Front Sight Base Attachment...
 

During the "silencer carbine" discussion a week or so ago, a topic of how the front sight base was attached to a carbine's barrel was briefly touched upon.

This can also lead the the question of how the front barrel band and sight base on a regular luger might have been attached (or machined...).

Two possiblities would be a silver-soldered or brazed attachment or a full machining out of a metal block of the barrel stock.

When I look at the barrel removal tool on page 399 of E. Bender's large book on luger holsters and accessories, the removal tool is inserted over the barrel band and uses the front sight block to twist against in the removal of the barrel from the receiver.

I cannot imagine a soldered or brazed joint taking that amount of twisting torque...so might the "answer" be that the front sight barrel band and sight base is actually machined from the barrel stock ?

Has anyone tried to un-solder or un-braze a front sight base from a trashed-out luger barrel...?

I would also think that if the front sight base were a completely separate piece that is soldered/brazed into place, there should be some "surviving" pieces left in factory or arsenal stores...left as spare parts...

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

Put your mind at ease, Pete. The front sight band and sight base are integral parts of the barrel, machined from the barrel stock (but you already knew that and just wanted to stir up some fun <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> ). While the major portion of the barrel is machined by "turning", the barrel band and sight base are formed by a process called "broaching" where the cutter moves parallel to the bore axis, as opposed to perpendicular, as the barrel is rotated.

(Would the real machinists please step in and correct me if I am displaying my ignorance! :confused: )

Pete, I agree with Ron regarding standard PO8 barrels. I've seen at least one 7.65x120mm barrel where the front sight base was added on by the factory. Also, to my knowledge, all of the Carbine ramp front sights and Weimar reworks of 6 & 8" barrels to 4", have "add on" bases. TH

There is a nice overview of barrel production in John Walter's 1977 "Luger" book (page 134), which shows a plate from the Mauser Parabellum production with several stages of manufacturing.

The barrels clearly show the 'bulge' from which the front sight fixture is later machined.