Henry Rifle Forums

Hey I'm having a really tough time getting my Henry 357 steel carbine's front beaded dovetail sight off.
I've been hitting it with brass punches of all sizes and even steel punches. I've tried different sized hammers.
I've got the gun secured in a vice really well.

I've been pounding the heck out of the front dovetail sight from left to right like I'm supposed to.
I'm honestly about to go to a gunsmith. It just won't budge.

At this pount I've got so many dents in the old front sight which isn't an issue, but I'm just wondering why it won't come out.
Is there anything else I should be doing? Like heating it up or lubing it or something? Anyone have experience with this problem?
Thanks.

You need a sight pusher . I have one like the one in paste for 20 yrs . It will do ft and rear sights and make fine adjustment a snap

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-sigh ... Sw9N1VxgYu

You're doing it right, but, sooner or later, you will run into a front sight that just won't budge with the brass punch and hammer method. Have had it happen to me, more than once. Then as TR says, it's time for a sight pusher or a trip to the gunsmith.

One last desperation measure I have used, now that your front sight is beat up and dinged, is to cut the sight in half with a hacksaw. Sometimes you'll need to hacksaw down through the entire sight and cut it in two and sometimes just getting down part way is enough to loosen the sight so it can be punched out. Not exactly finesse gunsmithing, but it will get the sight out.

I hope like heck you have the muzzle end of the barrel in the vise jaws with thick, oiled leather strips for protection AND the barrel situated with the front sight centered vertically in the jaws so as you are tapping on the sight there is no movement of the barrel - and the jaws of the vise are absorbing all the impact.
I recently got the sight out of a 118 year old Winchester 94 and it wasn't as hard as you are describing.
I did apply penetrating oil on it for about two weeks before attempting to tap it out and you may want to try this first.
If you can please post a pic of the rifle in the vise and maybe from the left side so I can see what is going on.
Consider this also - the more you hammer and disfigure the sight the more you are 'staking' it - which means you are in effect 'bulging' the metal and possibly making it tighter in the dovetail.

Get some Kroil and like mistered said put some of that on it. Let it soak.

Or you could use this guys method (just kidding).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWEY1r9E7so

.some shouldn't make how to videos. I wonder how much bent damage was done to the slide?

dave77 wrote:Or you could use this guys method (just kidding).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWEY1r9E7so

I wonder how much bent damage was done to the slide?

That part of the slide is pretty tough and thick so I don't think there would be any bending of it, or any other damage providing the bit could be controlled to hit just the sight however............
AN AIR CHISEL IS NOT THE TOOL FOR REMOVING A SIGHT OR TO PERFORM ANY OTHER WORK ON A GUN !!!!!
The sad part is this guy was completely serious about this - I thought it was going to be a humorous 'How NOT to do something' video but Lew-Bob in the video was completely dedicated to this - and got very lucky........

.
Note: "Comments are disabled for this video". Guess he wasn't open to getting feedback on his method. Or he got comments he didn't like, deleted them and then blocked them.

Maybe I should post a video on how to use my 22 ton wood splitter as a sight pusher.

Mistered wrote:

I wonder how much bent damage was done to the slide?

That part of the slide is pretty tough and thick so I don't think there would be any bending of it, or any other damage providing the bit could be controlled to hit just the sight however............
AN AIR CHISEL IS NOT THE TOOL FOR REMOVING A SIGHT OR TO PERFORM ANY OTHER WORK ON A GUN !!!!!
The sad part is this guy was completely serious about this - I thought it was going to be a humorous 'How NOT to do something' video but Lew-Bob in the video was completely dedicated to this - and got very lucky........

The air chisel or claw hammer is not my cup of tea ,try this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NfXJhTX1x0

That Fisher sight pusher is a pretty cool design.
I may have to make one up - pretty simple.