sights on swamped barrel

[rfcbuf]

I am building a flint rifle with a Colerain 38 inch 50 cal. B weight barrel(1.000 breech,.750 waist,.762 muzzle). Where would I best position front and rear open sights to avoid sight line interference caused by the extreme flaring of the swamped muzzle on this barrel design. Has anyone using this barrel found the best distance from breech and muzzle to position both sights?

 

[B.Habermehl]

Your barrel which is similar to a Getz transitional style barrel works nicely with the front sight about 1 1/2 in from the muzzle and the rear sight about 10 in from the breech depending on your eyes and the balance point of the finished gun. You certainly don't want the rear sight digging into your hand when you are carrying the gun. These dinensions are not set in stone. BJH

BTW I do not fit the sights until the gun is about completely shaped and all parts are in place to determine the balance point.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

The greatly exaggerated flaring of swamped barrels made today is not correct, and can lead to sight placement problems. Except in a few cases such as the Marshall/Christian Springs transition rifle, the originals were flared much less.

 

[Slowpoke]

If you're building it for yourself, for the rear sight you may want to do a little experimenting with the position. Just tape it on the barrel and hold it up. If it's not go move it back or up a ways. The older you get the further down the barrel the sight will move, most of the time. Claude's it almost touching the front sight.
Anyway, if that's to much trouble just put it out at about 10 inches.

SP

 

[Darkhorse]

As previously mentioned you want your rear sight where it is in focus and doesn't interfere with the balance point of the rifle at the carry.
It is down the barrel in the thin area all that means is more must be filed off the front sight to bring it to the target, no problem.
These rear sights are thin and require a real shallow dovetail cut.