Wiley E. Coyote School of Gunsmithing (WECSOG)

Wiley E. Coyote is famous for the ad hoc seat of the pants engineering of his plots to destroy his opponent the road runner with various types of violence and mayhem.  WECSOG calls for using force, improvised tools and approximate measurements to fix and modify firearms.  Since I'm not a gunsmith I don't have the tools or equipment to do precision work on firearms so I have desisted from working on my guns.   HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.    Of course I work on them!   Recently the Missus went shooting with me for the first time in years.  She was shooting the Ruger MkII target and having a great time when the front sight blade flew off and was lost.  Bummer!   I ordered a replacement front sight blade and figured I would simply fit it into the slot on the front sight mount, put the pin in and be done.  Not!  The blade wasn't drilled for the pin so I had to drill it so that the hole in the blade insert would match up with the teeny-tiny hole in either side of the mount.  Fortunately a couple years ago young daughter bought me a drill press for Christmas.  Allow me a side discussion for a minute:  for years I have executed repairs and modifications to the dwelling, vehicles, guns, tools, and other things with about a total of seven tools, these being 1. hammer; 2. pair of screw drivers; 3. crescent wrench; 4. hacksaw; 5. power drill; 6. pliers; 7. clamp.   It is amazing what can be done with minimal tools but it usually involves compromises and excessive force.  Recently I have decided I should grow up and start buying proper tools to work with.  It is amazing what can be done with proper tools!   After years of trying to drill holes in thing while holding a power drill and making a mess of the job I asked for and received a drill press.  It came in handy for this job.

The drill press from young daughter with the barrel clamped in place and the bit hopefully lined up to drill through the existing hole in the mount, through the blade and into the existing hole on the other side of the mount.  Of course I don't have the proper clamp for the job, but I decided to press on in the best tradition of WECSOG!

The barrel ready to be drilled.  Will I make a horrible botch of it?

The blade drilled and everything lined up and done properly.  Yay!

Next I tried to tap the pin into the hole.  I tapped gently - then I tapped a bit harder.  The pin was not going to go into the hole.  What to do?  I put on my thinking cap, crossed my fingers and decided I would press the pin into the hole using my bench vise.  Fortunately the sight mount is flat on either side.  I put the assembly into the vise and slooowly tightened it, keeping everything straight and the pin went in.  Woo!

The completed job.  Actually looks professional!

Along with the drill press, this year I got an actual tool chest to replace the two tool boxes and other hiding spots for the various tools I have accumulated.  Now I do feel grown up!