paging gunsmiths- front sight oct to rd rifle

[rich pierce]

I am making a rifled smooth rifle (if you have to ask then you're not as out there as I am). What I mean is a rifle with an octagon to round barrel, when the original was a smoothie. I know that's a bit of a no-no for historical accuracy but I am guessing the spec gun will sell better, rifled. Anyway it's going to be a close copy of RCA #19, the walnut stocked "volute" gun, except the barrel is rifled.

The custom barrel is 40" oct to round, .850 at the muzzle, .54 caliber. So the walls are maybe 3/16" thick.

Since it is rifled, I want the sights to help a fella hit a target. What do you suggest?
1) make a shallow dovetail and install a real front sight with the base very narrow.
2) Use a "turtle" sight soldered to barrel (I worry this would give a lousy sight picture but maybe it would elevate the sight to the corect height so it won't shoot high)
3) Insert a blade staked down in a groove chased into the barrel, soldered in too.

Other ideas?

 

[Hawkeye]

I would use option #2, and not necessaraly a "turtle" I kinda like this one.[url] http://www.trackofthewolf.com...14&SUBID=167&STYLEID=762&PARTNUM=FS-FUSIL-2-B[/url]

Hawkeye

 

[Harddog]

Rich,

Forget the turtle base sight. They are lousy for sight picture in conjunction with a rear sight. Go with a sight with the heart shaped base, but make sure you get one of the large ones and not the ones that are smaller and intended for pistols. I believe Michael Lea sells some nice sterling front sights.

Randy Hedden

 

[rich pierce]

Howto find Mike Lea- which business is he?

 

[Roy]

I made one like Mike sells for Swampy's gun...

Made a heart, then a half heart, slotted the heart and silver soldered the two peices together... used silver solder so I could then soft solder the sight to the barrel

 

[Stophel]

If one cannot be found ready made, something like this could be fairly easily sawn out of a suitably sized hunk of brass. I saw out barrel tenons from 1/2" square steel stock...same process, just have to make the finished product look nicer!

I picked up a couple of fairly good sized brass sights somewhere...maybe Tip Curtis or Suzie at MBS, or somebody else at Friendship. Real helpful, right?

I can't even see that tiny little silver one that you can get...and I have really good eyesight!

I think Tip Curtis has one that is shaped like a man's face, with his nose protruding up to make the sight! Do that one! :grin:

 

[Bubba45]

I saw one on a gun Steve Hughs built years ago that looked like the man in the moon and the nose was the front site. The base was oval and the site made from two pieces of coin silver.I couldnt see where they had been soldered together but imagine there were a couple of studs passing through the base and silver soldered. It looked really good.

 

[rich pierce]

I might make one if I can find that thick hunk of brass I have somewhere. I like the heart-shaped idea.

 

[Roy]

I have one of those faces somewhere... bought it from Mike Lea at the CLA a few years ago :haha: with a few of the heart shaped ones. I made one once out of a hunk of brass.... the one pictured above is so much easier.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Option #3 for me.

 

[LRB]

How's it going Stophel? I used the sight you mentioned on a fowler. It is sterling silver, and you can see it.

 

[Many Klatch]

My .54 rifle has an octagon to wedding band to round barrel. I had round bottomed rifling cut in it with one turn in 55 inches. It shoots great and getting that weight off beyond the rear sight is a big help.

My eyes aren't getting any better, the rear sight is just behind the wedding band and the front sight is dovetailed like normal sights. I have been shooting this gun for about 12 years. I had no idea that I was "out there".

Many Klatch

 

[Stophel]

Do they make the nosey one in silver? cool.

The common sterling silver one I have seen is absolutely tiny... a mere slip of a thing. Almost as if the blade were made of common writing paper. Pretty small and thin. Ah, if the gun's built right you don't need sights anyway....

:grin:

 

Here's the sights on the Samual Baum smooth rifle that's going to auction in October.

and the rear sight.

It appears to be a small sliver just soldered on the round barrel, maybe a slot was cut. Very low profile. Mike Lea is the guy that bought the rights to Wahkon Bay products, He's in Columbus Oh. his phone is 614-291-4757, email is [email protected].

Bill

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all of that Acme junk, why didn't he just buy dinner?