How do you do it? Attach sight hood.

[getitdone1]

Had a struggle today when I started putting the front sight hood on the front sight of my Browning model 71 Carbine. (Getting ready to sell it at auction.)

Spreading it to get it started without damaging/scratching it was the problem.

Finally I took a nylon rod I bought from Brownell's long ago and made it's diameter larger by wrapping several layers of tape around the end. (This is the rod made to use as a punch to push sights into dovetails without damaging bluing or metal.)

Once I got this rod large enough with layers of tape I pulled it up into the bottom of sight hood to where it would spread the hood and yet stay in place while I shoved the hood into the small groves of the front sight ramp.

I noticed something while doing this I'd never noticed before and maybe this gun is the first to have this--but I doubt it. There's a small notch on one side of the bottom of hood and there's a small "bump" in the metal in the groove on right side of sight ramp. The notch will fit over this "bump" once you get the hood slid back where it's supposed to be.

Anyway, main reason for this post is to ask if any of you know of a better way to get a hood started into the ramp grooves--and I'm sure some of you do--and, also ask if there's a special tool for this--and I expect there is. (I'm surprised after all these years of tinkering with guns I don't know of one.)

Don

[Blaine]

Using fingers (taped?) spread at one end, and slide the other on enough to get it started.....other than that....

[M. M. Wright]

I have a snap ring plier that has flats on it. Kinda like duck bill pliers only they open instead of squeezing.

[Pete44ru]

.

I just tap them on, from the front.

Every sight hood I ever had/saw (YMMV) has a lead-in taper to the bottom/open slot on one end, so the hood sides will cam themselves out/around the front of the ramp's hood slots when the taper is placed against the front of the ramp while the hood is tapped rearward.



.

[Chuck 100 yd]

What M. M. Wright said. A handy tool indeed. I have found many uses for it.

[John in MS]

I have a snap ring plier that has flats on it. Kinda like duck bill pliers only they open instead of squeezing.

Me too -- works like a charm!
John

[getitdone1]

I have a snap ring plier that has flats on it. Kinda like duck bill pliers only they open instead of squeezing.

M.M. Wright,

Now that's a good'in. I've used snap ring pliers and have some a few miles away on the 'home farm.' Didn't know some could be had with 'flats' on them. I thought of that but seemed would be 'metal to metal' so I left the idea. Can they be had with padded or rubber tips?

Don

[BigSky56]

gunsmith hammer with hard nylon or rubber inserts tap on or off if you have to pound on it somethings not right. danny

[getitdone1]

gunsmith hammer with hard nylon or rubber inserts tap on or off if you have to pound on it somethings not right. danny

BigSky56,

Well, yes, that's how I've done them in the past. This time I had a like new model 71 Browning and didn't want to put the slightest scratch on it so I opted to expand the bottom of the hood--the hard way.

Don

[Malamute]

I've mostly just taken them off, but getting them lined up and tapping on with a block of wood or just pushing on by hand has worked.