SARCO repro artillery rear sight issues!

[G.T.]

Hi to all, well I just finished up a 1920 commercial converted to a 9MM 1920 artillery with a new manufacture barrel, and a SARCO reproduction rear sight! It all came out sweet, but there were some hiccops along the way. I thought since I haven't made any silly claims or statements lately, maybe today is the day!
Anyway, the rear sight assembly on the whole, is made pretty well. Not quite as nice as an original, but still new and nice on appearance. The blue stuff is blue, and the polished stuff polished! The first issue encountered was in the fit onto the barrel dovetail. When fully positioned, it was just a tiny bit loose. This was solved by using a flat piece of steel bar that i had polished smooth, and by positioning it on the front dove tail edge on the barrel, I gently tapped it with a hammer setting it down ever so slightly to make it a snug fit.. So far, so good! (make sure you put a support rod in the bore)The next issue was a bit more problematic, and that was the little 3MM threaded hole for the retaining screw, wasn't threaded thru properly. A broken tap later I discovered that the rear sight base had been hardened! so two taps later, I got the threads cleaned up and put the sight on the barrel, I believe permenantly with the modifications I performed.. Only one issue remains, and I haven't figured out a cure yet, and that is, on some of the sights, the rear sight blade doesn't set level with all the rest? I am not sure if I am going to file it flat, or twist it flat? Anyway, the above info should be sufficient to get you into all kinds of irreversiable trouble! best to all, til.....lat'r.....GT...
BTW, I am going to invest in some solid carbide taps (expensive) for the 3MM hole issue described above... I can perform the service for you for a minor fee... best, GT

[jeb111]

What is the Luger community going to do when you decide to retire?
Jim

[lugerholsterrepair]

People like GT don't decide to retire. A higher power always makes that decision.

[spangy]

I always assumed G.T. was already retired and now doing the thing he loves in his retirement. No ??

[G.T.]

I never actually retired from anything? Got booted out of a few ventures... walked away from others ... never knew quite where I stood in the business world. Hated number crunching, loved problem solving. Never could make money, and always found someone who needed it worse than I? Quite frankly, I was always pretty much amazed at how I got as far as I did, in any venture attempted. Repairing Lugers and such seems to be what I was cut out for, and I truly enjoy being of some service, to someone, who needs and appreciates the effort.. Like Jerry says, the big guy will ultimatly decide my remaining days at the work bench! Best to all, til......lat'r.....GT....

[wlyon]

GT
Well said my Special Friend. Bill

[G.T.]

Hi to all! Well the SARCO artillery rear sight, despite all my efforts to revive it, turned out to be a bad investment! Here's what happend once it hit the range! To my understanding, the rear sight ladder lasted about 7 or 8 mags full, and then it started jumping teeth and "flopping" around. I told Rick to return the top half thinking, no problem, I'll put in a better indexing spring and we'll be off to fun land again, no sweat! But, when I got it in hand, I see where the teeth on the ladder were starting to round off and it turns out the notched part of the sight is soft, or too soft to live on a Luger barrel? So, I have a 1920 commercial artillery shooter that had a Lugerman artillery rear sight, and I put that one on Ricks barreled receiver and I will range test it tomorrow to see if we are clear of that issue going forward. Althought I'm beginning to believe that nothing can replace the originals, I know that Lugermans rear sight is one hell of a lot closer to the original than is Sarco's? Anyway, got to take on the dragon once and awhile, and see if we can knock a few scales loose.... best to all, til....lat'r....GT...

[Doubs]

G.T., I have no idea if this will work or not but Brownells sells a surface hardening product that might keep the ladder teeth from rounding off. May be worth a try.

[Vlim]

The original LP08 sight ladders had the same problem, the teeth of the sight blade would strip off and allow the sight to jump around. When I still shot my shooter Artillery, I used a tie wrap to keep the sight from bouncing around.

I think it is a basic construction error that existed in the original ones as well. Perhaps DWM and Erfurt hardened the parts a bit better, but in the end, they too wore off.

[G.T.]

Hi Gerben, well, my recent Luger project for one of our forum members has officially come to an end! I just couldn't solve the "hopping" rear sight issue no matter how stiff of slider spring I put in? I gave Rick some options and he decided to pass on the project being we had no cure in sight at this point, and I agreed! It is truly a shame as the Luger works like a dream! Soooo, the artillery stuff will come off and go into the ,"don't touch me" bin for now. And the above 1920 will now become a 9MM of some sort? I will however, probably limit my projects in the future as well, as this one was a big hit in finances as the repro sights and barrels, are very expensive as well as being junk! But as in 100 time before, I will someday reingage when I have good parts or corrective ideas in going forward... Right now, all I have is a fresh dose of humility and some very expensive junk! Best to all, til.....lat'r.....GT...

[Vlim]

Remove the slider and put a scope on it

[G.T.]

Hi Gerben, probably should! But, setting here thinking, I have been toying around with making the slider button and indexing point out of tool steel, custom fit for 100% ingagement, and heat treat it... hoping, that the depth of the indexing tooth goes deep enough into the sight ladder, even if slightly worn, to hold it securely! Got nothing to lose.......... best to all, til.....lat'r.....GT

[G.T.]

Hi to all, If you've been following my artillery rear sight delimma, I have some new info for you all. Seems that the correct size for the little slotted retaining screw is most likely 3M X 0.35? (not yet sure?) I had previously thought it was 3M X 0.5 and it turns out it most definitly is not, either on originals, or repros! The problem with the SARCO sight base was it wasn't threaded all the way thru, not the wrong thread!... So, I have ordered the correct size tap (I think!) and will re-address this issue soon. In the meantime, I have discovered that the flat spring that goes under the rear sight has to be an optimum length or it will try to push the sight up instead of holding it down... I'm working on that as well... So, maybe there is some hope going forward, I know that I'm going to build a dedicated artillery top half just to test the rear sight for integrity... Best to all, til......lat'r....GT....

[Kiwi]

I am in awe of your astonishing persistence GT, you are a bulldog among engineers - you never give up. The world needs people like you

[G.T.]

Thanks Kiwi for the kind words! I think about the master craftsman that I apprenticed under and their eccentric ways of getting things done, and done right! Now in retrospect, I kind of understand them? My main strength is stubbroness, and I have buckets full of that.... And for all the rest, I still have time to learn! ........ best to all, til....lat'r.....GT...

[JTD]

Gerald, your patience and dedication to any project you tackle is amazing! You are one of a kind for sure. John

[grantman]

G.T. Here is a method I have used for correcting the hardness of small orifices/screw holes: If the screw hole is hardened excessively, you can temper it by:
Obtaining a slightly undersize steel rod section, mild steel is fine.
Heat rod section to red...it will cool quickly
Add oil, like WD40, to the hole. This oil boils off at about 425f
Insert heated rod section into screw hole ..wait until oil smokes off completely. This should reduce the hardness to the point to can thread it.

[Deputywood]

GT - I received the Sarco Artillery elevation slider we discussed on Wednesday and fit to my LP08. Fitting was straightforward but took a couple of hours. I was tempted to grab the dremel, but held off and stayed with the stones and files. Yesterday, I filled the drum mag you reworked with my reloads and ran a full mag through the pistol. Your drum performed flawlessly. Not so much the Sarco slider. Sometime during the test of the drum, the slider failed, reached exit velocity, and is now in orbit somewhere in the universe. Sarco is sending a replacement free of charge.

[G.T.]

First of all, thanks Grant on the annealing tip, I will definitly try it when I revisit the artillery project!
On Deputy Woods flying sight ladder, "I hate it when my space ship burns up on re-entry!" Because that's a bad thing when parts are flying off your project? I am impressed you got iy on in the first place, on the second go around, don't be afraid to use some red locktite?... Just one end of the retainig pin will suffice, best to you all, til.....lat'r....GT..

[Deputywood]

GT.
The ladder stayed in place. It was the elevation slider that broke and disappeared.

Woody