Mauser Sight Removal
The sights on a Mauser are soldered in place. The solder used can be melted
with a Propane torch. DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE ! After
the barrel was screwed onto the receiver, two small holes were drilled into,
but not through the barrel, one for each sight. A screw is threaded into each
sight and down into the respective hole and then the sight was soldered in
place. To remove the sights, this process is reversed. The screw for the front
sight is hidden under the drift slide. This slide can be removed with a small
brass drift and a hammer.
With the drift removed, the
screw is exposed and can be removed. If the screw does not turn freely, heat
the sight with the torch until you can see little blobs of solder, then remove
the screw. (The screw is a US Standard-Fine #5x44 with a dog end, go figure,
and they used a US Standard for the cleaning rod as well)
After the screw is out,
heat and use your brass drift
to remove the band. The rear sight aligning screw is the same one that secures
the upper handguard, so you have already removed it, the rear is removed the
same way.
First the pin is driven out
with a 5/32 or 1/8 inch punch. (The screw hole can be
seen to the left, if the screw is in there, take it out!) Notice the
indentation to the left (left in the pic, forward on the rifle) of the
"19" and "20", if a tool is placed in this dent, and
pressed downward and to the rear (of the rifle)
the scale will come out. Then
pry up on the front of the spring you just uncovered
and lift out the ramp. (NOTE:
Some Mausers do not have a removable ramp, in these
cases remove the spring only) Then heat the sight with your PROPANE torch and
drive the sight base off.
Of course there is an easier
way to remove the front sight ----,
this way also removes the hole.