AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: MuskratMike on August 16, 2025, 10:23:56 PM
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HELP!!!
I am considering having one more gun built. It of course will be a late 1790's to early 1800's flintlock probably from the Appalachian Mountain area. I don't care about shooting in registered events with it so I am thinking about a peep sight on the tang as my eyes are going bad. To be more specific I am thinking about a ghost ring since I plan to hunt with it and have found ghost rings work better than peep sights do for hunting. In fact it probably won't have a rear sight or even a dovetail cut into the barrel. I used them for years on early lever guns and still do use them. I can acquire the target quickly and if it has a bead front sight centering the bead is quick and accurate. They are still made that are adjustable for windage and elevation but I would want one that looks like it was from the period and area the rifle represents.
Does anyone out there make them or have decent photos of some with descriptions I can forward to my maker if I pull the string on this build? I guess if it only was adjustable for elevation that would be fine as I can always drift the front sight.
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No out there can help?
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Look at Muzzleloader Builder Supply, They show the Johnson peep in stock, only $24. Looks like it belongs on a flinter.
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https://rggunsmithing.com Scroll down on Randy's web page and you will see a couple of different peep sights.
David
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????
(https://i.ibb.co/PGpywJhP/sights.jpg) (https://ibb.co/whHqM8WP)
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I made up this old 'relic' a while back and rigged up a very primitive peep that was elevation adjustable. Windage adjust is front sight. I'm pretty sure I've seen old peep sights like this but can't remember where. This one is screwed (2 screws) into the barrel but it could also be dovetailed which would involve a bit more material work with the long forward section. IIRC, the elevation adjustment is simply a knurled 'bolt' w/ a fine thread that is threaded into the tang. The whole thing was meant to be extremely primitive and I think it looks good on a flint piece.
http://www.erickettenburg.com/bear-carbine.html (http://www.erickettenburg.com/bear-carbine.html)
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That is pretty darn cool Eric! And the sight too!
Robby
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I had an original New York made rifle (1840-50’s) that had a rear sight very similar to what Eric is showing. Unfortunately, I had it for years but never took pictures of it and sold it last winter. Like Eric’s there was an adjustment for elevation. It was a neat way to get a peep on a muzzleloader and someday I will make one like it.
Bob
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(https://i.ibb.co/BKdxJLMY/DSC02922.jpg) (https://ibb.co/S7W8gNCZ) Lowel Haarer made https://www.lowellhaarer.com/
(https://i.ibb.co/HDpqrTk3/DSC03398.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Y7ThtBqw)
(https://i.ibb.co/j93dct5p/DSC03390.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gbtG5Y7n) home made from brass strapping
(https://i.ibb.co/gLF8M7yX/DSC03160.jpg) (https://ibb.co/KpzgjG6Q)
(https://i.ibb.co/yBXY75vk/DSC03168.jpg) (https://ibb.co/prxR5ZVK) home made cut and sand to shape
I co witness to barrel sights
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Thanks to all that helped me out. Now i have a place to start.
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http://www.erickettenburg.com/bear-carbine.html (http://www.erickettenburg.com/bear-carbine.html)
From the replies a few people have been able to get to Eric's website, but I'm getting a "403 Forbidden" error. Is anyone else having this problem? I've cleared my cache, browsing history and cookies. No help. I guess it's my overzealous AV/Firewall program.
Ron
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it's working for me.
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I was able to see Eric's peep but couldn't down load it as my computer said it was from a unsecure site and blocked me from downloading any of the pictures. Too bad because just like anything Eric makes it is seriously cool. Might ask him to see if he can send a closeup to me as an attachment to an email.
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Not HC, but seriously cool.
(https://i.ibb.co/zhWFYML7/flip-up-peep.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Z6RSPjwY)
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Eric's site isn't running HTTPS so most browser's default security settings will block it. If you dig into your security settings you can bypass them and get to the site but here are a few of the better close up pictures of the sights. It is a really beautiful, cool, and unique looking rifle.
(https://i.ibb.co/sp4W7mct/DSC02234-g0i17.jpg) (https://ibb.co/p6Thq0Nn)
(https://i.ibb.co/DPwzvrS6/DSC02215-g0i9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HLGBbhkM)
(https://i.ibb.co/Z5HrHfr/DSC02208-g0i7.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hbXNXgN)
(https://i.ibb.co/yFffq6GS/DSC02195-g0i4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zVnnZXjJ)
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Come to think of it several years ago William Young gave me a peep sight like these to use. Being younger I did not need it at the time and gave it I believe to TOF. Dave do you still have it?
Fleener
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https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15105.msg141784#msg141784
There is an original peep sight on this post.
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A peep sight need to be near the shooter's eye to work properly.
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Sorry about the site issues. I haven't been able to do anything with it for years now. One of these days I'm going to have to get some dedicated help to get it straightened out and back up and running. Lots to add.
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Every time the peep topic comes up I post the one I made when I couldn't my sights anymore. It was a "beoch" to bend the sight base to match the tang on my rifle, I bent the peep up so the front and rear sight were perfectly aligned for a shot when I shouldered my rifle.
Start;
(https://i.ibb.co/0ydxRktc/peep-start.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gZBxLGV3)
Done except for filing out the hammer marks and cleaning things up a bit to be more "professional" looking.
(https://i.ibb.co/pBZM5vqB/peep.jpg) (https://ibb.co/21PCH7J1)
Mounted and adjusted;
(https://i.ibb.co/KpmNKsJX/peep-done-mounted.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gL6v4Wx3)
In service in a blind I made out of a pile blocks my neighbor left behind his barn, no deer showed up that day to feed in the field I was watching.
(https://i.ibb.co/Fk2NhsvD/block-blind-cross-sticks.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SDbW6QT3)
Then I had cataract surgery and don't need the peep anymore.
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Nicely done, Eric. What size was the hole?
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Good grief primitive sights don’t have to look like they were made in prison. Those old boys could do some pretty respectable work with minimal tools. After all they had plenty of time with no TV, cell phones, and computers.
Hungry Horse
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Nicely done, Eric. What size was the hole?
Off the top of my head I don't remember, but it was pretty small, under 1/16". I think maybe somewhere between .040 and .050.
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Nicely done, Eric. What size was the hole?
Off the top of my head I don't remember, but it was pretty small, under 1/16". I think maybe somewhere between .040 and .050.
And the buttstock is removable, in concept, at least?
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There has been an original Bedford Rifle by Daniel Border on the wall at Dixon's for years that has a sight a along the idea of what E. K. Put on his pistol, attached to the barrel and extending over the tang. Instead of having a flat face, it has an octagonal funnel shaped shade extending about an inch behind the aperture.
If I can figure out the picture posting procedure for this forum I will post a picture of the sight.
-Joe Stein
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Here is the Daniel Border sight:
(https://i.ibb.co/0pr170G7/DSCN0838.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JWH81Ys1)
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Check out the "Marbles" ghost ring rear barrels sight. Or check out a Skinner regular rear sight. Yo can unscrew the aperture and they make a dandy ghost ring sight out on the barrel in the regular place.
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I contacted the guy that bought the rifle from me and he took some pictures of the sight.
He also measured the hole. .039
Bob
(https://i.ibb.co/fzTzSRPt/Resized-20250208-201248.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jPjP5K1G)
(https://i.ibb.co/TD3Mqdn3/Resized-20250208-201257.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0pbyVvWb)
(https://i.ibb.co/gFbSZhFF/Resized-20250208-201308.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CspbKDss)
(https://i.ibb.co/XZ7FKf01/Resized-20250208-201334.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wNSpPZGV)
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A few more pictures. It’s not quite like I remembered it. I thought it had an adjustment wheel under it, but it doesn’t. Looks like the adjuster slides in and out. Still a neat primitive sight.
Bob
(https://i.ibb.co/YFVXr9Lb/Resized-20250820-094526.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JwSqhLsC)
(https://i.ibb.co/N2hrvxpr/Resized-20250820-094459.jpg) (https://ibb.co/v45hF1mh)
(https://i.ibb.co/LhxnK0gS/Resized-20250820-094431.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7Nn2hSpv)
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The grooves are a interesting attempt at elevation adjustments. But man it would be hard to record the settings!
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(https://i.ibb.co/PGpywJhP/sights.jpg) (https://ibb.co/whHqM8WP)
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Very interesting! Is this an item available for sale somewhere?
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I made it from a junk box open sight off an old 22.
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Not long after I joined this forum I sent a 1/4x80 tap and die to Taylor to use on a "lollypop"sight in a bag grip Hawken he built.I don't remember the reason I had it and told him to add it to his own tool collection.This thread gives 12 and 1/2 thousandths of an inch in elevation or deduction of the height of the sight.On my own 451 long range muzzle loader I made a copy of the Creedmoor folding sights and used a 10x40 for elevation and an 8x40 for windage. These are standard threads for micrometers and each full turn is .025 or 25 1000ths of an inch.
Bob Roller
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Bobw......You'll poke yer eye out! ;D
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I made it from a junk box open sight off an old 22.
Brilliant idea and well done! I'd like to find parts and a way to fashion something similar.
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The Afghanistan match and cap locks (conversions) I've seen had a flat pyramid shaped blade sticking up from the breech with a number of holes for different ranges.(I assume) On neither gun were the holes in a perfect vertical line.
Now THOSE were primitive.
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While this idea I came up with is not 100% true to the period of earlier eras, I'ii offer it with the thinking that it may help some with aging eyesight like mine. If you make a simple L of flat metal, as illustrated in other posts, and drill a large hole in the aperture position, the adjustment can be made by super-gluing a washer of the desired aperture size and manipulating it around the interior of the large hole until the desired position for accurate shooting is found. If it is accidentally placed incorrectly, it can be easily removed by the use of a flame and repositioned.