About Rear Sights

[Majorjoel]

To update the members about the precarve low lock mortice post I made a while back.  To let everyone know I was able to save the stock and get everything in proper place with much...mucho barrel inletting. It was the only solution to this particular trouble. I thank all who chimmed in with their suggestions. Believe it or not, I was even able to install the front lock bolt with no ramrod channel interferrence!! I know that the selection of a rifles rear sight is mostly made from period correctness to personal prefferance. For some reason I am having difficulty deciding on which "store bought" sight to use on this swamped small flatted 32 cal barrel. Pictured are the choices I have. Some are much higher than others and of coarse some plain and a couple are fancy. Is a higher sight needed for a swamped profile? What about a sight that over-hangs the top flat's side to side dimensions? Which one would you choose?

[HistoricalArmsMaker]

Good to see you solved the inletting dilemma! I wondered how that came out. As for your sights, you need to combine your choice with the front sight as well since sometimes that determines the rear site choice. I like mine to fill up the bottom of the dovetail completely and be about 3/8 above the barrel flat. On a swamped barrel the front sight should be a bit  higher than the rear because its smaller in diameter there.
Your muzzle dimension measured across the flats at the front sight location differs from the size at the location of the rear.
Measure and see what that is. This difference causes havoc to some and lots of builders simply install and then deal with it by hopefully filing down the front sight until you get on. Do a little math and save a little work.
Remember you want the rear site to move where you want the bullet to go, but you can only achieve up and down by choosing the correct rear site or filing it down (if lowering the ball strike).
The intent here is to get the distance from bore to the top of the rear site the same as the top of the front blade. That would supposedly zero you in at about 50 yards in a perfect world. 25 yards would hit low.
As for which one........ thats according to style and your tastes after the dimensional requirements!
Susie

[Pete G.]

There needs to be about 1/16" difference in the heights. Since this is a small caliber rifle it is obviously a small game piece and you need the sneak up on your quarry. Go for the snake.

[David Price]

Capejoel,

After all the parts are installed on the rifle, find the balance point where you would carry it while walking, and make sure that you don't put the sight where your hand would be.  That's why the rifle should be completely assembled before installing the sight.

[lew wetzel]

i would put the buckhorns back in the drawer.and i wouldnt use the fancier long ones either,i would use the very last one,small caliber,small sights.if you would like i can send you a nice brass rear site that would draw alot of attention to that area of your gun.....

[Paddlefoot]

I would agree with Dave and Lew. Make something similar to the small plain one and you won't go too far wrong. Also a good idea to make a dummy out of black paper and position it along the barrel so you get an idea what your sight picture will look like. Keep in mind that the rear sight shouldn't be in perfect focus but as my eyes have gotten a bit of age on them I find this more important along with the good info about not putting it where you carry the gun. Modern sights tend to be a lot bigger than the old originals and some of that is to get them up above the mirage that you will see if they are too low and are trying to sight in bright light  reflecting off the top flat of the barrel.

[rich pierce]

I agree, make it plainish and small enough that it doesn't make the barrel look puny.  No buckhorns.  Remember you have a swamped barrel which means pre-1800 styling, normally.  That means low-lying sights, no adjustment (normally).  Generally I want the parts of the gun to work a theme so would not use a fancy sight unless the rest of the gun is fancy.  I prefer a rear sight that has a paper-thin notch because the front face is scooped out.

[J.D.]

I have one of the small sights on the far right, and I don't know how anyone could use something so primitive. I mean primitive as nearly useless, in this case.

IMHO a derivative of the third sight from the right, with the snake head finial removed, would work well.

Good luck,
J.D.

[Rich]

I like the sight to the far right also. As a start for getting the sight heights correct, try the sight calculator found on the brownell's sight: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/sight.aspx

[JTR]

I agree with JD. Chop the snake off, and make one sort of like this.
As for the rear sight hanging over the edge of the barrel flat or not, I've seen them both ways, so take your pick.
John

[Roger Fisher]

I agree with JD. Chop the snake off, and make one sort of like this.
As for the rear sight hanging over the edge of the barrel flat or not, I've seen them both ways, so take your pick.
John

Yes, small barrel small sight.!

Now then JT I must ask - Did you find it necessary to bump your sight off center to the left and why??  Is the bore off center?  Or is it simply my old eyes lying to me??

[JTR]

Nope, not your old eyes Roger.
Bumped off to the left by some old guy waaaay older than you or I.
This sight is on the rifle that I posted pics of some time back in the 'Plain Gun' thread.
John

[Stophel]

And note the TINY little notch!

I always see really small "V" notches in old sights.

[Darkhorse]

For me, the rear sight needs to be a bit higher than the ones sold by TOW. Reason is, I don't see that well close up any more so I've moved the rear sight farther away. Which makes it sit lower due to barrel taper. To sight in, the front is filed much closer to the barrel. Also I like my head not quite so scrunced down on the stock. So I like both a little high.