Author Topic: Front sight - bead for Express rear  (Read 8097 times)

Daryl

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Front sight - bead for Express rear
« on: April 24, 2009, 06:26:10 PM »
Here are 3 views of my 'winter' front sight.  Yes - it's rough - so am I. It's all brass - 3/16" brass rod soldered to a commercial brass blade sight from Track, then filed to the shape you see.  It has been reduced slightly in diameter from 3/16" to minutely adjust elevation and to reduce the diameter.  Easy and quick to make, it's an exceptional sight for the trail walks in the bush. When out in an open trail setting, a bit of commercial sight black gives a perfectly flat-black bead that shows well in open sunlight. The flat face of the bead gives a round, non glaring sight picture that doesn't change point of impact with light from different directions as would it was rounded.  The taper eliminates glare from the sides.



Offline hanshi

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2009, 08:23:55 PM »
Rough?  Maybe, but I don't see a problem with it.  The pic clears up some questions I had about your description.
!Jozai Senjo! "always present on the battlefield"
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.

Daryl

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2009, 09:00:21 PM »
As to the taper, I should have said also that that's how the English beads are shaped, although with them, most bases are same height or nearly so as the top flat, and the bead sits up from the base.  This gives the lowst sight possible and is the sight on my old .69.  Good new, it's owner says we need to talk about it's possible change of address.  I do need it back.

Harnic

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2009, 11:10:21 PM »
I might try your express sight setup on the caplock Hawken I'm building now Daryl.  I found all the parts I need to build a good trail/fort gun for Heffley!  With open sights that weenie who whined about my closed buckhorn last year will have to pester someone else! ;)

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2009, 01:20:56 AM »

Here's one from a Purdy 14 bore rifle in a friend's collection.




D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2009, 01:23:50 AM »
...and here's the one from my own hunting rifle - .60 cal Jaeger.

D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Daryl

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2009, 06:04:43 PM »
Thanks Taylor- here's the front sight on my old 14 bore rifle that I may re-own sometime in the future. One thing I noticed about the mirage with these sights, even low on the barrel, is the distortion seems far less than a V and blade sight - less jumping around, minor movement. This may be due to the shallow angle of the rear sight.


Here's one for a round barrel.


And the rear sight that that accompanies the low bead on my old 14 bore. Note the point blank sight's notch height and the first leaf's notch height have little difference in elevation. If the bead is sitting in the first leaf, it is actually level with the 'wingtips' of the point blank sight.  This works perfectly with the light 'target' load and with the heavy hunting load in perfect harmony. With target load of 3 drams 3F @ 1,225fps the zero is at 55 meters, the point blank sight & 4 1/2" low at 100 meters. The first leaf, OR holding the bead level with the 'wing tips' of the point blank sight gives a perfect zero at 100 meters and is 4" low at 120yards - thereabouts.  The second leaf is the 150 yard meter for the light target load and third somewhere around 200meters, but it's hard to say - accuracy is gone by 120yards as it will only hold 4" to 5" at 100meters, compared to the hunting loads, 1.2" to 1.5" for 5 shots.

With the hunting load of 6 drams, the point blank sight is zero'd at 100 meters and about 4" low at 130meters. The first leaf is the 150 meter zero and the second leaf is 200 meters zero.  The third leaf is zero'd at 300 meters for the 'long gong' we used to have hanging at that range. This rifle has never missed that gong, no matter who was shooting it. Seldom did anyone want to shoot another shot, though, the 'first' being the accurate one, was the one they wanted to remember. Neither the second nor third leaf have been filed out to the shallow V - just never got around to it as the little notches seemed to work OK for long shots.


In the picture above, you can see a little notch in the bottom of the wide V. I like this as the front bead seems to roll down to that small 'dip' and seems to lock there, never to come out - probably the easiest sight to use.  For those who see a fuzzy front sight - the bead is more accurate sight picture.  It is fuzzy around the outside, which enlarges the bead slightly, but the ball always hits in the centre of the bead - you don't have difficulty discerning where the ball will hit, like you do with an indistinct blade - where in the fuzz does the ball hit with a fuzzy blade? ;D
« Last Edit: April 25, 2009, 06:35:37 PM by Daryl »

Offline acorn20

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2009, 11:40:09 PM »
Daryl,
Thanks for the pics on your sights...especially the three-bladed rear sight.  A buddy and I were talking just yesterday about manufacturing a three-bladed rear sight for a couple of jaegers he's building.  I know that a two-bladed sight is available thru Log Cabin Gun Shop.  I was concerned about the height the rear sight might end up because naturally we were thinking the blades would be folding down on top of one another.  We never considered mounting the blades ahead of one another as in your last posting.  Thanks much.
Dan
Dan Akers

Daryl

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2009, 05:14:04 AM »
This is anothr comercial Express sight- Note the height of the standing sight. To leave this sight this high, would make for a very high front sight.  Mine was similar, so I filed it to where it is today, to obtain a zero with a low mounted bead. The sight I bought had a line in the middle, so I deepened the line and filled it with silver solder. Before hunting, I rub it with a piece of denim patch material which brightens it up.

northmn

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2009, 07:50:56 PM »
I have been considering changing my sights.  I have always used a bead very similar to what you have but think it may help to move up a little in size.   The express sights I liked were the very wide V's with no notch.  For utility use in a longr barrel a 3/32" minimum bead may be the ticket.  Had trouble last deer season with seeeing sights and setting the front bead into the notch.

DP

Daryl

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2009, 11:54:02 PM »
DP - the notches aren't needed and are far smaller than the bead.  I find they help with telling exactly where the bead sits, as in the drawing below.  The only time I find a descent sized, hunting bead too big, is on very small targets out 40 to 75 yards.  Of course, the longer the barrel, that larger the bead can & must be.  Very large beads, as in the flip-up night sigths for Express sights, are way too bug for any serious shooting. An 1/8" bead would work well for hunting or most trail walks if mounted on a 42" or onger barrel.












Daryl

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2009, 04:45:36 PM »
Compare this one to the 14 bore Purdey's sight Taylor posted above.  This one's on my 14 bore rifle.


When the light gets dim- the bead shows nicely. This one is quite small, mostly for target shooting, but did well moose hunting too.

« Last Edit: May 03, 2009, 04:48:40 PM by Daryl »

Offline hanshi

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2009, 01:54:45 AM »
Good photo.  Says it all.
!Jozai Senjo! "always present on the battlefield"
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.

Daryl

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2009, 06:30:30 PM »
Thankyou. Flintr - it is a fantastic sight for the bush, as you can visualize. While I'm sure this rifle would do just fine on a mule or whitetail, it's prime focus is for moose and bear. Their black hides sure make a good back-drop of the bead - in any light I've found.

The picture against the dark couch (brown) was taken without flash.

There are times out in the sun during target shoots when the bead must be darkened with felt-pen or other sight darkening mixtures, but no more so than silver or brass blades. I think the bead is superior to the blade in that respect, as is the wide V, as light shining on the wide V doesn't fuzz it out to where you can't see it, as in a deep V or U notch.  When the bead seems to disappear on the target, a sighting can be taken on the ground or other nearby object, then the rifle moved to the target (plate or paper) and the shot taken with centre-hit results as the bead just seems to sit in the bottom of the wide V.

Offline Robby

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Re: Front sight - bead for Express rear
« Reply #14 on: May 04, 2009, 06:43:40 PM »
Daryl, I was at the range yesterday and got to hold an original, old, lever action, Marlin, 32-40(?), with sights very close to the photographs you have shown. Even I, had little trouble picking up, rear, front, and down range target. I'm breaking out the files, its going to be a long night!
molon labe
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