[Jeff Higgins]

Just by the nature of what I like to shoot, I file a lot of sights. This is a very, very easy thing to do with the right file and proper technique.

Get the biggest, finest cut mill file you can find. These are sometimes called "single cut" files. The teeth are cut into it in only one direction, as opposed to "bastard" or "crosscut" files, which have teeth cut in two directions.

Clamp the gun in a vise, making sure it is level both front to back and side to side. Put tape over everything you don't want to scratch. Hold the file level and at about a 10-15 degree angle to the bore centerline. Stroke from the rear of the gun to the front in full strokes, lifting the file at the end of each stroke. Never pull a file backwards across the work - the teeth don't cut that way anyway, and you just dull them by rolling their tops over.

Use a felt pen to color the sight between strokes. This helps you confirm you are making full, even, level contact. Use a dial caliper every few strokes to see how fast you are removing material. Shoot it before you think you have removed enough, just to make sure.

When you are happy with how much material you have removed, it's time to finish the surface through a technique known as "draw filing". Using the same file, put it across the sight perpendicular to the bore. Holding it level, push it forward towards the muzzle then draw it back towards the breech. The file never leaves the work - very short strokes are used. This is where a big, wide mill file really helps. It will cut in both directions when used to draw file like this. Draw filing does not remove an appreciable amount of material; all it does is take the file marks off, leaving the surface dead flat and polished. When you are done draw filing, apply the finish of your choice, and you are done.