What is this sight for?

[PBSmith]

My first thought it must be intended for a handgun, but I suppose it could have been intended for a rifle. The notch is so small that it wouldn't work for a handgun unless enlarged. I couldn't find anything like it in an old Brownell's catalog. There are no obvious indications of how it would attach to either handgun or rifle. The sight is at least 60-70 years old, came out of a gunsmith's odds and ends.

Anyone know what we're looking at here?

[Winger Ed.]

A picture is worth 1,000 words....


Just a wild guess, but some of the old original muskets had rear sights with a notch almost too small to see.

Edit.
Ahh, they we go.

That's got to be some sort of high end adjustable target sight that was probably meant to be Silver soldered onto a BP target rifle.
The barrels were so thin, they didn't lend themselves to a notch, or threaded holes being cut into them.

[Nueces]

That looks just like a sight for a muzzleloader octagonal barrel once offered in the Dixie Gun Works catalog.

It had to be drilled for screws, either into the barrel or into a dovetail cross piece.

[Dan Cash]

Looks European. Insufficient elevation for a BP gun.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I honestly don't know, but in general it looks a whole lot like a S&W revolver sight-- except that the mounting portion forward of the actual sight is longer and shaped differently at it's terminus, a point instead of squared off. It has similarly located adjusting screws, and if it was mounted on a handgun and one's arm fully extended the small sight notch might work for a sharp-eyed individual. It could fit into a slot on top of the frame, and a screw hole could be drilled where needed. Certainly not a common item. So, my guess, and it is a guess, is a custom revolver sight.

[PBSmith]

That looks just like a sight for a muzzleloader octagonal barrel once offered in the Dixie Gun Works catalog.

It had to be drilled for screws, either into the barrel or into a dovetail cross piece.

Neuces, you hit the ten-X. I turned to my 1982 Dixie Gunworks catalog and found this exact sight, described as "Kentucky rifle target sight, 5 inches long, will fit any octagonal barrel. Has elevation screw and windage set screw. Blued. $16.95."

Thanks, all, for responding.

[PBSmith]

I honestly don't know, but in general it looks a whole lot like a S&W revolver sight-- except that the mounting portion forward of the actual sight is longer and shaped differently at it's terminus, a point instead of squared off. It has similarly located adjusting screws, and if it was mounted on a handgun and one's arm fully extended the small sight notch might work for a sharp-eyed individual. It could fit into a slot on top of the frame, and a screw hole could be drilled where needed. Certainly not a common item. So, my guess, and it is a guess, is a custom revolver sight.

Der, I was thinking along the same lines as you.