Rear sight placement on 42" barrel

[J1776]

Going by a JP Beck style print I measured the rear of the rear sight to be approx. 12.75 away from the end of the barrel at the breach plug end.  However, that was a print showing a 44" barrel.
Is there any rule on sight placement on barrel lengths?
My front sight is already installed,..it's about 2 1/4" from the barrel end at muzzle.

Thanks in advance.

[smylee grouch]

Put the rear sight where your eyes allow, where you get the best sight picture.

[Lucky R A]

And not under your hand where you will carry the gun.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Lucky's right.  Find the balance point where you're going to carry the rifle.  The rear sight goes either side of that 3 1/2" - 4" section where your hand goes.  If you choose aft of your hand, I'd make the notch good and big to get the clearest sight picture you can.  For'd of your hand, you can make it finer, if your eyes focus way out there like mine do.

[JTR]

On the original guns, the rear sight is usually more or less right above the rear ramrod entry thimble,,,, yeah, just about where the rifle balances,,, go figure.
John

[Daryl]

Lucky's right.  Find the balance point where you're going to carry the rifle.  The rear sight goes either side of that 3 1/2" - 4" section where your hand goes.  If you choose aft of your hand, I'd make the notch good and big to get the clearest sight picture you can.  For'd of your hand, you can make it finer, if your eyes focus way out there like mine do.

Ahem! Taylor, you actually meant either side of the 4 1/2" where your hand covers at balance - then, for me, whichever postition shows the best sight picture.

[Kermit]

When locating it, plan for your eyes to age. If it suits your eyes now, it may not in another year or five. If you plan to sell/trade soonish, it may not be an issue. Personally, I'd plan on the ageing process when locating that rear sight.

[Acer Saccharum]

I suppose if you have gorilla hands(or Sapergia hands) then the rear sight must be 4 1/2 " away from the balance point. Round all your rear sight corners. That will save a lot of cuts to the mitts. Original sights seem to be so low, placement would hardly matter as far as carry is concerned. Today we like tall and sharp sights. Ouch. How did they see the sights back-in-the-day?

Consider that the original barrel profile was a lot muzzle heavier than the profiles we use today. The balance point would be more toward the muzzle on an old gun, moving the balance point to the rr pipe or closer to the muzzle. The modern bbl contour allows the balance point to come back toward the lock.

 When trying out for sight placement, you can cut a try sight out of electric tape. The notch can be cut with scissors until you get a good sight picture.

Tom

[J1776]

Thanks fellas,.. very much appreciated.

[B.Habermehl]

At the risk of sounding like a wise a..... You need to determine the balance point with all the hardware in place and the ramrod in the thimbles, with the gun in finish shaped condition. With the patch box cavity excavated too. A couple of ounces at either end can really mess you up. BJH

[Stophel]

I just step back, look at it, and go "oh, the sight ought to go long about there", and that's where I put it.

 

As far as carrying, I don't grip my whole hand around the gun anyway, and have always found the notion that the sight location causes a huge problem with carrying to be a non issue for me.