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Greetings,
I own a model 1873 manufactured in 1889. It has a tang sight and does not have a rear barrel sight. Did the rifle originally come with both the tang and rear barrel sight? If the answer is yes, then I would like to find one to make the rifle correct. What sight would be correct? Thank you.
Mike
Mike,
Does it have the dovetail on the barrel for the rear sight? If there is a dovetail, Is there any wear in the finish from a sight that was on it previously? The standard rear barrel sight is called the Sporting Rear with the screw and looks like the picture below. Another thing to check is if the gun letters with any sights which is a long shot since few guns letter with sights. A serial number check with the Cody Firearms Museum will tell you how the gun left the factory. What is the serial number?
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
[email protected] said
Greetings,Did the rifle originally come with both the tang and rear barrel sight?
Not impossible, but HIGHLY unlikely, as both sights mounted at the same time are incompatible.
A picture or two would speak volumes to answer this question
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
There is a dovetail. I don’t see wear. Did Winchester ship rifles without a dove tailed barrel in the event a tang sight was ordered? Thank you!
Serial Number is 311676B
Yes they did. They would not have the dovetail or they would put a dovetail filler in it depending on what the customer wanted.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Mike, Post some good pictures of the top of the barrel in the rear sight area. This will allow everyone to see what condition, color, and type of sight you need. Perhaps a member has one that will match or knows where one is. Matching sight color and condition to the gun is not easy. T/R
TR said
Matching sight color and condition to the gun is not easy. T/R
And unnecessary, unless the tang sight is going to be removed, which would probably leave a bright mark showing that it had been there. The better idea would be to fill the slot with a blank or a Lyman #6 folding sight.
I would like to just install a dovetail blank. I found this one on ebay. Is this correct? if not can someone point me in the right direction. Thank you.
That one will work. Just remember a dovetail filler has to be installed just like any barrel sight, it is installed from the right hand side of the gun with the narrow tapper going in first.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Michael, I have guns that have a rear sight and a tang sight. They don’t always get in the way. If the staff will raise the peep far enough I set it exactly where I can see all 3 sights. If this is not at it’s maximum height you can adjust it for further distances.
Chuck said
Michael, I have guns that have a rear sight and a tang sight. They don’t always get in the way. If the staff will raise the peep far enough I set it exactly where I can see all 3 sights. If this is not at it’s maximum height you can adjust it for further distances.
I have some rifles that are set up like Chuck described – and it works ok. On those rifles that have tang sights, I prefer a blank of the two-blade style sight that folds flat. I have some rifles that have the tang sight and a standard rear sight – where it doesn’t work ok and the rear sight is in the way. I am very reluctant to remove a rear sight that has sat there for 100+ years and obviously never been touched. If the sight shows evidence of having been taken out in the past – then no problem – I will take it out and put what I prefer in the slot.
steve004 said
I have some rifles that are set up like Chuck described – and it works ok. On those rifles that have tang sights, I prefer a blank of the two-blade style sight that folds flat. I have some rifles that have the tang sight and a standard rear sight – where it doesn’t work ok and the rear sight is in the way. I am very reluctant to remove a rear sight that has sat there for 100+ years and obviously never been touched. If the sight shows evidence of having been taken out in the past – then no problem – I will take it out and put what I prefer in the slot.
Steve if you use a brass head hammer, an oak dowel and put a piece of paper under the sight when you drive it off or on you should be OK. Sometimes I need more force so I use a brass hammer, a brass punch and put a piece of wood along the barrel and sometimes on the sight it’s self to prevent hitting the sight or barrel. The brass hammer or punch can mar the metal.
Chuck said
steve004 said
I have some rifles that are set up like Chuck described – and it works ok. On those rifles that have tang sights, I prefer a blank of the two-blade style sight that folds flat. I have some rifles that have the tang sight and a standard rear sight – where it doesn’t work ok and the rear sight is in the way. I am very reluctant to remove a rear sight that has sat there for 100+ years and obviously never been touched. If the sight shows evidence of having been taken out in the past – then no problem – I will take it out and put what I prefer in the slot.
Steve if you use a brass head hammer, an oak dowel and put a piece of paper under the sight when you drive it off or on you should be OK. Sometimes I need more force so I use a brass hammer, a brass punch and put a piece of wood along the barrel and sometimes on the sight it’s self to prevent hitting the sight or barrel. The brass hammer or punch can mar the metal.
A few years ago I bought a brass punch made specifically for sight removal. I’ve never used a brass hammer however – so that’s a thought. However, as you specifically state, “should be ok.” There is always risk. Human error can rear its head at any time. I’ve sure seen a lot of rifles with damage to the wood near the sight, damage to the barrel near the sight, and damage to the sight itself. I would be more motivated to do it if I used that specific rifle with a lot of frequency. I have many rifles set up the way I like it and enjoy taking them to the range. To get them all set-up that way (when they are mainly collector items) hasn’t been worth the risk/effort.
steve004 said
A few years ago I bought a brass punch made specifically for sight removal. I’ve never used a brass hammer however – so that’s a thought.
Punch I usually use is is a length of 1/2″ brass key stock; probably other widths are made, but this size works well. Nothing wrong with using a brass hammer, & I have one with brass on one side & nylon on the other, but I don’t quite see the advantage when only the punch is in contact with the sight. If you’re so clumsy as to miss the punch & hit the wood, the brass hammer won’t prevent damage. Best kind is a small dead-blow hammer, such as those sold by Brownell’s.
steve004 said
I have some rifles that are set up like Chuck described – and it works ok.
But it cancels out the optical advantage of the peep, which is to see nothing in the line of sight but the front sight against the target. If you’re lining up the bead or blade in the notch of the rear sight, what is the peep doing? If you just like having it on the gun for the look of it, that’s a different consideration–I have proper tang sights (that I don’t use) on all my scoped single-shots.
The way you do it is if your up close you use the barrel sight and when you go for distance you are elevating the tang sight and the rear barrel sight is not blocking much.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
1873man said
The way you do it is if your up close you use the barrel sight and when you go for distance you are elevating the tang sight and the rear barrel sight is not blocking much.Bob
Not disputing that it CAN be done, but why? I mean, why, other than for the reason of keeping the rear sight on because it’s original to the gun. That’s a good enough reason on a collector gun that might only be shot occasionally from a bench at a well defined target. Hunting is a different situation. A peep is equally advantageous at all ranges, esp. snap shooting. John Garand thought so.
clarence said
Not disputing that it CAN be done, but why? I mean, why, other than for the reason of keeping the rear sight on because it’s original to the gun. That’s a good enough reason on a collector gun that might only be shot occasionally from a bench at a well defined target. Hunting is a different situation. A peep is equally advantageous at all ranges, esp. snap shooting. John Garand thought so.
That describes most of what I have – collector guns that are occasionally shot from a bench – and not hunted.
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