Sights

[tenngun]

Getting an all round barrels smoothie. Eleven bore
I can’t shoot a darn with just front sight. So add a rear sight on my smoothies
Not to hard with a half octagon, but let’s see some photos of you alls round barred er,ah field modifications, yeah that’s the right word

 

[SwanShot]

Not mine so no pic, but a very effective sight I've seen to address this very issue was nothing more that a bent piece of steel screwed to the tang with a small hole drilled in it to form a crude aperture sight. I have no idea how he located the hole accurately but he shoots quite well with it.

 

[Brokennock]

Getting an all round barrels smoothie. Eleven bore
I can’t shoot a darn with just front sight. So add a rear sight on my smoothies
Not to hard with a half octagon, but let’s see some photos of you alls round barred er,ah field modifications, yeah that’s the right word

I'm sorry to ask.
Are you asking about barrels that are round from one end to the other, instead of octagon to round? Or smoothbore barrels that folks shoot round balls out of?

 

[nkbj]

If it's a musket with barrel bands then adding a rear sight to a spare rear band isn't difficult whether by solder or JB Weld.

 

[tenngun]

I'm sorry to ask.
Are you asking about barrels that are round from one end to the other, instead of octagon to round? Or smoothbore barrels that folks shoot round balls out of?

All round, like bess or charley, I’m getting a dog lock civilian militia musket, hope next week, painting the stock and adding rear sight.
Half octagon I’ve always just dovetailed in.

 

[tenngun]

If it's a musket with barrel bands then adding a rear sight to a spare rear band isn't difficult whether by solder or JB Weld.

No bands yes solider to brass easy peasy
I could get a long flat bottom sight and file the bottom profile till it matched the curve of the barrel, I also thought bend some flat brass stock and then add a decrotive end to one side and solder that to the tang
But the great thing about the forum is ideas

 

[deerstalkert]

piece of broken brass trigger guard. shaped, drilled for rear tang screw, drilled and tapped for a set screw for horizontal adjustment just below the aperture, aperture is a drilled set screw with round lock nut on the far side.
mainly i made it because i couldn't make up my foggy old mind where to dovetail for a rear sight ! darn cobbled up thing worked so well i left it.

 

[Rob M.]

If you can't dovetail the rear sight , as mentioned , you can solder it on . You can even file a small flat spot on the barrel if you want . Its a pain to sight in a soldered sight set up but just dont get in a hurry . Be sure yo leave the front sight too high for sight in later . My barrels I have turned to original specs so they are too thin for dovetail so I soldered my rear sight on my personal gun like the one pictured . I might have to move this one forward onto the round chase section as it is still a bit too close ,blurry , for my old eyes ! LOL ... You can cut out s little chunk like I did and half moon the bottom and solder it to the barrel ...then make a mark on it and shoot it to make sure its centered , adjust said mark . When centered at 25 yards you can cut hacksaw blade down it then check again , small adjustments after that are with needle file to rear sight or file to front sight . Its slow and tedious but its nice when down . I ain't no wing shooter either ! I like both sights on my smoothbore trade guns . Its fun to shoot against the rifles with it . When you loose I'm like " well , duh ! I'm shooting g a smoothbore and your shooting g a rifle !" but ....when you win ! Man ! They are MAD !! LOL ! Good luck.

 

[Brokennock]

All round, like bess or charley, I’m getting a dog lock civilian militia musket, hope next week, painting the stock and adding rear sight.
Half octagon I’ve always just dovetailed in.

Sounds pretty cool.
Remember, the little brass sight on my Fusil des Chase is applied with LocTite 380, formerly known as "Black Max."

Solder, previously mention by others, would be another option.

 

[tenngun]

View attachment 210618
piece of broken brass trigger guard. shaped, drilled for rear tang screw, drilled and tapped for a set screw for horizontal adjustment just below the aperture, aperture is a drilled set screw with round lock nut on the far side.
mainly i made it because i couldn't make up my foggy old mind where to dovetail for a rear sight ! darn cobbled up thing worked so well i left it.
View attachment 210618

I like that

 

[hanshi]

My smoothbore has a rear sight dovetailed just before the barrel round section starts. I use it just like a rifle and fire prb. I did file the rear sight notch a little wider than normal so lots of daylight is on each side of the front. The rear sight is visible in this photo.

 

[tenngun]

I have that on my TFC and smooth rifle, just like any other dovetail. Nervous about attempting it with a round barrel and my lack of skill is only exceeded by my lack of equipment

 

[Brokennock]

Nervous about attempting it with a round barrel and my lack of skill is only exceeded by my lack of equipment

I would not dovetail a sight into a round barrel, nor would I ask for it to be done. The original barrel on my TVM Early Virginia smoothrifle had the front sight dovetailed in and it bulged the barrel inward creating a tight spot just inside the muzzle (I'm assuming they used a chisel)
The original owner sent it back and they replaced the barrel. The barrel wall on it is thicker than on my Centermark Fusil des Chase. Any idea how thick the barrel wall is on the gun you're getting?

 

[tenngun]

I would not dovetail a sight into a round barrel, nor would I ask for it to be done. The original barrel on my TVM Early Virginia smoothrifle had the front sight dovetailed in and it bulged the barrel inward creating a tight spot just inside the muzzle (I'm assuming they used a chisel)
The original owner sent it back and they replaced the barrel. The barrel wall on it is thicker than on my Centermark Fusil des Chase. Any idea how thick the barrel wall is on the gun you're getting?

Not yet, but I agree I wouldn’t try it, or have it done, although I’ve seen sights in round dovetails.
The barrel looks like a brown bess barrel, including the breach rings, I’m thinking it looks about one and a half at the breech

 

[TDM]

@tenngun I'd recommend mounting the sight initially with an epoxy that can be removed with a little extra heat. Experiment with the position, get the sights dialed in fairly close, then solder it on. And, of course, file the base to match the barrel.