilized.

 

[fightinghamster]

Go to the Dollar Store and shell out $1.25 for a small dual squeeze kit of compound, which when applied properly will fill the gaps and hold everything in place for the next century.

That rifle may shoot very well, cut down or not. You purchased it for less than the price of its components. Just because you got very good value for your dollars, doesn't mean the firearm is junk.

I would be more worried about muzzle blast than anything else. It's going to make a No5 appear tame when full power loads are utilized.

Hence the desire to take the sight off later and thread the barrel for a flash hider/comp lol

 

[woodchopper]

so the slot is improperly cut in the barrel for the key.

perhaps JB Weld the whole thing and then when cured reprofile and recut the keyway

reinstall all the bits

 

[fightinghamster]

so the slot is improperly cut in the barrel for the key.

perhaps JB Weld the whole thing and then when cured reprofile and recut the keyway

reinstall all the bits

I was thinking about doing that also if the loctite doesn’t work

 

[Canuck65]

I’ve got a no1 mk3 enfield that some one cut the barrel down to 18.5 inches on at some point in its life, recently I pulled the front sight off to replace the missing barrel band and after I put it back on it moves side to side, it doesn’t do it unless something touches it and it only moves a little, any ideas for a solution to this problem? The pin is in the sight and this is a 180$ garbage rod I’m just playing around with so I’m not expecting much out of it

A shim should be all you need to tighten it.

 

[tacoman]

Remove sight, take a sharp nose punch and put about three “dimples” in the dovetail , replace sight, should be snug.

 

[RRH.01]

Remove sight, take a sharp nose punch and put about three “dimples” in the dovetail , replace sight, should be snug.

Would be the easiest I’d think, holds op rod guides in place just fine, you’d think it would hold

 

[tacoman]

I have used this method many times and it tightens up the sight very well .

 

[RRCo.]

Hi temp Loctite should take care of that. The problem is there is no slot for the little square key that goes under the foresight block. An improvised replacement would be to file a flat on the top of the barrel where the block will rest. Then use the old muzzle that was cut off and still has the slot to hold the key while you file it down so that it is just deep enough to bear against the flat you filed.

 

[fightinghamster]

Hi temp Loctite should take care of that. The problem is there is no slot for the little square key that goes under the foresight block. An improvised replacement would be to file a flat on the top of the barrel where the block will rest. Then use the old muzzle that was cut off and still has the slot to hold the key while you file it down so that it is just deep enough to bear against the flat you filed.

It’s got a slot cut in for the pin I think it’s too big, I don’t have the cut off section of barrel, it was done long ago and I only took the fsb off to replace a missing barrel ring

 

[bearhunter]

Remove sight, take a sharp nose punch and put about three “dimples” in the dovetail , replace sight, should be snug.

I believe the OP is referring to the "whole" sight assembly, not just the dovetail slot.

 

[RRCo.]

I believe the OP is referring to the "whole" sight assembly, not just the dovetail slot.

Just a straight key slot isn't it? I had one apart a few days ago.

My idea was that the OP could just file a small flat on top of the barrel, taking care to make sure it is level and parallel to the backsight leaf. You do that by clamping the barreled action in soft jaws and putting a small level across the backisght leat and getting it set level in the vise. File your flat with a string level or whatever you've got laid on top of the file to keep it level.

Then file down the little straight key until with the key inserted into the slot in the inside of the foresight block, he can push the block onto the barrel such that the key is pressing firmly against the filed flat on the top of the barrel. It's either file and fit, file and fit or measure it up with outside and inside mics.

OP: if you're going to Loctite it you can use the same two level trick to get the sides of the foresight block at right angles to the backsight leaf before the glue sets.

 

[bearhunter]

Yes, but the barrel has been cut back to 18 inches and the military front sight assembly was reinstalled. As often happens, dimensions were sloppy and the whole assembly wiggles a bit.