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April 30, 2023
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All, the other recent 1866 thread burning up the forum inspired me to dig out mine and see what everyone thought about the rear sight on it.
See pics. This is gun #105747, purchased from a fellow WACA member a couple of years ago or so…. The current ladder sight is in a dovetail 2-15/16″ from the receiver edge to dovetail center. It has no spring tension and just flops around, looks like it’s missing the period spring that sits laterally along the barrel from other guns’ pics I saw.
The blank filler you see is 1-3/16″ forward of the receiver to center of dovetail. The blank looks very well fit and is aged to almost exactly the browned color of the surrounding barrel material.
Thoughts from you sharp-eyed viewers on the theory behind the sight swap (or anything else)? Let the thoughts and observations flow!
View pics here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HuDNnLrimVvz1ZfU7
May 2, 2009
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The Winchester catalog called it the Musket Rear Sight. The barrel usually had a milled slot that the spring sat in to keep it from sliding out of place. I would guess the rear slot was for the original barrel sight and later they wanted to put on a later Sporting sight that was longer so a new dovetail was added. It looks like I can see wear from the elevator over the slot filler.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
April 30, 2023
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Bob, why though do you think they wanted the musket sight in the first place? It’s all conjecture, but what gains would it have gotten…better set up for distance shooting?
You’re probably on to something with the elevator wear, hadn’t paid attention to that before. Was the original likely a 22B w/ elevator?
March 30, 2026
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Makes sense, the musket sight was likely for better long-range accuracy. The elevator wear fits if it was originally a 22B.
May 2, 2009
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Jeremy P said
Bob, why though do you think they wanted the musket sight in the first place? It’s all conjecture, but what gains would it have gotten…better set up for distance shooting?
You’re probably on to something with the elevator wear, hadn’t paid attention to that before. Was the original likely a 22B w/ elevator?
I checked the Bill West book and according to it at 102,000 they moved the sight dovetail forward and used the short sporting rear. Before 102,000 they used the Musket sight with the external spring and did use them on rifles. You might not know which dovetail was the original unless you remove the sight and plug and see if one was added later. I would think the flip up staff type would be good for distant shooting but it would be hindrance when hunting in woods and brush, it would be getting caught and could get bent or broken. That is probably why they put the sporting sight on it but later replaced the musket sight when sold. The gun is close enough to that transitional range you could have mixed features. It also could be the barrel was replaced with a earlier one.
The sight I think would of been on before was the Early Sporting Rear like one of these with the flat elevator.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
April 30, 2023
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Thanks for the thoughts/info. I think I’m going to leave it alone, I was more curious than anything. She’s a little browned but overall in fair to good shape for what I paid for it.
It’s got stories like they all do I’m sure!
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