10/22 front sight

[Rick65Cat]

On a 10/22 carbine, how is the front sight band attached to the barrel? Is it silver soldered on? I want to remove mine but I want to know how much hassle I'm in for.

[Rick in Oregon]

Rick: It's an integral part of the barrel, and a lathe operation to remove. Custom barrel time.....

[Rick65Cat]

Ker-rap....well, there goes that idea then.
Thanks.

[TD-Max]

I thought it was windage adjustable? Mine's not here to look at at the present. I went to a Weigand Integra mount on mine and a smal scope and I love it although I've been finding the Mark II and Match dot to be a lot of fun, more challenging, and good practice plinking squirrels.

[Rick in Oregon]

TD: The front sight IS windage adjustable....the blade portion is dovetailed into the sight boss, which is the integral portion of the barrel discussed above.

[Bunnybuster]

Rick, is really an integral part of the barrel, or a shrink fit installed hot like the front site on the 77s?

[Rick in Oregon]

BB: To be completely honest, both of my 10-22's wear custom barrels, and it's been so long since I handled a standard carbine with the front sight on the barrel, I'm only going from memory, but I'd wager it's silver soldered or pressed on, as Ruger did not pay much for those barrels, and it would be very costly to make the front sight base truly integral.

Some years back a buddy turned his on the lathe to remove the base on his rifle, but I don't remember any discussion on it in the field when it was finished, other to say it looked much better without the sight base. He also made his own stock...this was before the 10-22 became such a cottage aftermarket industry.

I suppose the word "integral" in this regard is open to discussion.

[Bunnybuster]

Rick, I'm leaning towards the heat pressed method that Ruger uses for the model 77. It is a known method they have used for years, which their design team is very comfortable with. I tried finding either of my take off barrels to look at them but can't remember where they ended up after the last move. I checked the Model 77s I own, and the front site appears to be an integral part of the barrel, and I know they are heat pressed on. So, I doubt I could have shed any light on the issue looking at the 10/22 barrels.

Regardless, they don't come off easily with out damaging the barrel to the point a guy wouldn't have been better off just cutting the barrel and recrowning it. Particularly since the barrel is blued after the front site is attached, so even if it came off with out buggering things up, you would still have to refinish the barrel.

With the plethora of aftermarket barrels out there, it probably doesn't even make sense to try.

[Rick in Oregon]

BB, you're most likely right, in that they're sweated on with silver solder, hence my friend's lathe method to remove his so no heat applied to the barrel. At the time, no aftermarket barrels available.

Considering the great variety of aftermarket barrels now, it's almost a no-brainer.