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Author Topic: Cast front sights  (Read 1631 times)

Offline Dale Halterman

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Cast front sights
« on: May 25, 2020, 11:24:50 PM »
A few years ago, I bought two strips of cast front sights from Reaves Goehring at Dixon's. One brass, the other silver. Don't remember why, or what I intended to use them for.

Is there a particular school, area, or time period where cast sights were common?

Thanks,

Dale H
« Last Edit: May 25, 2020, 11:27:58 PM by Dale Halterman »
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Offline Stophel

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2020, 12:22:13 AM »
I would expect that most of them were cast.

I still have one or two that I cut off a strip of sights that I got from Dixie Gun Works 25  years ago.
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2020, 06:20:56 PM »
I remember those in Dixie's catalog in the 70's. Seems to me there were mostly barely corn sights - so SMR mostly, I'd guess.
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Daryl

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Offline T*O*F

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2020, 06:23:09 PM »
I thought they were underlugs.  That's what I used em for.
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Offline Dale Halterman

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2020, 01:54:10 AM »
These are barley corns. So, SMR then?

I was kinda hoping to put one on a Winchester, VA from about 1820 or so. 15/16 straight barrel.

Dale H
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Offline Stophel

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2020, 04:15:25 AM »
The small, round or even pointed top "barleycorn" sight is hardly exclusive to southern mountain rifles.







These are all Pennsylvania rifles, and all VERY typical front sights.  The overly-tall, square-sided, flat-topped sights that everybody seems to want today would be rather out of the ordinary 225 years ago.

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Offline Dale Halterman

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2020, 05:01:49 AM »
Stophel, thank you for posting those pictures. I will be quite comfortable using the cast sights I have on pretty much any rifle I am likely to make.

My immediate project is a rifle I built maybe 20 years ago with a high, thin blade which served quite nicely for years. Unfortunately, my eyesight, along with most of my other of my faculties, is not what it used to be. A barley corn along with the appropriate modification to the rear sight should be easier to see.

Thanks again

Dale H
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Offline Stophel

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2020, 05:09:54 AM »
Personally, I like a small V notch rear sight, and an appropriately-low pointed top front sight of about 1/8" thickness at the bottom.  Even though my eyesight ain't what it used to be, I can still see this well, and it looks right.   ;)
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Offline Elnathan

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Re: Cast front sights
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2020, 05:30:33 AM »
Very interesting termination to that forearm molding on the top rifle there. Also a two piece nosecap, unless my eyes deceive me.
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