Installing Globe Front Sight (Or Any Front Sight)

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Idaholewis1

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How to install a Lyman 17 series Globe front Sight (Or Any Front Sight For that matter)

Things needed, Padded Vise, A Brass Drift Punch, and a 3 corner file with a “Safe Side” Both of these can be made at Home. A Modified Brass Bolt works fine, or better yet a piece of Round Stock brass about 3-4 inches long. The Brass Drift punch is so you Don’t damage the Barrel, Sight

It is VERY Likely your new 17 Globe Front sight will be to tight to fit your Dovetail, All of the Lyman 17 Globes i have done so far have been Tight, To tight, They needed Fitting to my Dovetail, Lyman makes them a little on the Large side so they can be fitted, 99.9% of Stock US Barrel Dovetails with be 3/8” (.375) The Lyman 17 Globes i have measured come in closer to .380
You can spend the BIG BUCKS and Buy an actual Gun Smithing Dovetail file like these, They have a “Safe Side” 1 of the 3 Flats is Smooth, this allows the file to slide back n forth in your Dovetail (Safe side down) and not cut, You are ONLY Cutting, enlarging the Dove Angle.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/files/60-dovetail-standard-slot-sight-base-files-prod698.aspx

Or you could get a Small 3 Corner file at your local Hardware like i chose to do, i ground 1 Cutting edge off Square on a Hard Bench mounted Belt Sander to make a “Safe Side” (mine is a Nicholson, AWESOME files 
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)
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This is Somewhat of a Tedious process, GO SLOW and CHECK OFTEN!

If you only need a few Thou removed to fit, you can take it off the Bottom of the Sight Dove itself, I don’t recommend doing this if it’s Anymore than a few Thou, Any more than that and you need to Either Take material Away from the Front sight Dovetail (make it smaller) or Open the Barrel Dovetail (make it bigger) i have done both, i prefer slightly enlarging the Barrel Dovetail, I place the Barrel in a Padded Vise and Snug it up to do this.

On the other Hand, if your Front sight fits to loose in the Barrel Dovetail, If it is just loose enough that you don’t fully trust it from possibly moving, Use some Red Loctite! That will HOLD IT LIKE A ROCK, yet you can stil Drift it out. But if the Front sight is Quite loose, You will need to Build the Bottom of the Sight Dovetail up with Shim stock until you get it Tight.

NONE of this stuff is hard to do, grab the Bull by the Horns and do it! Quit Paying a Gunsmith to do these SIMPLE things!


Lyman 17 AHB, 1 of MANY i have installed
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Question:
How do you determine if you need the low, medium, or high base globe front sight when converting to the Lyman 57SML rear sight or a vernier tang peep sight?
 
afishhunter said:
Question:
How do you determine if you need the low, medium, or high base globe front sight when converting to the Lyman 57SML rear sight or a vernier tang peep sight?
I really don’t have a Good Answer for you here, I have mounted so many of these that I just know what works. For example, I prefer the Lyman 17AHB Globe, it is the Lowest Globe That Lyman Makes at .404 High, This allows me to keep my Peep Bridge lower like this
8QXZ8vql.jpg


And here again, this is my 100 Yard Zero, This is my Williams FP Hawken Sight with Target Knobs and Gib Elevator Lock, Another AWESOME SIGHT!
BvrMOWwl.jpg


Now here is my Lyman Great Plains Hunter rifle, This Gun has a European Dovetail which is .360 instead of .375-.380 (3/8”) like TC’s Dovetails, Lyman only offers 1 Globe to fit the Euro Dovetail, It is Called the AEU and is .494 High. Here is my Lyman Great Plains Hunter Zeroed at 100 Yards, Note how high my Peep Bridge is here, I personally don’t like this, I prefer a Lower Cheek weld, And also Hate to Give up that much of my Elevation Adjustment. My fix for this will be to Open the Barrel Dove to American 3/8, .375 and then Install an AHB globe as mentioned above which is .404 high, this will allow me to Get this Peep Bridge MUCH lower. 
nC7GBLnl.jpg
 
afishhunter said:
Question:
How do you determine if you need the low, medium, or high base globe front sight when converting to the Lyman 57SML rear sight or a vernier tang peep sight?
What you ask is a REALLY Good Question, and i wish i had a better answer, But I don’t.

There are Gunsmiths that know how to get you REALLY Close, i am sure they use an angle Cube of Some sort to Figure it out? My method has been Trial and Error :D When you have done as many of these things as i have, you get a pretty good eye for it

  Here is another scenario, I installed a Lee Shaver’s Long Range Soule Tang sight on 1 of my Long Range Rifles, I went with Lee’s Muzzleloader Soule Since it Sat the Lowest. I had NO IDEA what I would need for Front sight Height? I tried a .650 High Globe i had on hand first, I was like 20 some inches High at 100 Yards, And this was of course the Lowest Setting on the Tang Soule sight, I Obviously needed a Taller Front than the .650, I ended up having to Go with Lee’s Windage Adjustable Front sight for his Ferriss Creedmoor Rifle, it is 1-1/8” Tall and worked out perfect for me :Red tup:

Here is my Front Sight, it measures 1-1/8” Tall
KnLruLDl.jpg


And here i Am Zeroed at 100 Yards, I can easily get 50 Yards if I wanted it, And out to 1 Mile Which is 1,760 Yards. How do I know this? I don’t :D I am Going off guy’s that Do it and Explain what you need to Do it, From their Explanation i can do it no problem, But it will DEFINITELY use most of the Ladder up :D
lY4JKKGl.jpg



Totally off Topic, But here is Kenny Wasserburger Shooting his 1 Mile Target (1,760 Yards) They actually have a Shoot they call the Wasserburger Mile :D I would LOVE to go try it sometime!!! Look how far his Peep is Up the Ladder :shock: :lol:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vq1k94-wB5c" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen ></iframe>
 
My GPR is a LH version. In looking at the picture of your GPH it looks like I might have a problem with the hammer hitting the sight or being so close it will be a pain to cock the hammer.

Maybe it's just the angle but could you look and see how close a LH hammer will be?

Thanks.
 
OldMtnMan said:
My GPR is a LH version. In looking at the picture of your GPH it looks like I might have a problem with the hammer hitting the sight or being so close it will be a pain to cock the hammer.

Maybe it's just the angle but could you look and see how close a LH hammer will be?

Thanks. Pete
It won’t be a Problem, The Hammer Throw on these Lyman GPs is pretty Short, I will get mine out of the Safe tomorrow and Take a Close up of it Cocked

Here is a GP Lefty Rifle with a 57 GPR on it, It’s a bummer they don’t show it Cocked. Regardless it’s a much Better picture than mine
3l7G2GJl.jpg
 

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