Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre-64 Model 70 Front Sight Removal Pointers

I just acquired a Pre-64 Model 70 Standard in .270. It appears as if someone ground the round part on the top of the front sight completely off. I'm trying to remove the sight so I can replace it. I'm talking about the dovetail sight, not the ramp. I have a brass punch and a hammer, but I can't seem to get it to budge. I'm laying the rifle on the bench with some padding under the stock so it doesn't get scratched, and putting a block of wood under the barrel so it doesn't give when I strike the punch. So far I don't think I've moved it any. Does anyone have any tips for removing these? Thanks.

Randy

I tried the hit it routine and had the same results. They make a pusher tool that will do the job. Gunsmith I know had one which made a quick and easy job of it. Finding one, obviously maybe not all that easy.

Yeah, I've looked online for a cheaper version sight pusher with no luck. Don't need one very often, but it would be nice to have when you do need it!!! Thanks.

Williams front sight pusher at Brownells or Midway

The front and rear sight dovetails are slighly tapered in. I believe the sight must come out from left to right in removing and right to left when installing.

Hi Randy.

I have never had good luck with any sight removal tool I have tried, but have removed countless model 70 sights and here are a few thoughts for you:

The sights are wedge-shaped and install and remove from the right-hand side of the barrel. Make sure you are tapping on the left side of the sight, or you will actually be tightening it into the dovetail.

Soaking it in Kroil may be helpful, particularly if the sight is slightly rusted to the ramp.

Moderately heating the ramp with a heat gun or propane torch can also be helpful and will not damage the bluing if you are reasonable with the torch. Only do this if your barrel has an integral sight ramp. If you have a soldered-on sight ramp, applying much heat at all will cause your sight ramp to fall off.

Since the barrel can be unwieldy to stabilize, making it difficult to get a good, accurate tap with the punch, I secure the barrel in a bench vice with barrel blocks, so only the very tip of the barrel and sight are protruding. This makes it very easy to work with. If you don't have barrel blocks for your vice, you can make them from two pieces of hardwood. Clamp them together in your vice and bore a contra-grain hole straight down the split line between the blocks. The hole will need to be slightly smaller than your barrel. Now you can very securely and safely clamp your barrel in the blocks.

If your barrel is an early barrel with a sight ramp that is integral to the barrel, you can go after it pretty good. If it is a later production barrel with a soldered on sight ramp, be careful how hard you tap, as it is possible to knock the sight ramp off of the barrel.

Good luck!

Justin

Above is all great advise, holding the barrel in a vise with wooden blocks assures that the full effect of the tapping with hammer and punch is transferred to the sight causing it to move. Kroil or whatever your favorite penetrating oil is can be helpful, the caveat regarding heating and soldered on sight ramps is especially important . Rather than a torch I prefer to use a heat gun or a hairdryer set on high to warm the metal. All that you're looking to do is effect a small expansion of the sight ramp easing it's hold on the sight bead.

Excellent 'smithing tips here boys!

Well, I had to break down and order the Williams Sight Pusher today. Hopefully that will do the trick. That sight really seems to be tight, although I didn't try making the barrel blocks for the vice. Just thought it would be easier to try the sight pusher first, and then I will have it when I need it again. I'll let you know how it works.

Put a little tape on each jaw and the pusher ram to minimize marring. The pusher is the way to go, especially reinstalling and zeroing.

I'd let my 'smith do it....

Excellent advise regarding taping the jaws of the sight pusher, I use fiberglass stranded packing tape. Also holding the barrel in wooden blocks in the vise is preferable rather than trying to hold the rifle and manipulate the sight pusher. The sight pusher can have a tendency to walk itself off, holding it with one hand while the other tightens the screw minimizes this especially if the sight is very tight in the dovetail as some are.

Well, I guess I'll end up making the blocks for the vice afterall. Sounds like I'll need them no matter which method I use. Thanks for the advice.

I do mine on my lap. There is no getting by holding the pusher body in place with one hand while turning the handle, at least until the plunger makes tight contact with the sight insert.

I have two home made Teflon vice jaw pads/blocks/whatever you want to call them. They are 1/2 thick. One of them has a "V" notch crossways and I support barrels with that when I need an extra hand. I did it on a table saw tilting the blade.

Got the William's Sight Pusher today and took me about a minute to get it in place and push the sight off. Worked like a charm. I do have one of those Tipton gun vices, so I had the barreled action sitting in that and it was all I needed. Now I just hope I can use it some more to justify spending the $70!!! Thanks for all the pointers.

Randy

By the way, now that I have it out, can anyone tell me which sight I need to replace it? It's a 1955 Standard Model 70 in .270 Win. I guess I don't know if they used different front sights on different years or not. Thanks again for all the help.

Randy

You need the Winchester 103C sight.

Winchester 103C Front Sight://pre64win.com/collections/sights/products/winchester-103c-front-sight

So, I ordered a front sight that was listed as for a Pre-64 Winchester Model 70, but it seems to be quite a bit more narrow than the sight ramp. Were some of the pre-64 sights more narrow than others?

All pre-64 model 70 front sights are the same width. They only vary in height and length. If you have a pre-64 barrel and if you received a Winchster 103C sight, it should match the width of your sight ramp almost perfectly. Let's figure out why it doesn't...

Does the sight you received look like this?


If yes, then does your sight ramp look like this?

or like this?


If yes to all of the above, then the sight should very closely match the width of the sight ramp. Maybe just a few thousandths of an inch narrower, but that's it.

Here's what I have. Looks like the right sight and ramp. Maybe the difference in width is normal. These are the best pictures I could get. Hope you can see what you need to see.