Loose Front Sight Blade M96

G'day there, I don't come here much since I know very little about Mausers, but I quite like them.

This M96 I have been looking at is a bit mismatched but quite nice anyway, but the real issue is that its front sight blade is very very loose in the dovetail. As in, you can move it side to side, remove, and replace it with only your hands. Completely useless for any kind of shooting.

I am going to have a look at its blade compared to my other M96's to see if maybe it is a repro or something. I was thinking of just getting it centred then centre punching it to the dovetail and adjusting for windage afterwards.

Any help will be appreciated.

Replacement sight blades are available. You might want to get a taller one to make it easier for shooting under 300 yards. Here is one source: https://www.libertytreecollectors.co...?idCategory=42

The other option is to peen the bottom of the sight:
Brownells - Temporarily Fixing a Loose Dove Tail Sight - YouTube

This doesn't leave any visible marks and only the sight blade is altered. I have found that it often takes a couple of peen points to get them tight enough.

There seems to be so much play I would have to bash this thing to death to get enough proud steel to take up the gap. Just so I don't lose the thing I got a bit of cloth between the sight block and blade to hold it there.

Go to a sheet metal shop that makes duct work. Ask if they have a few small scraps of various gauges. Cut a small wafer and put it under the blade and slowly tap in place.
Start with the thinnest and if it still moves go down a gauge eg; 30 to 28 ( the smaller the number the thicker the metal). If the thinnest doesn't fit do not force it or you will make the dovetail larger.
Going thinner I would see if you could find a millwright that has some scrap brass shim stock, it comes in thicknesses in thousands of a inch.

Google (Larry Potterfield gunsmith) for this trick and other great gunsmithing videos.

His vids are not bad short and too the point I enjoyed watching him & Jack Rowe (R.I.P) not many of the old masters left in the trade most of the gear today except for the high end rifles and such are like our society a throw away buy another........

I'll see how this cloth holds out first and see if anyone comes up with anything a tad simpler but equally effective as getting all that shimming. Cheers just the same.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nijalninja

I'll see how this cloth holds out first and see if anyone comes up with anything a tad simpler but equally effective as getting all that shimming. Cheers just the same.

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Epoxy it in there.
Easily reversed with just a little heat but otherwise permanent.
No damage to the barrel or the sight that way either.