Peep Sights:

[Mikeh]

 Someone here while back posted a note about "self-made" peep sights for the breach or tang. They were wanting to see some examples of the builders on here. I'm interested in those as well but I can't find that post to save me. Anyone on here that could point me in the right direction? It would certainly be appreciated!  Regards, Mikeh

[Dave B]

not sure if this is the one but it shows several  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=49722.msg493424#msg493424

[xx54]

Look under black powder shooting from the top down it is the 20th post. I replied to this post and my post is the very last one in this string. Mayb this will be helpful.

[Darkhorse]

This one? http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=50684.0

[Craig Wilcox]

I do love peep sights!  That is what I learned on when the Marines on our base in the Philippines taught me how to shoot as a lad.

I actually like them so much that I have drilled and tapped the barrel on my Lehigh/Rupp rifle I am building.  I got a small peep from MBS, out of brass with two sizes of aperture.  Most of the time there will be two little filling screws in the holes.  But when I get to using it for serious shooting or hunting, I will put the peep on.  It is just tall enough to see the front sight over the top of the HC sight.

And my WWII battle rifle and carbine come with peep sights!  But we won't get into discussing them here.

[Blacktail]

Another to look at is the skinner sights peep. He makes one which will go into a single tapped hole. I put one one on the tang of my english sporter and it works great.

[Pukka Bundook]

FWIW, a peep sight can be soldered to the barrel. Soft or low temp will do, and not fall off.
Doing it this way only a bit of blue/brown will restore the barrel and not leave screw holes if sight is removed.


I really like the peeps fitted on barrels in the 1500's (and later), makes even a short barrel have a long sighting plane.  :-)

The above are not adjustable for elevation though, just "Kentucky windage" style.

[54ball]

 This Rowe has a peep sight.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15105.0

[Bob Roller]

I do love peep sights!  That is what I learned on when the Marines on our base in the Philippines taught me how to shoot as a lad.

I actually like them so much that I have drilled and tapped the barrel on my Lehigh/Rupp rifle I am building.  I got a small peep from MBS, out of brass with two sizes of aperture.  Most of the time there will be two little filling screws in the holes.  But when I get to using it for serious shooting or hunting, I will put the peep on.  It is just tall enough to see the front sight over the top of the HC sight.

And my WWII battle rifle and carbine come with peep sights!  But we won't get into discussing them here.

I haven't fired a rifle with barrel only sights since I built a 58 caliber flintlock 10 years ago.
Cobbled together a boys rifle and it had a mini Creedmoor folding sight with .050 calibrations.
I have made several of these folding tang sights for Long Range muzzle loaders and BPCR
as well.The ones on the muzzle loaders fold forward and the other back toward the comb of the stock.

Bob Roller

[Rwnblack]

Here is what I use.  The tang is threaded with a 10x32 tap, the peep sight screws into that, if you want more elevation give it a turn.  There is a locking nut to keep it firmly in place.

Rex

[PPatch]

After some more cleanup and refining I got this little guy installed on my current build this morning. It really clears up the front sight and will likely do the same for the target. loving the increased sight radius.




dave

[Dphariss]

[Curt J]

I have been making some "lollipop" tang sights for original percussion target rifles. They very often have an empty threaded hole, where such a sight once resided.  The problem is that these old rifles are all over the map, as far as sizes and threads per inch. I have seen a few that were 10-32, but many more are 12's or 1/4", with threads ranging from about 40 tpi to as fine as 64 tpi.  A lot of the old ones were 12-50, which is not commercially available today. Since you are only threading them into a tang that is no more than 1/4" thick, a 12-48 is already through the hole before it realizes that there is any difference. I have enough original lollipop tang sights to use for inspiration, that my reproductions look pretty natural.

[gumboman]

After some more cleanup and refining I got this little guy installed on my current build this morning. It really clears up the front sight and will likely do the same for the target. loving the increased sight radius.

PPATCH, exactly where on your rifle is your little peep installed? Is it on the barrel or barrel tang? Do I see a dovetail at the bottom? Can you drift for windage? Can you post picture of the peep installed? I like you approach as it appears to be clean and simple.

[Bob Roller]

The few that I made for long range rifles were,with one exception an 8x40.
40 threads per inch is a micrometer thread for the U.S.inch system.
The odd one was a very small diameter elevation stem and was a 2x64 I used
on a gun I made for myself.I also sent a 1/4x80 tap and die to Taylor and
told him to keep it until further notice.
There is an old German gun,a heavy one in our Art Museum here that has a tang sight
but I don't remember if it's a lollypop style or a ladder style.

Bob Roller

[Davemuzz]

Now THAT is a very creative adjustable peep sight!!

[Craig Wilcox]

Dave, that brass peep sight is absolutely great!  Not to diminish your work in any way, as I plan to make a similar peep on my next build.  But Williams sells a variety of peep apertures that simply screw in and out.  I tend to use a very small aperture for target work, and a larger aperture for hunting - it gives me a wider field of view.  Right now, I think I am using .050 and .090.  It would be easy to thread your brass sight and use various apertures- experiment a little.

My current peep is about 3.5" long, and I widened the rear screw hole for windage adjustments.  Won't move very much, but enough for moderate winds.  It uses two 6-40 screws to hold it on, and I do have some plug screws for when it is off.  The height of the peep is just enough to look over the top of the traditional buckhorn type sight that is more permanently mounted.  Front sight is sterling, and is left tall for now.

But I really like the brass sight that you made!