Are flat faced sights correct for early virginia rifles?

[m1garand_man]

I have an early virginia style rifle with a rounded German silver front sight that is giving me trouble when shooting in different lighting conditions. I'm prefer not to have to cover my site and have seen some available with your cast from brass which have a flat face. I am wondering if these are period correct for the time that this rifle represents.

I could also choose a German silver sight of the same design as well as one made from steel but my concern is having something that reflects some light but not too much. I'm even considering ruffin the face of the sight with a file the keep it dull.

[B.Barker]

I wouldn't worry about the sight being HC if you want to shoot it. Original sights were very small and hard to with old eyes. I have a 19th century rifle and the front site is about 1/16" high and very thin. That is HC but not good for old eyes. The taller wider front sites are much better for seeing and making them flat on the edge facing you won't matter. I like the looks of low sites but I don't like shooting with them.

[retired fella]

I agree with mr. barker said.  If you are going to shoot this rifle use sights that are friendly to your eye not a fella that lived 200 years ago.  Chances are that he also grumbled about not being able to see his sights.

[bgf]

What they said.  I made a very realistic set of low sights for my offhand rifle initially, under 1/8" high and silver.  They worked well in the woods on a woodswalk, extremely flat shooting and visible.  On the range in a match, I could get maybe five shots before the heat waves from barrel ruined sight picture and the silver was often too bright.  So, in my simple way, I think the original sights worked great for their purpose, but may not be a good choice for your application!  Use what you have to...

[David R. Pennington]

Exactly what bgf said. Every original I have seen had very diminutive front sights, "to keep you from taking too much sight" one old timer told me about taking quick shots in the woods. Low sights won't work shooting consecutive shots in a modern match. I have the back edge of most of my front sights filed with a backward angle at the bottom. I file a little forward angle on top. This is my elevation adjustment. The top angle reflects light and the backward angle shows as a shadow. The shiny part holds above sight notch at 100 yards for elevation adjustment.

[Daryl]

Exactly what bgf said. Every original I have seen had very diminutive front sights, "to keep you from taking too much sight" one old timer told me about taking quick shots in the woods. Low sights won't work shooting consecutive shots in a modern match. I have the back edge of most of my front sights filed with a backward angle at the bottom. I file a little forward angle on top. This is my elevation adjustment. The top angle reflects light and the backward angle shows as a shadow. The shiny part holds above sight notch at 100 yards for elevation adjustment.

Exactly. for bead front sights, also filed at 45 degrees, it's a full bead "proud" for the 100yard zero.

[hanshi]

If one can't see to shoot the rifle using bad sights, what's the use of having the gun in the first place?  I always make sure the front sights are flat on the end facing the rear sight and not canted forward.  And if needed, I paint them to show up even better.

[Hungry Horse]

Here we go again! So you really think that the old timers that had to depend on their rifle to feed, and protect their families, and provide entertainment as well, wouldn’t have used big clunky square sights if they worked better? We have all been brainwashed into believing big square sights are better. They aren’t, but most of us believe what we learned when we got started in this sport. But, as you age your eyes change, and big square sights aren’t friendly to those changes. This subject has been rehashed a dozen or more times in this forum. Go back and read some of these debates.

  Hungry Horse

[smylee grouch]

The shape of the rear sight notch and how you look through them will have a major impact on what you see when sightin g on a target along with the lighting at the time of the shot. I would guess that no one on this forum has seen every old gun made so who is to say that there were never any flat faced sights on original longrifles.

[m1garand_man]

Here we go again! So you really think that the old timers that had to depend on their rifle to feed, and protect their families, and provide entertainment as well, wouldn’t have used big clunky square sights if they worked better? We have all been brainwashed into believing big square sights are better. They aren’t, but most of us believe what we learned when we got started in this sport. But, as you age your eyes change, and big square sights aren’t friendly to those changes. This subject has been rehashed a dozen or more times in this forum. Go back and read some of these debates.

  Hungry Horse

Well if you can't see the sights properly you can't shoot accurately

I ordered a set of sights to try out. The front one is over twice as wide as what I currently have at .071". It's a brass flat faced sight.

I'll try it first if I don't like it I can aleads switch back to my current ones and modify them.

[Daryl]

I like these.








how to upload pictures to the internet

[hanshi]

I like that type of sight, Daryl.  While I can otherwise see without glasses and shoot using reading glasses, I have serious problems with "floaters".  Often when shooting the front sight is difficult to see due to a dark "splotch" moving on and off it.  Add to that a sort of "swarm" of teensy things that make it appear I'm looking through a screen door.  I don't care one iota what type of sights were used historically; I just want to be able to see to shoot.  The express sights you pictured might be "the thing".  I've contemplated getting a set for a good while and now might be the time to try them.

[flehto]

The rear sight on all my hunting guns is square notched and the notch is twice as wide as the front sight blade which is .100 wide. This setup enables some "daylight" on both sides of the blade when looking through  the rear sight.

The front sight is made of 2 pcs that are riveted together. The blade fits in a groove cut into the base. There's a silver insert soldered into the face of the blade . This sight is on my squirrel LR and has killed 100s of  head hit squirrels......Fred

[Craig Wilcox]

If your silver or GS front sights are causing reflective problems when your barrel gets hot, try smoking them (blackening) with a candle.  Easy to wipe clean at the end of the day.  Worked on my 1861 Springfield in many target matches.