Canadian Airgun Forum

Is there an 11mm adapter that can be used on a barrel that is not equipped with dovetails, to facilitate the installation of a globe sight? I have bought an HW57 that has a blade front sight and no dovetails, and I want to use a diopter rear with a front globe sight. Is that possible?
thanks

The HW80's front sight is the globe front sight you want, I think. It fits the dovetail and also takes inserts.
No, mine isn't for sale, sorry.

_________________
Best Wishes
Daryl

Maybe something like a TAU-200 front sight would work on the 57. But then you have to figure out how to create something to hold the lever up. A permanent solution would be having the front sight post machined off with some of the base. Then mount a short piece of 11mm rail.

Possibly you could have someone machine a simple sleeve with set screws to secure to bbl. Grooves could be machined into the sleeve or a short 11mm tail mounted. Again you will need to figure out the lever latch.

Todd, that is sort of what I have been mulling over; modifying the current front sight and mounting a short rail to allow the globe to be installed. It would be the easiest way around the problem of keeping the lever up. Before I start to do that, though, I would like to have a new OEM HW57 sight on hand, in case I mangle to old one too badly! But they aren't easy to find.
I have recently installed a couple of old diopters on a BSA Airsporter and an HW35, and I really like the way it makes it easy to zone in quickly and very accurately. I think I may take the rather nice scope off my HW97 and put an old Anschutz diopter on it next!

Sorry - I re-read your post. Missed the sans dovetail mount. I would suggest you file off the front sight, dovetail the barrel and mount a Lyman globe sight.
Their 17A and 20 MJT globe sights fit 3./8" dovetails. You will need a bench-vice to hold the barrel to file off the current sight base. To cut the dovetail you will
need a fine toothed hacksaw, and a small 3-corner file with one safe side. Barring the necessary skill, you will need a gun smith or gun maker to do this for you.
I suggest gun smith, as they will likely have a milling machine and a 3/8" dovetail mill. Easy-peezy job for one of those.

_________________
Best Wishes
Daryl

Daryl, there used to be a kit that was available for filing that front dovetail. The jig clamped to the barrel, was leveled, and then the cutting and filing was carried out. Everywhere I have searched seems to be sold out or discontinued. Trouble with taking that approach of course is that it still leaves me with the question as to how do I secure the under lever arm. I think that if I proceed with this idea of using a globe, I will likely look at modifying the current sight to accept a globe, in a manner that retains the catch for the lever.

I've never heard of the "kit". Since 1973, I've been cutting dovetails by hand. I brought up a picture of the HW57 and I see your point about the barrel. What I would do IF I was
bent on going with apertures, is I would mount a rear aperture, set at it's lowest sighting position and see where it aligns with the current rear and front sight for elevation. If I needed
the higher Lyman globe sights, that is the one I would buy:

This link shows the heights of the 17A
https://www.lymanproducts.com/series-17 ... ont-sights

The model 20MTJ is .700" tall and also fits a 3/8" dovetail.
You will be looking at probably $70.00 to $90.00 CDN, maybe more for any of these front sights.
I would install it behind the underlever clamp and after finding out which one I needed, I would then file off the front sight, but not until I had cut the dovetail.
That will help you position the dovetail in the right location. Clamp the gun vertically and touch the centre with a file, then mark and file out the dovetail. The
hacksaw is used to cut vertical slots slightly shallower than the dovetail will end up. Then the saws is used carefully to cut out the posts in between the slots.
SA safe sided 3 corner file safe side down, is used to cut the slots once the ridges are removed. A simple job, if you've done a bunch. Otherwise, I would hire
a gun smith to do this- piece of cake and less costly than buying the necessary saw and files and bench vice, if you don't have those.

_________________
Best Wishes
Daryl

No worries on not having the tools, I am well supplied in that end of things. The "kit" I was referring to is nothing more that a jig that is leveled and clamped to the barrel. The selling point, in my view, was that the jig was made of hardened material that precluded the misfortune of filing too deeply and ruining the barrel.
For all the work involved in going through this whole process, and not without risk, I ask myself why I don't just enjoy the diopeters on my other rifles, and be content with the stock sights on the HW57.

There is always that option and the one I would quite likely choose myself. Cutting "too deeply" is a matter of skill or lack thereof.
The hardened steel 'jig' guides will ruin a file or the teeth of the saw, if it is contacted. Best just to do it right to start with. Relying
upon a such a "jig" will result in damaged tools. Just saying.
I no longer have any air rifles with diopters, (sold the HWB150Tyrolean), but do have one with open sights, an HW80 in .177 & within it's
accuracy range, it works just fine. I used to hunt with a Slavia, 6 decades ago & never once thought I was at a disadvantage on squirrels,
sparrows, starlings or grackles. I was 18 years old before I owned a rifle with a scope on it, a 6.5 Magnum for groundhogs at long range.
All the rest of my air guns today have scopes, except for the pistols, of course.

_________________
Best Wishes
Daryl