I own a GPR muzzleloading rifle. I want to remove the OEM open rear sight from the barrel. With muzzle AWAY from me, which direction do I drive the open sight out of its dovetail?

Perhaps from left to right. An old man tolerant of the tribe's ways told me once that it is common practice to install them from right to left. He had no reason to lie. He also said the dovetail cut was parallel when cut with a machine but not always so when a file was used to make them. Machines are predictable, men are not. Especially when they drink.

It doesn't matter. I'd use a brass or aluminum punch though, to avoid making marks that are hard to remove.

When fitting a new sight, or any sight as far as that goes, never file the barrel dovetail, always fit the sight to the barrel by filing the sight base.

If the barrel dovetail becomes enlarged you are, how to put this?: Screwed. If the sight is ruined, you're out a couple of bucks.

(Or, in my case, an hour and an inch and a quarter of 1/2" key stock.)

Three Hawks

Left to right it was. The sight now resides in my shooting box.

Modern dovetails are from left to right. "Traditional" dovetails are from right to left. Exactly when or why they changed I have no idea.

About these dovetails. Has anyone considered the most obvious rreason(to Me). The dovetail was cu and sight installed in the most comfortable manner for the smith. I am told that 85 % of people are right handed ( my mother and one son in law being left handed). For me at least being right handed it is more comfortable to drive the sights in from right to left. Thus removing them left to right, that seems simple, logical,and the way I do it. But as long as a person gets them in and out it dosnt matter, Ha, whatever floats your boat. yours arkansawwind

It has always been my understanding that left to right is traditional in the older guns.

Real buckskinners shoot out their barrel wedges with a small caliber flintlock.

Rifleman1776 is correct. I went back and re-read my post and discovered that what I answered was exactly backwards from what I meant. Dang dyslectic keyboard....