Rear Sight

[mountainman]

Hi,
I was just wondering if anybody would happen to have a picture of what a rear sight is suppose to look like on a Lancaster Rifle, I'm building an Isaac Haines Style. I have this cast steel rear sight, that had way to much steel on it, so I downsized it, now I need to know what style to shape it in, especially the fore end of it. Any help certainly would be appreciated. Thanks Steve.

[Dave B]

Steve,
What is the blank that your working with? I saw  an originial Haines smooth bore at the KRA show and cant remember what the rear sight looked like. I want to say it didnt have one. Boy am I allot of help or what. Several of the Lancaster guns that I saw didn't have very elaborate sights.  Page 246 in the Track of the Wolf Catalog has a bunch that are good for Lancaster style rear sight. The ones that I think represent those I saw are the flat top with a light rise on the ends. The forward section had a flat section then the front half could have a decorative bevel. These were early rifles. the later ones had higher sides to the rear sight. I got to see one of the LEMAN longrifles with a peep sight that was a full buck horn un cut. Lemans were made in lancaster so I guess what period gun are you putting this on? If your going for the early Haines then the flat top sight is the way to go IMHO.

[Roy S.]

Here is a pic of a pic  of an original JP Beck... hope it helps

[don getz]

Good picture Roy.  I don't think old J.P. had a milling machine....how did he get that round indentation into the front of the sight blade, unless he forged the whole thing.....on second thought, maybe that's how he did it.  On most of my guns lately I have been making my own rear sights, similar to the one shown.  I started to do this after looking at so many of
the ones done by that Martin kid.  I have also gone to the small brass sights sold by Reeves, the ones that are cast in
a strip of about 6 sights.  You can file them into a neat front sight......Don

[Acer Saccharum]

Don, I often wonder about such shapes in the metal. Since that is the the most difficult detail, I would think you could punch that into a blank, then file the rest away.

i have chiseled shapes like that out, but it is not the most efficient way to do it. A round punch with a flat tip makes the most sense to me.

[Stophel]

You can do it (at least partially) by leaving the sight blade thick, and drilling a hole down into it, then cut off the excess, revealing a semi-circular cutout.  They also had little mills that they put in a brace and could cut such shapes by hand (just as with the pan trough).

[Roy S.]

Wednesday night I will give forging out one a go...  and see how that works.  I think that I could make a simple form to help.

[Tim Crosby]

I'm sure it is the picture but the upset at the rear almost looks like it blocks the sight notch. I wonder if that was done on purpose to help with sighting?

Tim C.

[Roy S.]

Its a low sight... I will see if I can find a pic of a side view. 

[Roy S.]

well how about this view instead...

[Roger Fisher]

Might be an illusion; but the V notch looks wider breech side and narrower on muzzle side.  Should be the opposite; but after all a few years have passed with many owners to nutz with the notch!!

[jerrywh]

 Use a countersink for a flat bottom. simple.  Most of the old gunsmiths had countersinks.

[mountainman]

Thanks for the pics. I appreciated that rear sight. Gave me some idea. THANKS