Trade gun rear sight

[stevenj4810]

Wow man small world, I just built a Pedersoli Indian trade gun flintlock kit from DGW. That I could make out of 16 gauge steel. I'll have to think about it, requires no welding. Just screw it into the barrel tang screw that screws into the trigger plate. Ingenious, I love it!

 

[Nuthatch]

Wow man small world, I just built a Pedersoli Indian trade gun flintlock kit from DGW. That I could make out of 16 gauge steel. I'll have to think about it, requires no welding. Just screw it into the barrel tang screw that screws into the trigger plate. Ingenious, I love it!

Yes! That was my original plan. But the flat stock I had on-hand was much thicker & would require a lot more shaping. I just happened to have that angle bracket lying around in a drawer & figured I'd give it a try instead.

 

[BatBoy]

Of the 17th & 18th century French guns I have found pictures of in various museums, I would guess at least half of them had rear sights. There was a notable number that used a tube type rear sight about 5" +/- long.

I’d like to see a pic of that. What was your search term when looking for French guns?

 

[Nor'Easter]

I’d like to see a pic of that. What was your search term when looking for French guns?

I'll have to dig around and see what I have for files, links, and photos. I'll try and post after supper tonight.

 

[T-bird]

I like it !

 

[Nor'Easter]

I’d like to see a pic of that. What was your search term when looking for French guns?

Here's a gun made 1575-1600 with a peep site built into the breech.
Wheel Lock Gun | Unknown | V&A Explore The Collections
The "Victoria and Albert Museum" has quite a few 16th, 17th, & 18th century firearms, and quite a few are of French origin
Search term "Wheel Lock" "Flintlock" "Matchlock"
They have a really nice collection of 16th & 17th century powder flasks / priming flasks.

Here is a French Wheel lock ca 1610 with a small tube type peep sight.
https://basedescollections.musee-ar...ple.highlight=Arquebuse.selectedTab=thumbnail
Home page for the Museum of Paris, Musee de L'Armee Invalides
https://basedescollections.musee-armee.fr/
Search term "Arquebuse" "Arquebuse a Rouet" "Arquebuse a Meche" "Fusi a Silex"

That should keep you entertained for a bit!

 

[NorthFork]

For those who think something that isn’t period correct is sacrilege, please move on.

I finished making a rear sight for my Pedersoli Trade gun & it was really simple. Posting here in case somebody else finds it helpful. The steel is just a piece of right angle bracket from the hardware store. I widened the hole to allow the tang screw to pass through. I then drilled another smaller hole for the aperture. I tested it out over the weekend to see where it was hitting on paper & check my group size. Satisfied with that, I then cut & shaped the rest to how I wanted it.

The first photo is the finished product. The second is my son shooting it this weekend with it attached as just a piece of right angle bracket with a couple holes drilled to see how it might work.

I went with a sharp point at the rear to help index it to a groove I had cut behind the tang. This way, when I clean it, I can hopefully realign it to get the same, rough, POI. Being able to remove it also leaves it free for wing shooting.

I’m still working on my flintlock skills. So small deviations in the POI are the least of my accuracy problems for now. But I’m satisfied with the results.

Hope somebody else finds this useful.

Thank you for posting this!

 

[lbothell]

For those who think something that isn’t period correct is sacrilege, please move on.

I finished making a rear sight for my Pedersoli Trade gun & it was really simple. Posting here in case somebody else finds it helpful. The steel is just a piece of right angle bracket from the hardware store. I widened the hole to allow the tang screw to pass through. I then drilled another smaller hole for the aperture. I tested it out over the weekend to see where it was hitting on paper & check my group size. Satisfied with that, I then cut & shaped the rest to how I wanted it.

The first photo is the finished product. The second is my son shooting it this weekend with it attached as just a piece of right angle bracket with a couple holes drilled to see how it might work.

I went with a sharp point at the rear to help index it to a groove I had cut behind the tang. This way, when I clean it, I can hopefully realign it to get the same, rough, POI. Being able to remove it also leaves it free for wing shooting.

I’m still working on my flintlock skills. So small deviations in the POI are the least of my accuracy problems for now. But I’m satisfied with the results.

Hope somebody else finds this useful.

Well I appreciate you posting this and decided to go for it myself! I couldn’t use the tang screw bc on my trade gun it comes from the bottom so I started with a piece of brass from an old butt plate to give me a base. I tried dovetailing it and it worked! But when I went to lightly hammer it in I cut to deep and it tore up my base... so back to the drawing board! Now I know the old trappers didn’t have JB weld steel but if they did I know they would have used it! That ended up being my solution I put an old turtle front sight sideways on the base and attached it with the job weld. I then cut a little notch in it. I used that automotive gasket silicone to attach the base, that way I can remove it when I want. Trying to use things I had on hand and doing it with minimal tools (I used a hacksaw to cut the brass hahaha) I think I have something crude and ugly yes but very functional

 

[akroguy]

Well I appreciate you posting this and decided to go for it myself! I couldn’t use the tang screw bc on my trade gun it comes from the bottom so I started with a piece of brass from an old butt plate to give me a base. I tried dovetailing it and it worked! But when I went to lightly hammer it in I cut to deep and it tore up my base... so back to the drawing board! Now I know the old trappers didn’t have JB weld steel but if they did I know they would have used it! That ended up being my solution I put an old turtle front sight sideways on the base and attached it with the job weld. I then cut a little notch in it. I used that automotive gasket silicone to attach the base, that way I can remove it when I want. Trying to use things I had on hand and doing it with minimal tools (I used a hacksaw to cut the brass hahaha) I think I have something crude and ugly yes but very functional

That's really well done! I have the same type of barrel on my NSW fowler so your example gives me an idea how it will look. I might just have to copy it.

It's all your fault.

 

[lbothell]

That's really well done! I have the same type of barrel on my NSW fowler so your example gives me an idea how it will look. I might just have to copy it.

It's all your fault.

Hahah please do!! And when you find a better looking way to do it please share it bc if I’m going to keep this on the way it is I’m going to want a little better looking job but this will work perfectly for this years season which is almost here for us in Pa!

 

[Nuthatch]

Ibothell- I like it! That’s probably a better solution than what I did simply because the sight would be back in the same position when reinstalled. Good stuff!

 

[Rob M.]

As stated before ...a rear sight IS period correct . Check out all the trade guns with rear sights added at the Museum of the Fur Trade .

 

[Midwestaero]

For those who think something that isn’t period correct is sacrilege, please move on.

I finished making a rear sight for my Pedersoli Trade gun & it was really simple. Posting here in case somebody else finds it helpful. The steel is just a piece of right angle bracket from the hardware store. I widened the hole to allow the tang screw to pass through. I then drilled another smaller hole for the aperture. I tested it out over the weekend to see where it was hitting on paper & check my group size. Satisfied with that, I then cut & shaped the rest to how I wanted it.

The first photo is the finished product. The second is my son shooting it this weekend with it attached as just a piece of right angle bracket with a couple holes drilled to see how it might work.

I went with a sharp point at the rear to help index it to a groove I had cut behind the tang. This way, when I clean it, I can hopefully realign it to get the same, rough, POI. Being able to remove it also leaves it free for wing shooting.

I’m still working on my flintlock skills. So small deviations in the POI are the least of my accuracy problems for now. But I’m satisfied with the results.

Hope somebody else finds this useful.

Would you be willing to make another and.sell it to me

 

[tenngun]

Smoothbores with rear sights were called smooth rifles and are perfectly historically correct.

Not quite. Smooth rifles are guns with typical rifle architecture, a fusil of fowler or musket fired with a rear sight is just what it is with a rear sight
My smooth rifle, Lancaster 28 bore and my TFC fitted with a Lancaster rear sight

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Herer's a historically correct rear sight for a trade gun. Carolina guns all had them when they were shipped from England.

 

[Bushfire]

Herer's a historically correct rear sight for a trade gun. Carolina guns all had them when they were shipped from England.

Historically, did any have folding rear sights?

 

[tenngun]

Historically, did any have folding rear sights?

Folding sights are on early eighteenth century Central European rifles, I don’t know if it would ever be needed on a smoothie.
Howsomever 11 bang bang channel did shoot a bess at three hundred yards at a tow foot going and got a hit….. one in ten shots

 

[montezuma]

I did something similar to my trade gun. Later I filed it to a better shape then used a torch and dulled the brass. Helps me shoot it better than without it.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Historically, did any have folding rear sights?

Not that I have ever seen.

 

[TDM]

Folding sights are on early eighteenth century Central European rifles, I don’t know if it would ever be needed on a smoothie.
Howsomever 11 bang bang channel did shoot a bess at three hundred yards at a tow foot going and got a hit….. one in ten shots

I saw that one. Pretty neat.