Retired NYPD Detective, Firearms Examiner, Production Evaluations, Cerakote and Duracoat finishes, NRA Life member
Good afternoon, Brian. I’m no expert on the 1873 but I do know enough about the iron sights on your rifle to say Chuck is absolutely right. Those sights are quite valuable themselves and they are an enhancement to your rifle.
On rifles with as much age on them as yours, particularly one in a caliber suitable for small game, varmints, and target competition, many owners would not have been satisfied with the original open rear sight and a ladder tang sight would have been a welcome, albeit costly, upgrade. As you know, a different, usually higher, front sight is often required once the rear sight is replaced with a tang sight.
All in all, those sights just look right for that rifle.
The fact that it’s owned by an NYPD detective named Hogan is icing on the cake. I can already see a crime mystery featuring an Irish plain clothes cop and that rifle, set in the Bowery.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
I know that’s why I purchased the rifle. The sights were very cool. I had no clue they were so sought after until I did some research. I’m very happy with the rifle.
Retired NYPD Detective, Firearms Examiner, Production Evaluations, Cerakote and Duracoat finishes, NRA Life member
Anthony said
Brian,Thanks for sharing a very nice honest Rifle with some nice, hard to find sight on it!
Very attractive piece!
Anthony
I’m with Anthony on this. It’s a very attractive rifle. I’ve purchased more than one rifle because of the sight that was on it. That thick-based sight really helps this rifle stand out.
November 7, 2015

I may be mistaken but that sight is what some of us call “period correct” on top of being a desirable sight. Lettering would have been a home run but a nice solid double is pretty awesome too.
Mike
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