870 Gurus...Need Parts Help

[kwb377]

I recently picked up a 90's-vintage Police Magnum with the factory Iron Sight Gun Works ghost-ring sights. Once I got it home, I noticed that the elevation tension spring and the ball detent and spring for the adjustment screw were missing.

I tried a Google search for Iron Sight Gun Works with no luck (I'm guessing they're long defunct by now), and the Gun Parts Corp. schematics don't show the ghost-ring sight model. I can order a detent ball from Brownells...if I know the size.

Does anyone happen have an 870/1187P with these sights that could measure the detent ball and it's spring? I was able to rig an elevation tension spring by clipping a few coils from an old hammer strut spring from a 3rd Gen. S&W in order to have the sight maintain it's elevation adjustment...but without the detent, the screw just turns with recoil and the sight adjusts itself gradually.

Thanks!

[DDTSGM]

I don't have any knowledge of that sight.

I've used ball bearings from the selection at the local ACE hardware to replace MIA detent balls. Depending on the function sometimes this was a permanent fix, other times it was until I could get a factory replacement. Based on your use, I'd see if a local hardware store has any the right size and leave it at that.

[farscott]

The sights were used on the 14-inch 870 for the United States Secret Service. Jim Rock bought the company, but it now appears to be defunct. I looked at my peep sighted 870; it has the MMC rear sight.

Your best bet would be to take the sight body to a hardware store and see what bearings can be used as a detent.

[entropy]

Or...

https://www.mcmaster.com/

[gato naranja]

I recently picked up a 90's-vintage Police Magnum with the factory Iron Sight Gun Works ghost-ring sights. Once I got it home, I noticed that the elevation tension spring and the ball detent and spring for the adjustment screw were missing.

If you have a long-time gunsmith close-by, they might have the ball and spring from an old, banged-up Bo-Mar (or similar) adjustable sight that you could try.

[L-2]

https://tinyurl.com/58e6bd48

The above link is an Amazon metric ball bearing link. There are inch-sized ball bearings, too, on Amazon's website.
You could have a good selection to own for spare parts (yes more junk around the house) in a day or two.

[kwb377]

https://tinyurl.com/58e6bd48

The above link is an Amazon metric ball bearing link. There are inch-sized ball bearings, too, on Amazon's website.
You could have a good selection to own for spare parts (yes more junk around the house) in a day or two.

Much better than the identical-looking detent ball assortment kit that Brownell's has for @ $75.

The sights were used on the 14-inch 870 for the United States Secret Service. Jim Rock bought the company, but it now appears to be defunct. I looked at my peep sighted 870; it has the MMC rear sight.

Your best bet would be to take the sight body to a hardware store and see what bearings can be used as a detent.

I was going to remove the sight and take it to the hardware store, but the screws mounting the body to the receiver are frozen (no luck getting them to budge so far)...although no one at my local Ace Hardware (in Warrior) would probably bat an eye if I walked in with a shotgun and explained the situation.

I also had an '89-vintage 1187P that had the same ISGW ghost rings...




What pisses me off is that I tossed several old unidentified adjustable rear sights that I could have scrounged parts from my dad's when we cleaned out all his gun stuff...thinking, "Why did he keep this crap?"

[mmc45414]

https://tinyurl.com/58e6bd48

The above link is an Amazon metric ball bearing link. There are inch-sized ball bearings, too, on Amazon's website.
You could have a good selection to own for spare parts (yes more junk around the house) in a day or two.

Yeah, I needed some balls for the extractor in a Savage bolt and I just bought these.
This reminds me, I need ta put that bolt back together...