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“Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 9:43 pm
by deano5150
After replacing the factory sights on my BBSC 357 I was in need of a dovetail blank. I considered (and I still am) a Ranger Point Precision barrel profile blank. They’re pricey but they look great. As I sat around this afternoon thinking about it I realized that I now had two extra buckhorn sights (one had a defective insert, the other just came off my carbine). I took the defective one, wrapped the dovetail end in masking tape and put it in my vise. I used a hacksaw to remove the buckhorn. Then I used masking tape to make an arrow point on the end. After about an hour of filing and a couple of drops of gun blue I had a new blank. I don’t mean to brag but I like the way it turned out. Much better than I had hoped for!
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 10:02 pm
by BrokenolMarine
Nice work...
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 10:16 pm
by JEBar
innovative .... well done indeed
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 11:30 pm
by Ojaileveraction
I like that.
Think I well try and copy that.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 11:39 pm
by Mags
.
very nicely done!
deano5150 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 01, 2019 9:43 pm
... I like the way it turned out. Much better than I had hoped for!
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 11:48 pm
by PT7
I'd pass on the RPP barrel profile blank. Your home-made blank is the best I've seen.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:18 am
by Lyman
I like it.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:47 am
by ESquared
Heck, Yeah!
Beautiful and, as noted, well worth copying!
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:52 am
by deano5150
PT7 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 01, 2019 11:48 pm
I'd pass on the RPP barrel profile blank. Your home-made blank is the best I've seen.
Thank you, sir!
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:55 am
by deano5150
ESquared wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:47 am
Heck, Yeah!
Beautiful and, as noted, well worth copying!
Thanks! Once in a while the lightbulb comes on and I have a flash of brilliance.

Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 9:02 am
by ESquared
Well, that was one of those moments! Really great looking work!
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 9:50 am
by bandit1250
I made this one about 8 years ago from a broken folding rear sight I got from a gun shop scrap box. I always look for this type of sights in old parts boxes that gun smiths have. I like the shape better than the blocky looking standard type. This style and the one like it pictured by the OP adds a little touch to your rifle. I have made others and left some go with rifles I traded off and should have swapped them out for the factory made standard fillers.

Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:02 am
by Rifletom
deano, that is some very nice work there. As is bandits. And to think I have a couple of those old buckhorn sights in a box.
Guess what I'll be doing watching the Pocono 400 today? A flash of brilliance indeed deano!
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:09 am
by Mistered
And to think I have a couple of those old buckhorn sights in a box.
Be careful on cutting down some 'old buckhorn sights' - some are valuable and deseriable.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:33 am
by Rifletom
Mistered wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:09 am
And to think I have a couple of those old buckhorn sights in a box.
Be careful on cutting down some 'old buckhorn sights' - some are valuable and deseriable.
That is true. The one's I have are from a Mod 94 of mid 80's, the other, I' ll have to look at. I forget what that one came off of. If it came from my 39A, I won't touch it. Thanks for the reminder.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:05 am
by Mistered
The one's I have are from a Mod 94 of mid 80's,
FWIW Even these are selling well on Ebay if they are the style with the adjustable rear blade.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:56 pm
by deano5150
bandit1250 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 9:50 am
I made this one about 8 years ago from a broken folding rear sight I got from a gun shop scrap box. I always look for this type of sights in old parts boxes that gun smiths have. I like the shape better than the blocky looking standard type. This style and the one like it pictured by the OP adds a little touch to your rifle. I have made others and left some go with rifles I traded off and should have swapped them out for the factory made standard fillers.
Looks great! Nice work.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:12 pm
by bandit1250
Thanks deano5150. I only wish I would have kept all the other ones I had made. It takes time to work these down and try to get them uniform at the opposing points. They make good winter projects.

Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:43 pm
by deano5150
bandit1250 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:12 pm
Thanks deano5150. I only wish I would have kept all the other ones I had made. It takes time to work these down and try to get them uniform at the opposing points. They make good winter projects.
I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment doing it myself instead of buying one.
Re: “Home made” dovetail blank
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:39 pm
by krunchnik
Looks nice-I did the same thing-over $20.00 to fill the slot is a lot of money.