Front sight for a smooth rifle

[The Crisco Kid]

I'm building a 58 caliber smooth rifle and have been pondering what kind of front sight I should use. It's a tapered octagon to round and the barrel wall thickness at the muzzle is .100". I haven't seen any originals to give me an idea. I'm thinking maybe a simple barley corn might look right. I can make a blade sight to install in a dovetail but there isn't a lot of metal to file in a dovetail. Some advise will be appreciated. Please don't suggest a Williams ramp and fiber optic from Brownells since that has already been mentioned.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Set it back from the muzzle a bit maybe 2 or so in. cut a shallow recess in barrel and solder in a silver blade.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I use a piece of silver dollar and soft solder it to the barrel

 

[TDM]

Agree with @appalichian hunter and @Comfortably_Numb. Shape it as you like, leave enough height for adjustment.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Good suggestions. I have plenty of German silver for a blade. I'm thinking that once I get things assembled I'll glue on a barrel lug made for a round barrel as a temporary front sight. With the rear sight in the middle I can determine just where the front sight needs to go and then install the permanent one. That will prevent having to make too much of a windage adjustment in the rear which can look like a bad mistake. This is a good place to use super glue.

 

[Brokennock]

I am no expert, and not a builder.
I do however own a smoothrifle with an octagon to round barrel that the builder (TVM) initially tried to dovetail in a front sight. It looked fine to the naked eye, but, had bulged into the bore creating a tight spot just inside the muzzle. (They replaced the barrel with ine with a soldered front sight)

As to shape, that is kind of up to you and your eyesight,,, and maybe something to do with relationship to your choice of rear sight.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I like a fairly deep square notch rear wide enough to show light on the sides. The fine sights on some of the originals just don't work at all for me.

 

[Brokennock]

I like a fairly deep square notch rear wide enough to show light on the sides. The fine sights on some of the originals just don't work at all for me.

I'm thinking maybe a simple barley corn might look right.

Sounds like you have your answer. A barley corn will definitely look right. But between it being small, and the small rear sight that would match it, you could end up with sights that are unusable for your eyes.

 

[Brokennock]

I like a fairly deep square notch rear wide enough to show light on the sides. The fine sights on some of the originals just don't work at all for me.

TVM smoothrifle front and rear sights....

 

[tenngun]

Got this from track and filed it to needed height. A half round and Lancaster style rear sight

 

[Rifleman1776]

smooth rifle? I know some are used. But, first thought that comes to my mind is "why?". But, this is a do yer own thang game. Nevertheless, I believe whatever rifle sight would be used on a rifled rifle would be best choice.

 

[centershot]

smooth rifle? I know some are used. But, first thought that comes to my mind is "why?". But, this is a do yer own thang game. Nevertheless, I believe whatever rifle sight would be used on a rifled rifle would be best choice.

Yes, the smooth rifle is built on rifle architecture but smooth-bored, so rifle sights are appropriate.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

smooth rifle? I know some are used. But, first thought that comes to my mind is "why?". But, this is a do yer own thang game. Nevertheless, I believe whatever rifle sight would be used on a rifled rifle would be best choice.

For the same reason they used them in the past, they are so versatile. The same gun can be used with roundball, buckshot, or fine shot. I'll probably use shot the most but a ball will always be an option. Besides all that, I always wanted one of them thangs.

I like those soldered on front sights. The brass barrel lug I have can be filed to be decorative.
Thanks for the posts.

 

[Brokennock]

I really don't understand why people question the "smoothrifle" and get in a fuss about it. Especially people who have been around this forum and/or living history for any serious length of time.
We have period advertising for, "smooth rifle guns, neatly made fowling pieces and birding pieces same, as well as rifle guns...."
And other similar wording.
The only difference I see is that we often refer to them as a smoothrifle, said as all one word and often spelled that way, whereas the period ads seem to read like, smooth, rifle guns. Smooth being a separate adjective for rifle-gun.

Extremely versatile, and for some people more comfortable and/or easier to use than a fowling piece or trade gun.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I'm building a 58 caliber smooth rifle and have been pondering what kind of front sight I should use. It's a tapered octagon to round and the barrel wall thickness at the muzzle is .100". I haven't seen any originals to give me an idea. I'm thinking maybe a simple barley corn might look right. I can make a blade sight to install in a dovetail but there isn't a lot of metal to file in a dovetail. Some advise will be appreciated. Please don't suggest a Williams ramp and fiber optic from Brownells since that has already been mentioned.

Yep, nothing says traditional like fiber optics.

 

[Brokennock]

For the same reason they used them in the past, they are so versatile. The same gun can be used with roundball, buckshot, or fine shot. I'll probably use shot the most but a ball will always be an option. Besides all that, I always wanted one of them thangs.

I like those soldered on front sights. The brass barrel lug I have can be filed to be decorative.
Thanks for the posts.

I should have noted, for that front sight, I had to file a lot of rear sight off to bring my point of impact down to point of aim. Even at 80 grains 3f and a .595 ball it was shooting high, several inches. Every load tried from 65 grains to 85 grains and .595 balls to .610 balls, patched or in a wad sandwich,,,, all shot several inches high at 50 yards. When I got the groups I wanted, then I filed the front sight until she hit where I was aiming.

Progression,

Good group for shots 3,4,5, and 6 (9 and 10 ring) but look how low I had to hold.

Different loads but also working, slowly on rear sight height. Better than before....

Still hitting too high.

The two shots in the black are now point of aim/point of impact for the sight in the photos previous. That's offhand, can't find my bench shot groups from final sight-in.

As you can probably tell, I don't shoot offhand at 50 much, , mostly kneeling or sitting on the ground.

 

[tenngun]

smooth rifle? I know some are used. But, first thought that comes to my mind is "why?". But, this is a do yer own thang game. Nevertheless, I believe whatever rifle sight would be used on a rifled rifle would be best choice.

Just to be silly. It’s heavy, and isn’t a good Fowling piece, and it’s only as accurate as any smoothbore.
It short it’s a gun that don’t make no sense.
But lots of them were made, and it’s a hoot to shoot, and historic

 

[Hermit Tim]

Just to be silly. It’s heavy, and isn’t a good Fowling piece, and it’s only as accurate as any smoothbore.
It short it’s a gun that don’t make no sense.
But lots of them were made, and it’s a hoot to shoot, and historic

Mine has about a 35 inch barrel and is a .45 SB. It is half stock and isn't very heavy. Rear sight was messed up when I got it so, since I only use shot in it, I removed it. Yep, I would imagine it doesn't make the best fowler but it is fun to shoot and a great small game gun.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I can't hardly wait to get mine shooting. I made a decent looking front sight out of that brass barrel lug I have. Brokennock has the right idea about filing the sights after you get the right load figured out. Too many people just pick a random load and file the sights to fit and then later figure out a lot better load but they have filed too much off to get it to shoot to point of aim so they have to replace the sight and start over. I actually read this method in a muzzleloading magazine. The expert who wrote the article even said to take a sharp knife and make a scratch in the barrel to mark the sight location on the first load he tried in a new rifle so he could tell how much he knocked the sight over.. I guess he never heard of making a pencil mark. He just put a permanent scratch in his new barrel and advised the reader to do the same.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I can't hardly wait to get mine shooting. I made a decent looking front sight out of that brass barrel lug I have. Brokennock has the right idea about filing the sights after you get the right load figured out. Too many people just pick a random load and file the sights to fit and then later figure out a lot better load but they have filed too much off to get it to shoot to point of aim so they have to replace the sight and start over. I actually read this method in a muzzleloading magazine. The expert who wrote the article even said to take a sharp knife and make a scratch in the barrel to mark the sight location on the first load he tried in a new rifle so he could tell how much he knocked the sight over.. I guess he never heard of making a pencil mark. He just put a permanent scratch in his new barrel and advised the reader to do the same.

I can't wait either. Looking forward to see how it turns out.