Removing bead sight?

BKinzey · June 6, 2001, 01:05 PM

MMC makes a clamp on front sight post I am considering. Brownells has them. Anybody know if you have to remove the original bead sight? What's the best/easist way to remove it?

Dfariswheel · June 6, 2001, 10:27 PM

Depends on the brand of gun and how they mounted the bead.
On a Remington, I saw off the bead and as much of the brased-on base as I can, then carefully file the remainder down flush with the barrel. Some guns use a screw-in or press-in bead. If you unscrew or remove the bead, this will leave a hole in the barrel. I also cut these off and file.

BKinzey · June 6, 2001, 11:46 PM

Should have mentioned it's an 870......

Dfariswheel · June 7, 2001, 11:33 PM

Saw it and file. I forgot to mention, you should stick either a "fence" of tape around the sides and bends of the sight base, or make a "mask" with a thin peice of brass. Just take a thin peice of brass shim stock, and cut a slot big enough to fit over the base. This will offer some protection from mis-strokes of the file.
I don't recommend trying to apply heat to melt the brase holding the base, since it takes so much heat that you usually damage the finish.

MP-5 · June 8, 2001, 11:51 AM

What if you were installing a new Meprolite Nite-sight bead? When you unscrew the bead, do you have to use heat to loosen epoxy/loctite?

DML · June 12, 2001, 10:46 PM

MP-5:

If you are referring to the 870 and it has the bead on the pedistal, you have a problem. The base and bead are silver soldered to the barrel as a unit. You can try to drill out the bead and try to tap it (6-48) but you may run into a problem.

When you drill out the bead it leaves a little bit of shaft in the base. When you try to tap it, the now hollow shaft breaks free and spins. At this point you will be sol.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but this seem to happen about 50% of the time.

June 12, 2001, 10:46 PM	#6
DML Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2000 Location: Aridzona Posts: 257	MP-5: If you are referring to the 870 and it has the bead on the pedistal, you have a problem. The base and bead are silver soldered to the barrel as a unit. You can try to drill out the bead and try to tap it (6-48) but you may run into a problem. When you drill out the bead it leaves a little bit of shaft in the base. When you try to tap it, the now hollow shaft breaks free and spins. At this point you will be sol. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but this seem to happen about 50% of the time. __________________ Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.

June 6, 2001, 01:05 PM	#1
BKinzey Member Join Date: May 2, 2001 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 21	MMC makes a clamp on front sight post I am considering. Brownells has them. Anybody know if you have to remove the original bead sight? What's the best/easist way to remove it?

June 6, 2001, 10:27 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	Depends on the brand of gun and how they mounted the bead. On a Remington, I saw off the bead and as much of the brased-on base as I can, then carefully file the remainder down flush with the barrel. Some guns use a screw-in or press-in bead. If you unscrew or remove the bead, this will leave a hole in the barrel. I also cut these off and file.

June 6, 2001, 11:46 PM	#3
BKinzey Member Join Date: May 2, 2001 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 21	Should have mentioned it's an 870......

June 7, 2001, 11:33 PM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	Saw it and file. I forgot to mention, you should stick either a "fence" of tape around the sides and bends of the sight base, or make a "mask" with a thin peice of brass. Just take a thin peice of brass shim stock, and cut a slot big enough to fit over the base. This will offer some protection from mis-strokes of the file. I don't recommend trying to apply heat to melt the brase holding the base, since it takes so much heat that you usually damage the finish.

June 8, 2001, 11:51 AM	#5
MP-5 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2000 Posts: 208	What if you were installing a new Meprolite Nite-sight bead? When you unscrew the bead, do you have to use heat to loosen epoxy/loctite?