Ruger 10/22 Front Sight Removal ... arghhhhh.... any ideas?

mike59

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So here's where I'm at ... trying to set up my Ruger 10/22 for rimfire steel challenge and was going to install a set of Williams Firesights (with rear peep sight). Watched lots of youtube videos ... no big deal ... push the sight out from left to right ... got a brass punch just for this ... and started to go at it. Hit the punch light, then harder, then HARDER, ... nothing. Ok, get a bigger hammer and hit harder ... nothing ... well, except bending the brass punch :-( Bigger hammer and slightly bigger brass punch ... smacking the crap out of it like I'm framing a house ... and nothing!

Right now it's sitting with some WD40 and some balistol on it but not expecting that to be a game changer. In a while I'll go at it again, and then I'll take a steel punch to it ... but don't really expect that to be a game changer either but maybe? After that I think I've got 2 choices left ... a gunsmith with a sight removal tool ... maybe ... and then a hack saw or dremel to cut it / smack it. Gunsmith will take longer than I feel like waiting (called 1 and he said 2 days before he could get to it but might be able to find someone quicker but doubt this weekend. The other thing about the gunsmith is $$ ... and I'm thinking I could cut it out and if I ever wanted to put the stock sight back in I could probably buy a new one for less that the cost of the gunsmith to get it out.

Update ... original factory replacement front sight from Midway USA ... $5.99 .... geez, where's my dremel? Bent brass punch is worth more than that and harder to find!

Any insight greatly appreciated .... thinking it will be a job for the dremel if it doesn't free up soon. Dremel experience anyone?

TIA - Mike
 
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I also have a sight removal tool. :)
 
Thanks Chris ... Student ... a new reason to show up on Sunday but might still have to bring the Dremel :)
 
you sure it's not your other left?
 
@Catfish - LOL

Unfortunately I'm sure - confirmed it with pictures :) I did actually give it a couple smacks right -> left thinking maybe it would break it free but alas - no love :-( And wd40 and balistol didn't get me anywhere either so it might be time for the hack saw or dremel unless I can reach down deep inside of myself and muster up enough fortitude to wait until I can beg @Studentofthegun to put his sight removal tool on it.
 
I'm gonna ask some dumb questions. So please forgive me in advance. Have you put the barrel in a vice?

I like taking the barrel off, wrapping it up good and putting it in a vice. Then hit it with a 2 pound sledge hammer.
 
When I first changed the sights on my 10/22 TD, before I ended up doing a full on barrel swap for a TacSol..... I had the same issue you are having. Vise, punch, 2 lb sledge. 3lb engineer's hammer. 4lb blacksmith hammer.... it wasn't budging. I took a Dremel tool (Gasp!) and a reinforced cutoff wheel and cut through the site from the top of it down to the bottom of the sight channel perpendicular to the barrel. Then removed the sight in 2 pieces rather easily.
 
Bingo !!! Decided to have one more go at it before going for the dremel but this time with the steel punch since marring it is no longer a concern. About the 3rd or 4th hit I got a little movement and the next solid (very solid!) smack knocked the sight out. Once it was out I could see that the wd40 and balistol had made it inside the sight so maybe that helped. Was about a 3 hour soak and I sprayed it 3 or 4 times over that period.

@Studentofthegun - not dumb at all and everything welcomed and appreicated! No, not in a vice but on a fairly solid table with end of barrel on top of a roll of masking tape covered with a towel, 1lb hammer, and brass punch hoping not to mar it, then the steel punch and voila!

@rantingredneck - dremel was on deck and appreciate you sharing your experiences.

@Wahoo95 - steel punch made the difference - thanks.

Thanks to all for the thoughts and suggestions along the way - I'm buying the first round! :)
 
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Use a piece of leather and a aluminum square punch.

I knock out Glock (metal and plastic)sights every day including the trijicon with the painted on lettering and haven't damaged one yet.
 
The front site on mine was peened, I cut it out.
 
I had trouble getting one out just like that. Wanted to put a Tech Sight front sight on for an Appleseed rifle. Thought I’d never get it out. A combination of cussing, solvent, and a HEAT GUN did it for me. Not TOO hot, though...
 
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@RFMan - I considered getting the heat gun out but honestly when I saw the original factory replacement could be had (if I wanted it) for $5.99 without even looking for it cheaper I was a the point of "who cares" (goes along with the cussing stage). That's when I thought I'll give it a couple smacks with the steel punch since marring it was no longer a concern and if it would come out it would be even easier than cutting it and voila ... out it came with a couple whacks. Very possible that solvents may have helped at that point and also possible that heat would have helped it along as well. Next time I'll have a list-o-things to try including heat as this was my first sight removal and went at it optimistically hoping for the best. First thing I'll do next time - check price of factory replacement of whatever I'm removing so I can keep things in perspective along the journey :)

Thanks again to all!
 
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