Weigand Scope Mount on Kimber

[kevindsingleton]

Ok. I did a search, and it wasn't very helpful. I have a little problem, and I'd like to solve it in a clever and interesting way. I installed a Weigand scope mount on a Kimber Custom II. So far, so good. The screws were a little long, and interfered with the insertion of the guide rod, and would have rubbed on the slide, had I installed it, so I shortened the screws about .025 inches. I cleaned up the burrs inside the dust shroud, and installed the scope mount. Nice. I like the look, and now my .45 carries an adjustable red dot. It's a range gun, and it's more important that I punch out the X-ring than a bad guy, with this piece. However, there was nothing in the instructions that mentioned that it would be impossible to install the slide after a field strip without either removing the scope mount (unacceptable), or removing the rear sight, which leaves a less-than-desirable opening in the rear of the slide. I'd like to manufacture a filler, but I don't want to spend $100 on a dovetail cutter from Brownell's for this one project. I also don't want to mill down the existing sight to fill the gap, in case I sell or trade the gun, sometime down the road, and need to re-install the sight. Can someone advise me on the actual dimensions of the Kimber rear sight dovetail, and, perhaps, guide me to a dovetail cutter that's a little closer to a one-time use budget? I intend to make the filler from 416 stainless, to contrast with the black oxide finish of the pistol, so I'll need at least a HSS cutter to cope with the tough stainless material.

Thanks in advance.

[Joni Lynn]

Is this a fixed rear sight or adjustable?

[kevindsingleton]

It's a fixed sight. It has a lowered section on the slide, behind the sight, with a hole for a spring, and a rounded top. I'd like to make a filler to matcht he profile of the top, with a slip-fit dovetail and a set-screw. It doesn't have to be a press-fit, since it's not intended to maintain sight alignment. My problem is, I don't have a 65 degree dovetail cutter (if that's what it is), and I don't want to spend a hundred bucks for a one-time project. I'd go $20-30 for a HSS cutter, for this one-time use, or I'd make a single-point cutter from O1 drill rod, if I knew the proper angle.

Thanks, again, for any assistance.

(Edit: thought I spotted a typo.)

[Joni Lynn]

If you check some of the sites like Dawson you may find what you're looking for.
I didn't realize that the slide wouldn't come off with the mount in place.
Good luck!

[log man]

kevindsingleton,Why not get a replacement rear sight from Kimber and then carefully shape one of them to fit the profile of the slide. You could finish the way you would like and simply oil finish. There are a lot of gun barrels in the white that never rust due to being wiped with oil for example. :)

[kevindsingleton]

Thanks, Joni, and log man. I'll see what Dawson has to offer. I was trying to avoid destroying a sight, and hoping to end up with another tool! Good idea, though, for acquiring the raw materials without having to fashion or buy a one-time use tool.

I was surprised that the sight would not fit under the scope mount, as well, since it's not mentioned on either the Weigand site, or Midway. There is a notch to allow for clearance of the front sight when the slide cycles, but no way will the rear sight fit under the mount.

Also, for those who are considering adding this scope mount to the 1911s, the screws were about .025 too long, and I had to shorten them to allow the guide rod to pass, and to avoid interference with the slide. I suppose using a stock screw length lowers the overall cost of the kit, so I'm not complaining, but, if I didn't have access to the necessary tools, I'd be fuming! It would be tricky trying to grind one and a half threads off of each tiny screw. I just tapped a few 6-40 holes in some scrap steel, and milled off the excess.

Thanks, again, for the great ideas.

[Joni Lynn]

After looking at a couple pics of these mounts, I'm not sure you'll get much anything to go on the slide and still allow full removal for cleaning.
Good luck.

[kevindsingleton]

Joni,

You're right. There's no room, at all, for a rear sight. I'd say about 1/16 inch clearance is about all you've got. I didn't find any "blanks" to fill the gap, and the prices for ready-made rear sights aren't much less than the cost of a dovetail cutter, so I'll just have to fab something up out of O1, and cut/grind/file 'til it looks good.

One more thing about these scope mounts that isn't mentioned in the ad copy: you also have to grind the slide stop for clearance at the rear of the mount. If you've a stainless pistol, that's not much of a problem, but with any kind of applied finish, you're exposing metal, and my black oxide Kimber is in danger of corrosion, since I installed the Weigand mount.

Oh, well. It looks cool, anyway. I'll post pics, once I get the rear sight issue worked out.

Thanks, again, for the great ideas.