Replacement front sight post bead

[FLINT]

the front sight on my old 1894 winchester is missing the little bead. I was thinking that I should be able to file a flat spot/shelf into the little post and solder or epoxy a little bead onto it. However, I'm having a hard time thinking about a source for a little bead. I'm sure if I thought long and hard enough I'd think of something, but thought I'd throw it out to you guys as you may have already solved this problem a time or two. Thanks!

[GunnyMack]

A 'mid bead ' for shotgun rib is what you need! However I'm not sure if you have enough room to drill & tap.
Brownells has a #1 brass bead, it is .067" dia, you'll need a 3x56 tap and a #45 drill.

[Pat C]

Are you talking about SRC blade sight with bead? If so they are still made.

[Walt]

Williams Gun Sight Co has the entire front sight including brass bead for sale in various widths and heights for about $15.

[FLINT]

yeah, I could get a whole marbles front sight on midway for $12.50 but I thought it might be quick and easy to just glue a little bead back on. maybe not.

[Pat C]

You can get round stock in any size and material you need .
Low temp silver solder . But really I would look for an original on ebay.I see them often .King ,Sheard,Marbles, WRA .

Other option until ,I would take flat bar and shape a bead type post blade out of the stock.

[Pat C]

The Lyman post sight is also available

[Sixgun]

Simple….file the top 1/16 of an inch of the part of the sight facing you and put a dab of bright white paint on it…..I must have done that 30 times.

Leave it rough as the paint will hold better…flat white…

[FLINT]

Simple….file the top 1/16 of an inch of the part of the sight facing you and put a dab of bright white paint on it…..I must have done that 30 times.

Leave it rough as the paint will hold better…flat white…

I thought about that actually. Maybe I'll try that first and see how it works. thanks!

[samsi]

I'm cursed when it comes to sight beads, they disappear on me with great regularity. For a long time I'd just replace the sight until finally, like Six, I just started fixing them with a dab of bright paint. Have more painted sights than not at this point!

[bmtshooter]

I have a Win 94 that was manufactured in 1906. I replaced the damaged front sight with a highly visible fiber optic sight. Not historically correct, but I am really pleased with the functionality.

[Pat C]

I misread the original post ,thought the top broke off. If the bead is just missing there should be a hole where it was pressed in . If not it was the tinned type bead which you could just add low temp silver solder and shape.
You can easily make the bead out of brazing rod or any small round stock easily found at any hardware store with hand drill to spin and file.

[gcs]

Way back, while on a hunting foray I discovered the bead missing on my 336. I took a straight pin and cut it down, then tapped the short pin shank into the front sight. the head of the pin was the new bead. Stayed like that for many years until I upgraded to the Williams firesite.

[FLINT]

Thanks,

here are some pictures. looks like maybe someone put some solder on it in the past - maybe to solder a bead to it, or to try and make a bead out of solder.

[Pat C]

You mention "Post" type and older rifle ,thought you were talking original era SRC . What you have is late style dovetailed front for ramp .

I'm sure if you take a file and slowly remove that solder you can expose the original bead hole or where it was. If it clogged with soft solder proper size drill should clean it out.

Get your brass pin stock I mentioned above chuck it in a hand drill leaving 1/8" or so sticking out and use small mill file to reduce the diameter to match drilled hole..

If you take your time and measure with calipers you can get a good resistance fit .Cut and polish the main bead diameter to length and your done.
You can spin the bead in drill and put a nice polish on it.

[rossim92]

brass bb?

[Griff]

Back in the 1970-80s I would stop in nearly every gun shop in Orange County, CA looking for Winchester 94s, mostly to see if someone took either of my stolen rifles in trade or... any good collectible mdl 94. I was in this one shop and spied a 94 in the used gun rack... asked to see it... Near new production, 1978 IIRC, and looked to be in great shape... except, the entire top of the front sight had been broken off, no bead, to round portion to attach it to. I asked the salesman what the story was... "... it was brought back in just before Christmas and the buyer wasn't a happy camper... it shot a foot high... and he could make it shoot any lower... So we gave him back $150 credit since he'd had it over 90 days..." So... I told the salesman, I've looking for a project to rebarrel and offered $100 for it, as is." He said he'd have to check with the owner... be right back. Went in back... and came back a few minutes later with the owner, who said ok. "...Cash?" I said yep and laid out 5 $20s. He did some figuring and wrote out a receipt for "X" $s plus tax with a total of $100 and asked if there was anything else he could help me with? I asked if he happened to have a new front sight for that model 94. Just the insert... as everything else was there. With the hood on, it was hard to see that the bead was broken off! I know he said he lost money on the deal... but I seriously doubt it... he was known to wheel & deal. Yes, he gave me a new insert for the ramp, and all was well with that rifle. I figure the previous buyer thought he needed to lower the front sight to move impact lower... and never bothered to ask anyone! That action became the base of my target 94:

tangsight1.JPG

tang sight.JPG

magcap.JPG

DSCN1425.JPG

Custom 94.JPG

26" Numrich barrel, .30-30, .850 across the flats at breech & muzzle, a Shiloh hooded front sight, a Smith Enterprises tang sight, CCH receiver and Fajen wood. probably my #1 favorite rifle. It's original parts have become parts of other cobbled together 94s!

[FLINT]

You mention "Post" type and older rifle ,thought you were talking original era SRC . What you have is late style dovetailed front for ramp .

I'm sure if you take a file and slowly remove that solder you can expose the original bead hole or where it was. If it clogged with soft solder proper size drill should clean it out.

Get your brass pin stock I mentioned above chuck it in a hand drill leaving 1/8" or so sticking out and use small mill file to reduce the diameter to match drilled hole..

If you take your time and measure with calipers you can get a good resistance fit .Cut and polish the main bead diameter to length and your done.
You can spin the bead in drill and put a nice polish on it.

Thanks, I might try that. I might just heat up the solder and see if it will just run down out of the way. or I might just order a replacement from Midway.

[FLINT]

brass bb?

that was the first thing I thought of, but a bb would be way too big. I was trying to think if there were smaller diameter 'bbs' available anywhere. like tiny ball bearings or something, but must be not.

26" Numrich barrel, .30-30, .850 across the flats at breech & muzzle, a Shiloh hooded front sight, a Smith Enterprises tang sight, CCH receiver and Fajen wood. probably my #1 favorite rifle. It's original parts have become parts of other cobbled together 94s!

awesome rifle.

I got one of those numrich barrels in 38-55 three years ago and took it to a local gunsmith with a 94 receiver to have him put the barrel on for me. It's still there. Everytime I go to check on it he gives me the same *** story about not being able to get caught up from the pandemic. but clearly he's continuing to choose to work on new jobs over my rifle, so I don't have much sympathy. I'll check on it again next month and if it's not done I'll just take it back.

[Pat C]

This is common pin stock at my local hardware store $2.79 per pack . 1/16 brass . A dremmel tool with 1/16 collet or small hand drill makes a good poor man's lathe. Use a good needle file to reduce diameter to make a shouldered bead.