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Replacement front sight insert material?
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Pantera Mike View Drop Down
Callahan's Auto Mag
Callahan's Auto Mag


Joined: 20 Jan 2018
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Points: 1007 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pantera Mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Replacement front sight insert material?
    Posted: 08 Aug 2025 at 1:02am
All,

Last time I shot my Automag III, the plastic tube insert made a successful bid for freedom:





The hole diameter will accept a .082” drill bit but a .086” bit is too large:



So where does one find suitable plastic material from which a replacement insert can be made? I know some companies sell fiber optic rod front sights but they don’t say what size the replacement rods are?
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RangerJim View Drop Down
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Joined: 10 Jan 2025
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Points: 88 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RangerJim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 2025 at 4:54am
I used to do a lot of car and aircraft modeling. Sometimes tail lights and wing lights came on colored sprue. If you know a modeler you might be able to source some plastic rod to mill to size and JB weld or super glue in place.

Really cheap might be to tint Elmer’s with some food coloring and let it dry in the hole!!!
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Luc V. View Drop Down
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Joined: 09 Mar 2008
Location: Belgium
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Points: 1433 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luc V. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 2025 at 7:55am
Might try to fill it up with Glow-in-the-dark paint.
I have that on some of my guns and it work well.

A clean surface is needed to stick good. (I use acetone to clean)
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jw4570 View Drop Down
Callahan's Auto Mag
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Joined: 08 Mar 2008
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Points: 1334 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jw4570 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2025 at 11:06pm
You could try lacquer stix, people use them for lettering.  You can even get gold.  Here's an example.  Might be cheaper locally.  They used to be a few bucks each.  


or try some white Delrin or Nylon rod.  3/32 is only 0.09375.  If it won't compress enough, you could chuck a short piece in a drill and sand it down to fit and drive in.  
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Dances with AutoMags View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Oct 2011
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Points: 613 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dances with AutoMags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2025 at 1:35am
I have always considered taking a Pasadena Auto Mag barrel, with the cut-out on the front sight blade for an insert, to a Jewler and having a thin piece of red ruby cut and installed into the cut-out.   
If you were worried about the sun reflecting off of the ruby, you could ask for some anti-reflection lines to be cut onto the top of the ruby.
For the rear sight blade a piece of ivory, or walrus tusk, could be cut and inlaid into the "U" shaped sight outline on the blade.  
This could really compliment an engraved gun.

Just saying......Bruce   Wink
An armed society is a polite society.
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Rumore View Drop Down
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Points: 524 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rumore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2025 at 1:30pm
You might try using a piece of fiber optic rod.  The kind used for front shotgun sights. (Hiviz or Truglo)

Tony
Run it up, until you blow it up, then back it down a bit.
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Pantera Mike View Drop Down
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Points: 1007 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pantera Mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2025 at 9:54pm
Thanks, I ordered some .080” rod from a different ebay seller which is a tiny bit too small. But I can probably find a way to adhese it into the hole which measures something like .083”.

(I know that’s not a real word. But it should be. After all, what else does adhesive do?)
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jw4570 View Drop Down
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Joined: 08 Mar 2008
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Points: 1334 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jw4570 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2025 at 2:49am
What plastic is that?  What’s the melting point?  Maybe cut it a little long and use a heat gun on the metal with the plastic and then with a flat tipped punch push the plastic in.  Or you might can squish the rod outside the hole a little to fatten it up. 
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golden24 View Drop Down
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Points: 505 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote golden24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2025 at 10:13am
Bitchen idea Bruce,

Those red ruby's are used in 16mm film projectors for guides to keep the
film aligned in the track.

Steve Beer

Originally posted by Dances with AutoMags Dances with AutoMags wrote:

I have always considered taking a Pasadena Auto Mag barrel, with the cut-out on the front sight blade for an insert, to a Jewler and having a thin piece of red ruby cut and installed into the cut-out.   
If you were worried about the sun reflecting off of the ruby, you could ask for some anti-reflection lines to be cut onto the top of the ruby.
For the rear sight blade a piece of ivory, or walrus tusk, could be cut and inlaid into the "U" shaped sight outline on the blade.  
This could really compliment an engraved gun.

Just saying......Bruce   Wink
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Pantera Mike View Drop Down
Callahan's Auto Mag
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Points: 1007 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pantera Mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Aug 2025 at 11:38pm
I ordered my rods from this guy:




They are just a tidge undersized:




I will figure out a way to glue it in place, then use a knife to trim it flush with the face of the sight. 

I got two red and two green inserts. My eyes seem to pick out green better. The two white dots in the rear sight have worn away so there are just indentations there. A couple of dabs of suitable nail polish should do the trick there….
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