Silver Solder Front Sight

sportee

sportee

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Im thinking of attempting a solder job on an old barrel. The muzzle is completely shot and needs to be chopped off. Just an inch or so...then re-soldering the sight - no dovetails or pinning.

Im having troubles finding any solder in town with a high percentage of silver.

The best i can do without ordering in the mail is a 98% tin, 2% silver solder. Will this do the trick? or will it be too weak for the joint?
 
Actually ths stuff i bought is jewlers silver solder although it has a very low silver content and the melting point is only 221C
 
98% tin, 2% silver is a good low temp silver bearing solder. Won't require a lot of heat. Make sure you have the correct flux.
 
Ths stuff i got is actually a flux cored solder. Im hoping its strong enough...I dont want the front sight coming off after a hundred or so shots.
 
You will want the sight to be a nice fit, a flat to sit on, etc. Make some kind of jig to hold it in place while it's being soldered.
 
Thats basically what i had planned...im not sure what to use for a jig setup to hold the barrel and sight though. Any suggestions or pics of a rig?
 
Some sight jigs are a sort of loop, with a screw down through from on top. Others are similar, clamp screw contacts a bar which pushes on the sight. A twist of soft iron wire can even work. It will really depend on the design of the gun. Trying to solder the sight on square while holding it with needle nose pliers is awkward. But if the sight isn't held in place, it will surely shift at the wrong moment.
 
Slivery solder

Twisted soft wire sounds just a bit unlikely to give you the adjustability you need plus the secure grip during soldering.
What about a small gear clamp (Jubilee clip, hose clamp) about a 1 inch version? They readily go out of round but the clamping force is more linear and the width of the clamp will be more stable than some wire.

Silver solder really works amazingly well. Remember the insert teeth on sawmill circular saws? That's what they used.


Cheers,

FM
 
I find twisted wire just fine for placing ribs back onto side by sides shotguns and for sights, take your time make sure everything is clean and grease free, flux then solder and you'll be OK.
 
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