bone front sight

[M Tornichio]

Anyone ever use bone for a front sight? I remember reading somewhere that they were supposed to make a good hunting sight, but were very fragile. I have some deer leg bone that has been sitting around for many years and would like to use it for a front sight on the rifle that I am working on right now, not sure how to make one though. Was it ever historically done? This will be on a north carolina style squirrel rifle. I was thinking that I could file a piece of steel for the base and then figure out some way to install the bone. I would think chances are good that It would fall out though. Interesting note, I was reading The book about the gillespie gunmakers by Dennis Glazener and saw a picture of an ivory front sight. It appeared to be just a simple bead installed in a flat base. Not sure how it was held in place though.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Marc

[bgf]

I was running search the other day and remembered coming across this:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=7471.msg70581#msg70581

Maybe it will be useful.

[smart dog]

Hi Marc,
Bone is very tough material that should make a satisfactory front sight as long as it was not a tall blade.  Deer leg bone would not be my first choice because the density is fairly low compared to cow leg bone.  You could easily make a steel or brass base into which the bone is glued.  I would form a lug or tab on the bottom of the bone blade that fits into a mortice in the base.  I would also shape the base so that it rises above the barrel to form a reinforcing slot into which the blade is fitted.  Bone is a better material for a sight than ivory because it is stronger.  Just remember that bone, like wood, is a pourous material subject to moisture and drying.  It can move, crack, and twist.   I don't think that would be a problem for a small sight blade particularly if you make a base with a reinforced slot for the blade.  Epoxy likely would be sufficient to glue it to the base.

dave  

[Ted Kramer]

Marc-

I've made a few of them using a blank base from T.O.T.W. I slightly spread the slot, cut some "teeth" on the inside of the slot w/needle files,  fashioned the blade to fit tightly in said slot, then squeezed the slot back to original shape.  So far nobody has contacted me saying they fell apart and they are 7-10 years old now.

Ted K

[Glenn]

Talk to Blunderbuss.  He's real good at using bone and horn for pieces that a lot of folks don't.  I've seen his work and he's very good at it.

[Kelhammer]

I spent last week in John Shippers engraving class.  He had there a rifle with a bone front site.  The cheek rest was fashioned from a bone insert as well.  The construction of the front site was such that the bone was inserted into the front blade, which was mostly metal.  This made the front blade wider than most I have seen.

Andy

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Mark, here's one I made and used for several years without incident.  It shows up well in the bush.

It has a steel base, and moose leg bone for the blade.  It's about 30 years old now, and has yellowed a lot.

[M Tornichio]

Thanks for the ideas gentlemen. The rifle I am building is for my own humor, so I though I would try something different with the sight.
Marc

[G-Man]

I used to have a rifle with one of those front sights with the little sliver of white bone inset into the blade - that is, when looking down the barrel at the back surface of front sight (which was cut vertical) you saw iron on either side of white bone.  It showed up OK in the woods but not nearly as well as silver - the iron on each side required that you had to be real careful to make sure you had it centered when shooting in deep shade.  But it did have the benefit of not glaring and blurring whe shooting in bright sun. 

Guy

[Gaeckle]

I did one a long time ago with some ivory.

[M Tornichio]

since we are on the subject and I had no idea so many had tried this type of sight before, do they show up any better in the woods. I am talking specifically in the all bone sight. I was thinking the right piece of bone could actually show up a little bit transparent. Sort of like an 18th century fiber optic sight. I know that is probably asking much, but how has your real world experience been.
Thanks,
Marc

[MarkEngraver]

Good question Marc,
I was going to ask the same thing !

Mark

[David Rase]

Marc,
Here is another version of a bone "insert" I came up with a few years ago.  Actually it is a piece of ivory that I turned round.  I drilled a hole close to the rear of the front sight blade, inserted the ivory and then filed away the metal until I exposed the ivory.

Dave

[Ted Kramer]

Marc-

The white bone front sight did work well in low light situations for me before my vision entered the "transition" period. Also, in bright light the bone didn't glare like a shiny brass or silver blade can. Now, it doesn't make much difference, I have difficulty with any open sight.

Dave-

I really like that insert idea, looks great. Mind if I try to copy it?


Ted K.

[Don Getz]

Marc........can't be of any help with a bone sight.    Not sure it would really help my old eyes.   On another note, I believe
you used to advertise, or sell, some hand forged trigger guards?   John and I have shaped a Tenn. type stock, real neat,
with a 44" small swamped barrel inlet.  Right now have about six sitting in the shop, and I'm working on one for a Friends
of the NRA banquet.  Five of the stocks are in curly ash, beautiful curl from end to end, but I need some neat, smallish
guards, but big enough for double set triggers.   Can you do anything like that?      Don @ "dggetz!@embarqmail.com"
Thanks............

[Tim Crosby]

 Marc,
  I had, out of Alabama and have seen a couple others from Va., percussions, where the bone was set in a slot cut in the top flat, no base.  As to the bone I am not sure if the ones I saw were bone or horn. It looked like the piece grew out of the barrel, I suspect that the slot had an undercut, maybe just an upset, at both ends. The piece fit and the ends of the slot peaned  and filed. If it was horn it could be heated ‘til flexible and sprung into the slot I would think.
 Just some thoughts.

 Tim C.

PS: Coming to the Newark show this weekend?TC     

[omark]

i have a hawken that i put a small horn insert into the front sight and 2 inserts in the rear sight. it helped me in poor light and they werent noticeable in sunlight to me.  i made mine pretty thin.  mark

[Daryl]

The solid bone sight, as Taylor pictured, makes a fine sight, as long as it is a barely corn-style sight, heavy and close to the barrel. I made one for my own rifle, many years ago, with moose leg bone, a bit higher and when I needed to take the shot at a moose, I found it had broken off. I switched to a low bead, aka Purdey-style.

[Vomitus]

 Dave Raze!! That is just special! Great work.

[M Tornichio]

Marc........can't be of any help with a bone sight.    Not sure it would really help my old eyes.   On another note, I believe
you used to advertise, or sell, some hand forged trigger guards?   John and I have shaped a Tenn. type stock, real neat,
with a 44" small swamped barrel inlet.  Right now have about six sitting in the shop, and I'm working on one for a Friends
of the NRA banquet.  Five of the stocks are in curly ash, beautiful curl from end to end, but I need some neat, smallish
guards, but big enough for double set triggers.   Can you do anything like that?      Don @ "dggetz!@embarqmail.com"
Thanks............

Don,
I will send you an email here in a few minutes.
Thanks for the inquiry.
Marc

[M Tornichio]

hey Tim,
I will be at the show this weekend.
I will keep my eyes open for you.
See you there.
Marc