Removing front sight band

[daveboy]

How do I remove the front sight band on my P14? Have driven out the driftpin and smacked it with a block of wood, but it wouldn't budge. What am I missing?

daveboy

Information

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[stonewall56]

Send a PM to Chuck in Denver. He can probably help you.

[Coal Burner]

This exact question comes up a lot. The usual answers are to soak it in Kroil for a few days, then cover it with a block of hardwood and hit it hard. If that doesn't work, apply a little heat directly to the sight band with a candle or propane torch. If nothing at all works, the last resort would be to cut it off with a dremel and get a new sight base from Springfield Sporters.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Do not hit the "ears" as the force is being applied at a large angle though the sight block. Mechanically inefficient, which means you have to whack it harder than would otherwise be necessary! And wood is too resilient to get enough shock into the sight block to break the "stiction".

Get a piece of brass bar several inches long and about 1/4" thick to use as a drift. Hold the rifle vertically in a bench vice with the muzzle resting on a hardwood block on the floor. Place the brass drift with one end touching the sight block where it contacts the barrel. It will still be at a slight angle to the barrel, but the brass drift will impart a much better impulse to the block. Tap the brass firmly with the hammer of your choice (a tack hammer moving fast is better than a lump hammer moving slowly) and the block will move. And no damage to the rifle either.

When you get it apart you are likely to find that the block was not rusted in at all, but the keyway contains fossilized grease that has almost the same effect as a resin glue. So clean all surfaces with an appropriate solvent and regrease before re-assembly.

Patrick

[Chuckindenver]

a while back i posted a how to, if you search for the post youll find it with pics and all.

[Chuckindenver]

heres the link..

removing a stuck front sight, base. - Military Surplus Collectors Forums