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steve004 said
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/778678629
Steve,
I have seen that same sight on at least a dozen or more older lever action rifles (most of them 1876s).
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
It would be really cool if it lettered with a range finder so you could pick the right leaf.
Dominic
January 26, 2011
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The majority of those that I’ve seen were on 1873’s, and for whatever reason they all had sling eyes or swivels, as I recall. If you ever see one with a dovetail slot cut underneath the 7 leaf, its likely not original. Interesting to look at, but probably above my pay grade to actually use it.
~Gary~
In the 73 survey I have 32 with the 7 leaf sights and of those 18 had sling or sling eyes like Gary.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Interesting information. I too, have seen them before, but rarely. It sounds like they are fairly unusual to find on a M1886. I wonder how well these sights met the original owner’s expectations. And in practical application, did they shoot animals at different distances, using the appropriate leaf – with success?
steve004 said
I wonder how well these sights met the original owner’s expectations. And in practical application, did they shoot animals at different distances, using the appropriate leaf – with success?
As Dominic suggested, they’d have to be using an optical rangefinder, or some range estimation device such as the very complicated one the Army issued during WWI. Even with such a device, a broadside deer at 500 yds would just about be hidden by the width of the front sight. Maybe out on the plains or on a mountain side, the impact of the first shot or two could be seen & the sight adjusted accordingly, assuming the game remained patient. Though someone like Elmer Keith might have put one to good use, I suspect that the main buyers of such sights were neophytes with no practical hunting experience, under the delusion that such a sight would compensate for their inexperience.
The bulk of these guns that have 7 leafs were Africa guns with British proofs
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I purchased a collection about 15 years ago that had 8-9 of these guns in it. 5 1873’s and 3 1876’s with 1 86 If I remember. The 73’s were all in the 431,000 range expect one which was a deluxe engraved gun in 505,000 range. The 76’s were scattered a little bit. All lettered and had Beeches front sights. They were imported from South Africa to a shop in Missouri where I picked them up. I don’t remember any British proofs on these but some of the other guns ghad them.
Casey
November 7, 2015
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I’ve hunted with a couple of guys who could use a sight like that. One was a surveyor and the other was a guide who did a lot of 3D archery completion. I suck at range estimation so I’m in awe of someone who is really good at it.
Mike
What the heck!? It sure bears similarity to the one on the ’86. But that ring, that spins around the whole barrel to adjust elevation. One could say a lot of things… such as not streamlined and so on. But it is so unique… I like it. And I suppose the elevation can be very quickly adjusted. And there are points on the ring that indicate different elevations so it could be set to a predetermined elevation quickly. Who in the heck made it?
steve004 said
Who in the heck made it?
Now that it appears the sight was put into production (VERY limited, no doubt, but at least not a one-of-a-kind custom job), searching period publications for an ad is probably the only way it can be identified. It almost surely was patented but unless the pat. no. is marked on it, that’s of little aid in identifying it.
Someone with plenty of time & access to Broadfoot’s Rifle and Shooting & Fishing reprints might find it by starting at, say, about 1890 and searching for an ad (turning page by page–no other way to do it) through the next 10 yrs or so. Shooting publications like this, Forest & Stream, American Field, etc., featured many ads for novel patented sights, most of which survived only briefly before the makers went belly up. A sight, especially, that required such a hole drilled through the forearm, was probably a huge flop commercially, no matter how well it actually worked.
November 7, 2015
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steve004 said
What the heck!? It sure bears similarity to the one on the ’86. But that ring, that spins around the whole barrel to adjust elevation. One could say a lot of things… such as not streamlined and so on. But it is so unique… I like it. And I suppose the elevation can be very quickly adjusted. And there are points on the ring that indicate different elevations so it could be set to a predetermined elevation quickly. Who in the heck made it?
Looks like the work of none other than Rube Goldberg. Not a fan of those cuts in the fore end but pretty sure cutting that dovetail over the chamber wasn’t a good idea.
Mike
It almost looks like the bottom of that sight dovetail should have rifling cut into it.
jban said
It almost looks like the bottom of that sight dovetail should have rifling cut into it.
Barrington sight:
I notice no elevation turning ring. It would be interesting to know if that ring (on the Winchester M1895 .35) had anything to do with Barrington.
steve004 said
Barrington sight:
I notice no elevation turning ring. It would be interesting to know if that ring (on the Winchester M1895 .35) had anything to do with Barrington.
Impressive detective work! How in the world did you manage to identify it?
clarence said
Impressive detective work! How in the world did you manage to identify it?
Really not that difficult at all. And old adage comes to mind, “it’s not what you know but who you know.” (Thanks Gene B.).
🙂
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