VZ 58 Shell Deflector

With the scope offset minimized, I had to fab up a shell deflector.

Started with a chunk of 1018 cold rolled steel and the mill:
Here it is clipped under the rear sight leaf:
Next, I cut a piece of 1018 hot-rolled bar stock and milled some lightening cuts into it and MIG
welded it to the rear sight wedge:
Finally, I fabbed up a piece of 1020 colled rolled sheet steel into a deflection shield, drilled some
plug weld holes into the tab and then plug welded it to the support arm, then dressed the welds
down with an angle grinder and finished dressing it with a file:
And here it is mocked up:
I still have to finish it, probably parkerize it or nitro-carburize it. Not sure yet. It fits nice and tight
as it's milled with only a couple thou clearance to the slide and the machining on the bottom fits the
spring recess for the rear sight perfectly. The spring tension keeps the deflector in place and it has
just enough give to it that it should absorb all the shock of being hit by shells without ever getting
near the scope
ok, rolled edge it is...