Dovetail cutter???

[GySgt1811]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I have not yet found a way to accurately measure an existing dovetail. If anyone has a tool or instrument that will do this, please share.

A few days back, I needed to cut a dovetail for a Luger artillery rear sight base. I had an original base to work with (butchered LP-08 barrel, I think), but none of my dovetail cutters (including the Harvey front sight blade dovetail cutter mentioned previously) looked right...I even cut up small pieces of plastic to the angle of the dovetail and then extended the lines and measured them with a protractor...As far as I could see, it looked like 58º...

I ended up cutting the dovetail with a 60º cutter, the most common...

2º doesn't sound like much, but I can assure you that when you're milling steel it can be a lot...

Sheepherder,

Is it possible that the difference in the angles could be on purpose so as to result in a slight interference fit to help hold the sight blade in place?

Gunny John