LF Gunsmith to push in a rear sight plate on a Ruger MK3 - preferably in Vancouver

[Joe13]

Hey y'all,

I'm in need of a gunsmith that has a little time to push in a rear sight plate on a Ruger mark 3.

I got it almost halfway with a rubber mallet but it quickly became obvious that it is tight enough that it's going to need someone with a pusher to do the work.

I'm in NW Vancouver so close is nice but available is the priority - I need it done tomorrow/Thursday and could use a good guy deal as I did not factor installation into my costs unfortunately but I am willing to pay.

If you could PM me a number I'll check my messages and get back to you as fast as I can.

Thanks!!!

Joe

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[Ginocide]

I think I can help you out. Sending a PM.

 

[Joe13]

Pics of my fun and just in case, the barrel and receiver are all one and round, plus the plate is wider then a standard sight.

 

[Joe13]

Thanks to @Ginocide for taking the time and effort to meet up with me.

Unfortunately, I still am where I was at.

If anyone knows a trick to keep a tube from spinning on a square pusher I sure would like to hear it.

I'll call around tomorrow and see if I can find a smith that both knows the trick and has the time or I'm going to be at a shoot with a P22 instead of a MK 3 lmao.

 

[Koda]

If anyone knows a trick to keep a tube from spinning on a square pusher I sure would like to hear it.

put a piece of leather on each side of the receiver then clamp in the pusher.

 

[Nosferatu]

You need to remove some material from the base of the sight to get the dovetail to slide in.

You should be able to tap that sucker home with a hammer & punch. Just remove a tiny bit at a time.

 

[66PonyCar]

Others may want to chime in but I believe you install the sight from the right side and tap to the left.

 

[Koda]

Remove material by rubbing on a stone, dont use a file. Push only left to right.

 

[Joe13]

Push only left to right.

Well at least I got that part right



I got a meet up with a guy from my range tomorrow that is very gun savvy so maybe he will be able to get this bugger in.

Thanks for all of the input!!!

 

[pdx1]

I'm having the same issue, I have a sight pusher to push the sight out, but it does not accommodate the plate

 

[titsonritz]

You guys just need a BIGGER hammer.

 

[Joe13]

I'm having the same issue, I have a sight pusher to push the sight out, but it does not accommodate the plate

So from a guy that's been around, his advice was to use a 60 degree angle file to slowly remove metal on the plate until it will slide in and then use the set screw to lock it in. He said I shouldn't need to beat it in.

I'm back to the stock rail and send the mounts back.

Maybe I'll try again someday but this has been a huge pain.

At least my gun is dialed in now for Saturday and I can just go enjoy the day,

 

[pdx1]

I'm nowhere near complete, still disassembled for cerakote

 

[Koda]

So from a guy that's been around, his advice was to use a 60 degree angle file to slowly remove metal on the plate until it will slide in and then use the set screw to lock it in. He said I shouldn't need to beat it in.

A properly installed dovetail groove sight requires force to press in and does not require a set screw to lock it in. If you need the set screw youve removed too much material.

 

[Joe13]

A properly installed dovetail groove sight requires force to press in and does not require a set screw to lock it in. If you need the set screw youve removed too much material.

The factory rear has a set screw but I can see what you're saying.

The plate I'm sending back has 2 set screws.

I'm making assumption here and someone please let me know otherwise, it is damn hard to press a sight in or out of a tube without that sucker rotating.

Every press I've seen has been designed for a square slide.

Of course the YouTube videos I could find they backed the set screw out and just tapped the site out so i went into this whole thing with that expectation.

I will also add ive made a carrier out of outside the box thinking and troubleshooting, everything from mechanical to electrical and anything in between so this was an interesting thing to fail at for me.

 

[Joe13]

I'm nowhere near complete, still disassembled for cerakote

View attachment 1398998

When you tap the barrel/receiver off the grip frame on a Ruger MK1-3 (probably 4's as well) it is a barrel that turns into a tube receiver with almost 0 flat spots to speak of.

 

[Koda]

The factory rear has a set screw but I can see what you're saying.

The plate I'm sending back has 2 set screws.

I'm making assumption here and someone please let me know otherwise, it is damn hard to press a sight in or out of a tube without that sucker rotating.

Every press I've seen has been designed for a square slide.

Of course the YouTube videos I could find they backed the set screw out and just tapped the site out so i went into this whole thing with that expectation.

I will also add ive made a carrier out of outside the box thinking and troubleshooting, everything from mechanical to electrical and anything in between so this was an interesting thing to fail at for me.

Your dilemma is unique since your receiver is round and your correct most sight pushers are designed for square slides. For your Ruger round receiver you will need to make or find an adapter that grips the receiver, it probably should key off on any small existing flat surface.

The multitude of custom pistol sights these days has caused many manufacturers to use set screws since they cant control the tolerances of dovetail grooves. A dovetail sight is designed to be hand fit, the sight base is ground on a stone (not filed) a little at a time until a drift or sight pusher can finally install it, with some level of force. This is why yours came oversized, to fit to the dovetail in any gun its supposed to fit.
Lots of dovetail sights have been properly fit using just a drift and brass hammer, but to do that you have to go slow and use a stone to grind the base of the sight until it will drift in with normal taps from a brass hammer. A sight pusher would give more leverage for a tighter fit. The tigther the fit the less possibility the sight could be moved if accidentally dropped. The trick is to fit the new sight with the least amount of material removal.

 

[Joe13]

Your dilemma is unique since your receiver is round and your correct most sight pushers are designed for square slides. For your Ruger round receiver you will need to make or find an adapter that grips the receiver, it probably should key off on any small existing flat surface.

The multitude of custom pistol sights these days has caused many manufacturers to use set screws since they cant control the tolerances of dovetail grooves. A dovetail sight is designed to be hand fit, the sight base is ground on a stone (not filed) a little at a time until a drift or sight pusher can finally install it, with some level of force. This is why yours came oversized, to fit to the dovetail in any gun its supposed to fit.
Lots of dovetail sights have been properly fit using just a drift and brass hammer, but to do that you have to go slow and use a stone to grind the base of the sight until it will drift in with normal taps from a brass hammer. A sight pusher would give more leverage for a tighter fit. The tigther the fit the less possibility the sight could be moved if accidentally dropped. The trick is to fit the new sight with the least amount of material removal.

So remove the base of the sights dovetail to drop it a bit lower? I was wondering if that or filing it from the side would be better.


From the side seems like it would be less likely to cause an issue with it staying level.

 

[Koda]

Remove material by rubbing on a stone, dont use a file. Push only left to right.

Edit, and my apologies if wrong but you remove it left to right but it may need to be installed in reverse ... right to left.

 

[Koda]

So remove the base of the sights dovetail to drop it a bit lower? I was wondering if that or filing it from the side would be better.


From the side seems like it would be less likely to cause an issue with it staying level.

I cant remember, its been a long time since I drifted in some sights. If you grind it from the sides then youd need a special tool to not change the angle of the dovetail. Also, griding from the sides might make the dovetail narrower causing the same issue as taking too much off the bottom making it lower. It might be a combination of both.