Sight Adjustment Press or Small Screw Driven Press

[jjr2001]

Having the need to adjust the sights on my Grandson's pistol and not wanting to bang on it
with a hammer and punch I found some nice examples of a tool on line that would move a dovetailed rear sight.
I did not want a cheap plastic one nor did I want to spend $130.00 for one.
My "inside shop" renovation was almost done so I thought I would just make one.

Take a block of T6061 aluminum that is 1.125" by 3" by 3.5" and make a tube with a web in the back side (web is .250" thick
and runs from the outside of the top down to 1.125".
I used the height gage and surface plate to put layout lines on the block for reference but used the
DRO on the mill for the actual measurements. I left the side walls, top and bottom at .500" thick.
You can see the web left on the back side of the housing. Gives the tool a bit more strength than without.

Main screw is a 3/8-16 by 4" long bolt with a brass washer at each end and capped off with a nylock nut.
The housing is not threaded and just acts as a bushing for the screw.
The screw is centered on the 1.125" thickness of the frame and is 0.8725" from the outside of the top to it's center.
Brass thumb screws were made using two 1.750" long 1/4-20 flat head screws and knurling some 3/4" brass rod.
Blue loctite secures the screws to the knurled knobs.
Bottom thumb screw was shortened to 1.5" with the end rounded over on the sander. This is a slide height adjuster.
Two blocks of UHMW plastic were used for "jaws" that are pressed against the slide with the thumb screws.
The press block was made of brass and is .800" high by .700" wide and .625" thick.

In practice the press block is moved against the sight to push it left or right to adjust point of aim.
The sight was quite tight and required the application of penetrating oil to get it move at all.

Another nice tool made in the shop.

Cheers, JR

[Paul Jones]

JR,

Very good explanation about your design and the additional insights into making the Small Screw Driven Press. Thanks for sharing the solution and useful in many applications.

Paul

[melbakid]

Very nice design. I could have used this when I was building my Glock 19 and installing some Meprolight night sights to my Swenson slide.

[jjr2001]

Thanks guys, great to be back in the shop making stuff!
Cheers, JR

[DIYer]

Thanks jjr2001! We've added your Sight Adjustment Press to our Firearm and Weaponry category,
as well as to your builder page: jjr2001's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Sight Adjustment Press by jjr2001

tags: gunsmithing

[rebuilder1954]

Lovely work, sir!

Congratulations!

[jjr2001]

Thank You, it was a fun project and the best thing is that it is can be customized for just about any rear sight.

Cheers, JR

[alainbiggun]

voilà un bel outil!!! et bien plus solide que les fabrications en alu fin.