Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Cutting dovetail on new rifle

Hey thinking about cutting a few dovetails in a rifle for sights. Is there a standard for this? I’m sure not every barrel can be filed. Perhaps a minimum thickness between the bore and the bottom of the dovetail slot? Just don’t want to have a barrel blow up

At least 2 popular DT angles. Brownell's sells cutters for both, maybe more. Requires a milling machine. Doubt a drill press with a milling vest would do. You're correct, some barrels are pretty hard & put up a pretty good fight with a hand tool, depends.

Your DT slot will only need to be as deep as the thickness or male DT of the base of the sight. Most any rifle barrel will have enough wall thickness. But check anyway.

Most 3/8 dovetails are cut .090 deep from the apex of the barrel. It's easier to first use a .250 endmill and then follow up with the dovetail cutter.

Milling puts side load on the cutter, standard drill presses aren’t designed for that. I wouldn’t attempt it.