Author Topic: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?  (Read 18320 times)

Offline Darkhorse

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #50 on: March 04, 2020, 09:20:50 AM »
A few years ago my vision changed very quickly. In late summer I was shooting as good as ever, took 2 deer with my .54 flintlock. Then just after Christmas I got the urge to do some squirrel hunting so I checked the sights on my .40 flintlock. Instead of a good tight group my shots were all high and scattered. I could't focus on the rear sight. Later I was diagnosed with sugar diabetes and that negativly affected my shooting a great deal.
I had been thinking about a peep for some time. I wanted it to be as low to the bore as possible, but with swamped barrels that might be difficult. Anyway, this is what I came up with and I have them on both my flintlocks now. The sight has a 10-32 peg through the rear peep. I had to drill and tap a hole through the tang at an angle to keep the sight square with the front post. The hole is drilled as close to center as possible. There was also work done to the bottom of the tang and to the stock but I won't get into all that.
Like daveC2 I have been asked about making and selling the peep. Keep something in mind here,  if I provided this peep how would you mount it? How about dave's sight which is much fancier than mine. Fact is; if a person can take a finished peep and then mount it to your rifle then you have the skills to make the sight yourself.
So think about that then go and make one that suits you and your rifle perfectly.


American horses of Arabian descent.

Offline Craig Wilcox

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #51 on: March 06, 2020, 03:26:27 AM »
That is a nice, useful peep on that tang.  It's too bad someone stuck your lock on the wrong side tho.

Beautiful firearm!
Craig Wilcox
We are all elated when Dame Fortune smiles at us, but remember that she is always closely followed by her daughter, Miss Fortune.

Offline Darkhorse

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #52 on: March 08, 2020, 12:26:54 PM »
My bad Craig. But now that it's there I really like it.
American horses of Arabian descent.

Offline Craig Wilcox

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #53 on: March 08, 2020, 11:05:56 PM »
It would seem to me that if you made the tang peep with sufficient metal on the bottom, you could file some steel off the bottom until you are shooting correctly in the black.

I am currently working on a Don Stith kit for a "J&S Hawken St Louis Plains Rifle", FS .54 cal.  I will try to incorporate a "screw-on" tang peep for hunting purposes, leaving the original sight for shooting matches.

It would be easy enough to solder a thick steel "bottom" onto the sight to allow filing for elevation.  The forward tang bolt is in a pretty good position for mounting the sight.  And the Lord knows I have a sufficient supply of tang bolts!
Craig Wilcox
We are all elated when Dame Fortune smiles at us, but remember that she is always closely followed by her daughter, Miss Fortune.

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #54 on: March 16, 2020, 03:08:37 AM »
MORTIMERS? I thought they were Reinhardts made in Ohio.
Bob Roller

jeronimo41

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #55 on: March 16, 2020, 03:15:52 AM »
it was...I put a mortimer on it. getting blind in my old age...

jeronimo41

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #56 on: March 16, 2020, 03:17:23 AM »
what i meant was...the top one is a Reinhard that i put a mortimer on.  getting too old to see straight.  they help !!

Offline alacran

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #57 on: March 16, 2020, 03:34:31 PM »
Do you still have the sights you replaced with the Mortimer sight?  It is hard to tell in the photo if there is a forward sight or just a wedge to fill the dovetail. What caliber is that rifle. Would love to take it Pronghorn hunting.
A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  Frederick Douglass

jeronimo41

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #58 on: March 16, 2020, 04:03:41 PM »
I actually didnt like the way the Mortimer sight canted at distance after 130 yards or so
so I took that staff off and replaced the Hawken style sight in the dovetail slot. (recently)
the slot is about 9/16 so I made a custom base for it to attach the long hawken sight.

Offline recurve

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #59 on: March 25, 2020, 10:27:47 PM »
Forced to stay home project  brass hand shaped Acorn peep







Offline recurve

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #60 on: March 25, 2020, 10:30:30 PM »




I had to regulate the rear sight (filing from the base to lower groups)  seems to work shot 100yrds from bench

Offline Daryl

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #61 on: March 26, 2020, 08:06:22 PM »
For a "shiny" aperture sight, it certainly seems to work.
Does it have a short peg fitting into a hole in the tank to prevent sideways movement?
I see it is slightly off to the right, and so is the final group, not much, but enough to correct.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Marcruger

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #62 on: March 27, 2020, 05:48:52 PM »
I was thinking some cold blue on the brass peep would tone down the shine a little, and serve you better in the long run.  God Bless,   Marc

Offline recurve

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #63 on: March 27, 2020, 05:50:30 PM »
I was getting grouping to the left sooo I move rear sight to the right (I need to center the rear sight and drift the front sight to the left) and then mark the tang and new sight centered (or add a small allen screw) I'm rumbing it down with barrel soiled fouled patches to get the shine down

Offline Daryl

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #64 on: March 27, 2020, 09:59:08 PM »
That should work but Marc's suggestion of cold blue might be quicker.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #65 on: March 27, 2020, 10:19:02 PM »
Another consideration on that brass sight, If it were mine I would make the back of it flat and not coned. I think you will get a sharper sight picture and the slope of the rear cone wont be there to reflect too much light as you look through it.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #66 on: March 28, 2020, 03:14:16 AM »
Yes  - smylee has a point. The rear 'face' should always be flat or have dull black stepped reductions on the surface.
All coning should be from the front surface to get the thinnest possible web.
This one has an adjustable iris at the bottom of a long larger dia. tube so the aperture is always shaded.


Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #67 on: March 28, 2020, 03:29:19 AM »
That looks like a quality unit Daryl. Maybe good for a shutzen (sp) style rifle.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #68 on: March 28, 2020, 09:21:35 AM »
It is an AJ Parker sight and yes, a very good one. On a 28" bl. each click is 1 moa.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline recurve

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #69 on: April 03, 2020, 01:36:35 AM »
Ok I took your advise, I counter sunk the opening facing the shooter flatting and darkening leaving it ruff/mat . I then took the sight off & put it in a small mound  of 4f   and flashed it instant dark patina.   

Offline Daryl

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #70 on: April 03, 2020, 02:40:19 AM »
Sounds great!
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #71 on: April 03, 2020, 02:59:09 AM »
Agreed, I think your sight picture will be sharper as a result.

Offline Darkhorse

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #72 on: April 04, 2020, 02:17:01 AM »
Ok I took your advise, I counter sunk the opening facing the shooter flatting and darkening leaving it ruff/mat . I then took the sight off & put it in a small mound  of 4f   and flashed it instant dark patina.

I do all mine with the surface facing the shooter left flat and I countersink the opening  facing the front sight. I also paint my peeps flat black though a good browning would probably be just as good.
American horses of Arabian descent.

Offline recurve

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #73 on: April 04, 2020, 06:48:12 PM »
updated




Offline Daryl

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Re: Peep/tang sights back in "the day"?
« Reply #74 on: April 05, 2020, 05:16:16 AM »
That is better, recurve. I might add here, that a stationary store will have Dry Erase, felt pens. This gives a perfectly flat, black finish
that is easily wiped off with a finger.  It also blackens shiny front sights instead of giving them a shiny black appearance, as do
permanent felt marker pens.
The Dry Erase pen is always in my 'possibles' bag for when the front sight is too shiny on an "in the sun" target. Works perfectly. Makes
for a solid flat-black front sight - hint, hint.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V