I aquired a new barrel sight for my Sharps and set out to install it.  It slid easily into the dovetail (on the 'hammer side' of the gun)...and right out the other side.  No looseness, no slop...but also no interference fit.

I cut a thin strip of Scotch tape and stuck it to the bottom of the dovetail in the barrel, then laid another strip on top of the first.  This time it took the help of a small plastic hammer to center the sight.

OK, so that was my little experiment.  It is probably not secure enough to withstand rough handling and recoil vibrations.

I think the same thing would work if the tape was replaced with some very thin shim stock.  But, I don't know if stuff that thin can be found.

I would like to hear what experienced guys use as their favorite ways to 'make a dovetail smaller'.
CM

Charlie, I've had exactly the same experience, several times. I've had great success using steel shim stock secured to the bottom of the sight's male dovetail with either Black Max or Acraglas. I can envision a case in which you'd want to put the shim on one of the inclined faces instead, but so far I've been able to get away with putting it on the bottom. If I was capable of achieving a secure soft solder joint, I might try that method of attachment, but.............

I'm fortunate enough to have purchased a good supply of both steel and brass shim stock in various thicknesses, so it was fairly easy for me. If I was a normal person with no shim stock, I'd simply use as thin a piece of steel as was available and then file down the result to fit. BTW I used a shim that was thicker than necessary and then stoned it to a snug but not jam-tight fit.

I rounded the edges slightly and polished the bottom of the shim and the bottom of the female dovetail recess, to ease installation & keep the shim from separating. A little cold blue finishes the job.

It certainly ain't the most elegant solution, but it works, it's unobtrusive and it doesn't alter the rifle. These are all Good Things in my book.
Good luck, Joe

Fellows Pop cans make for the best and cheap shim stock!
All seems to be .005" thick!
Remember this if u happen to be out away form home and need shim stock, everyone allways has a pop can around!

Bownell's sells a shim stock pack that goes from like .002" up to pretty high; I've used it to do several loose dovetail sights as well as making shims to shim up one side of tang mounted sights when they aren't quite perpendicular.  Pretty useful for lots of things.
McLintock

Hello All:  I am brand new to the forum. Just joined. Another trick for tightening a sight base in a dovetail...... if the fit is not real loose, but just needs to be tightened a bit.... an old trick..... take a center punch..... a couple of small "punches" in the base of the dovetail, or the base of the sight where it will not be seen............... viola.

Yours is the plan I had tenatively settled on prior to starting this thread, Voyaguer.
I wanted an approach which did the least amount of 'permanent damage' to (both) the sight and the barrel.

I am glad I did not use your method because, without your cautionary advice, I would probably have 'moved the steel' more than necessary.

However, in the future, having the benefit of your experience, I will consider it a suitable alternative if the 'shim method' doesn't appear applicable.
CM