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I have had some lingering questions with a couple of rifles I’ve acquired over the years and was hoping to get some guidance on the originality of a couple of the rear sights.
First, the 1886 sight shown in the attached photo appears to be correct based on length (it’s from an 88k serial range standard 26″ rifle), but what puzzles me is that the screw is in the center of the top portion of the sight and not offset like the other sights. Is this normal?
Second is regarding a sight on an 18k serial range 1873 rifle. I took a photo of the sight it has on it next to one that I have on a 209k serial range rifle (which I believe is correct, although I discovered later that the elevator came from another rifle but I believe this is still correct as both match the dimensions on an early 1892 rifle I have). The sight on the left is from the first model 1873, and clearly shorter, and this particular sight is completely flat on the top, and has a series of hash marks in an “x” type pattern on the sides. Is this first model sight and elevator original to a first model gun?
Last is from a late production (700k serial range) short rifle I picked up. I took a photo of the sight next to the same 209k serial range 1873 for comparison. The short rifle sight is plainer without the striations on the side of the 209k range sight and also angled backwards at the top. The elevator it came with was clearly wrong, so I’m also looking to replace it with an original that would have been appropriate for that sight, but wanted to know if the sight it currently has would be correct for that serial range or not, and if so, if it would take the same type of elevator with the thumbpiece found on other winchesters in the early 1900’s?
The 1886 photo shows a sporting leaf sight and the screw is in the right place. The photos are poor but that series of sight is found on many 1873s, 1876s, and 1886s. They can be marked or sometimes not.
The first model 1873 rifle commonly used the short sporting rear sight, with the checkering . Sometimes they were flat tops, clover leaf, or semi buckhorn. The elevator had flat steps. They were also used on 66s and 76s.
Because of the poor pictures I can’t tell for sure what you have.
T/R
Grant,
The sight on the 209k gun has a non Winchester elevator on it. It should have one like this.
The sight on the 1st model has the wrong elevator as well. It should have the flat step kind like this one.
The picture of the short rifle sight is too blurry and the wrong angle to see what kind of sight it is. Take a angled picture like the one I posted of the 1st model sight. Make sure its sharp before you post it.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Not sure if this is the same. This is the rear sight on my 73 rifle DOM 1882. It has the knurls & not serrations.
Rick C
That would be on a 1st or some 2nd model guns.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
RickC said
Not sure if is this the same. This is the rear sight on my 73 rifle DOM 1882. It has the knurls & not serrations.
Yes, this is the early sporting rear sight with the flat step elevator. It still appeared in the June 1883 catalog, price $1.00.
T/R
TR said
RickC said
Not sure if is this the same. This is the rear sight on my 73 rifle DOM 1882. It has the knurls & not serrations.
Yes, this is the early sporting rear sight with the flat step elevator. It still appeared in the May 1881 catalog, price $1.00.
T/R
Ok thanks Bob & T/R, pretty sure it’s original on my 73 DOM 1882.
Rick C
Rick I looked again and that sight appears in the June of 1883 catalog, but not in September 1884. T/R
Grant,
I can’t see what sight you have on your short rifle but this is what would be on one.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Thank you both, T/R and Bob for the replies. Sorry that the first photos didn’t come out clear enough, couldn’t seem to get the lighting right, but hopefully this batch is better for both the first model and the late model short rifle. I believe that the last photos you attached match what I have on the late model, but would love a second opinion.
Bob, I see now that there is a difference on the 209k rifle elevator vs. the 1892 rifle I had been comparing it to. When I removed the elevators, the 1892 elevator matched the photo you attached and the one on the 1873 had the top part of the elevator too far forward vs. the base.
I can’t tell from your picture if it has the screw and slide adjuster.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Sorry about that Bob, I can’t seem to get the camera to focus well enough in the lighting again.
The short rifle sight does have an adjustment screw on the right hand side like the photos you shared. I looked really closely under a bright light, and could just barely make out that there are two vertical lines separating the center and the outsides of the buckhorn, same as your picture. Until now, I had never seen those due to the….character…of the rifle.
Not that I would attempt to move it now as it’s likely rusted solid, but I presume that this means that the adjustment screw would allow one to raise or lower the outside of the sight such that it could be a flat top or a high top buckhorn, correct?
I really appreciate the guidance here and sorry the pictures haven’t given all of the detail needed, but I’ve already learned a lot!
Grant,
The adjuster is to do fine adjustments to the notch to get your point of impact zeroed in at close range and then you would use the elevator for the different ranges.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I just inherited my Uncle Joes 1967 or 68. Model 94. But I’m not sure what scope to mount on this rear hard site / scope mount combo. Any suggestions? [Image Can Not Be Found]
im not able to add a pic, but this is a single scope mount that is too thick to mount a picatany mount. This piece also has a hard site attached to the piece with Windage adj and elevation adj. about 6” in length and provides for the front stock strap ring. The look is that it’s original to the weapon.
fyi front site is the raised w cover site
TR said
Rick I looked again and that sight appears in the June of 1883 catalog, but not in September 1884. T/R
Thanks T/R. I was quite certain it was original to my gun 1882 DOM. There must be other 3rd model 73’s with this 1st model rear sight if it was still being offered in the 1883 catalog.
Rick C
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