New rear sight for muzzleloader

[ammohead]

I wanted a soule type rear sight for my TCH so I made one on my mill.

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss189/brucerfrechette/sight1-1.jpg

It is a little crude and a bit too tall, but so far it is working good and was fun to make. I am going to try to attach a picture but haven't been real good at this in the past.

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss189/brucerfrechette/sight2.jpg
not quite in it's vertical position for picture

I took it to the range yesterday and made marks for 50, 100, and 200 yards. The next time I get to Winnemucca I will add marks for 300 and 400. I can't imagine needing to shoot farther than that so it is a bit too tall. I have plans in my head to shorten it and maybe even add a lead screw for elevation adjustment. It doesn't have windage adjustment, I just drift the lyman 17 globe sight up front

ammohead

[Ben]

I'm impressed, nice work !

[Maven]

Nice job ammohead, and nice to see you posting again!

[ammohead]

Thanks Ben. Thanks Maven.

I have always been here just haven't posted much. Was a time when it seemed there was nothing to post because everyone knew it all! Seems better now, or maybe it was just my view on things. I had been doing more PMing with Dept.Al, Buckshot, NVCurmudgeon, BruceB and others from the NCBS crowd. Anyway, yes I am more active and it feels good.

I am glad you like my little do dah. I was thinking that maybe when I retire that might be a good side money maker. But lots of time before then.

ammohead

[Buckshot]

............Holy Hannah on a pogo stick Bruce! Heck boy, that looks just like a real one:drinks: You know, like someone would pay money for, er ..................I mean, go to a store and pay money for like that, HA!

That's some very clean machine work. So while I appreciate the photo's (nice pics too) we (or I'd like to know) need some detail like what material you used, how you carved out the base, and how did you finished them? They look blued and evenly finished.

http://www.fototime.com/AF0D350ED258A8E/standard.jpg

I made this replacement rear sight for a AMT 30 carb auto pistol and it took some thought as to how to hold it. Or rather to figure the ops progression so I could actually complete it instead of reaching a point with 3 ops to go and no good way to hold it to finish :-) So hearing how you did the base would be interesting. The above sight started as a piece of 5/8" 1020 keystock.

The word I was looking for earlier when speaking of fire blued was "Durable". You can produce some absolutely beautiful cobalt blue finishes on well polished parts, but if they rub a lot like in a leather holster it isn't real durable.

The next time I get to Winnemucca I will add marks for 300 and 400.

:shock: Is that a patched RB you're shooting? 400 yards:veryconfu ?

..............Buckshot

[waksupi]

Nice project. It would be interesting to see what the range is, with the rear sight "pegged out"!

[ammohead]

That's some very clean machine work. So while I appreciate the photo's (nice pics too) we (or I'd like to know) need some detail like what material you used, how you carved out the base, and how did you finished them? They look blued and evenly finished.

The next time I get to Winnemucca I will add marks for 300 and 400.

:shock: Is that a patched RB you're shooting? 400 yards:veryconfu ?

..............Buckshot[/QUOTE]

Buckshot,

I used mild steel or "hot rolled stock" I figured that would be closest to what might have been available in the day. There may have been more exotic steel available but not to a man with a hawken budget. I held it with a plain old mill vise and used parellel bars to level it. For the base I would hold the center wider portion in the vise and let the end hang out the side. I only took .030 off per pass. The eyepiece is just a 1/4-28 bolt drilled out with a washer welded on the head. I plan to turn one out on the lathe, but this one works for now.

http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss189/brucerfrechette/gouldsabot.jpg

I am shooting "Harvester" sabots with the 330 gr hollowpoint "gould" boolit and 100 gr of goex FF. I cast them up soft, size and lube them to .452". I figured if they work well in a 45-70 they should work in my TCH, and they do. Definetly minute of mule deer anyway. But they kick like the proverbial mule! I put about 20 of them down range off the bench Saturday and damn my shoulder is sore. That cresent buttstock sucks. I have been thinking of backing off to about 80 gr seeing as the 45-70 only used duh...70.

I don't plan on 300 - 400 yards being hunting ranges, just for gongs and things. And the Winnemucca range is there, might as well put it to good use. And like Waksupi says "Just how far will that dang thing shoot!" The unofficial range at Winnemucca goes a long ways. Might be fun to put the sight all the way up and see where the dust flies! It might not make much dust if it is coming straight down when it hits lol!

All in all it has been fun so far, and it might turn into a beer money maker when I retire.

ammohead

[TCLouis]

As someone else said, there may well be some folks that would possibly plunk down some real cash money for something like that even without an eyepiece, that they may want to make for themselves

[ammohead]

As someone else said, there may well be some folks that would possibly plunk down some real cash money for something like that even without an eyepiece, that they may want to make for themselves

TCLouis,

I have considered this, and it may happen in the future when I retire. In the meantime I would like to refine the design and make it more replicable. I basically whipped it out of my head and have no prints or documentation. It just kind of evolved on the mill. I also need to perfect the spring that keeps it erect. I got it to work on this one, but what a beotch to get right.

But thanks for the compliment.

ammohead

[Buckshot]

............So how did you make the rounded pivit bolt ears on the base? File? Once again, I sure like the job you did (for what THAT'S worth) :-)

............Buckshot

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Nice Work! I am always blessed with the homermade solutions.
If my calculator is funcioning you should have a 500 yard round ball gun now !

[ammohead]

............So how did you make the rounded pivit bolt ears on the base? File? Once again, I sure like the job you did (for what THAT'S worth) :-)

............Buckshot

Rick,

Yep a file did the trick. The inside radius' were done with a 3/16" ball end mill and the inside radius' on the bottom were just cut with the side of a 3/8" end mill. The front and back of the base were file radius'd (radieyed?) rounded as well. The photos really enhance the looks of the thing and cover the bubbaness, but I am proud of it nontheless.

ammohead

[Buckshot]

................I just remembered doing this. The tang on your ML looks flat but if you ever need a rounded underside on a base, this worked real well for me:

http://www.fototime.com/32D9AA1B149498F/standard.jpg

I found the barrel OD and setup a flycutter in the lathe to cut it. The piece of stock was clamped in a toolholder block and then powerfed into the flycutter.

http://www.fototime.com/8C5D725171F474D/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/2392B66B4C4817F/standard.jpg

Yes it was several years ago and I had a HP 1 megapixel camera with no macro capability, so the photo's suck :-) Anyway, doing it like that in the lathe has tilting the head of your mill to do it beat all to heck!

...............Buckshot

[TCLouis]

If you want it more reproducible (I'm assuming you mean the sight setting) then one might have a piece of all thread about #6 and used it to move the sight up and down and the eyepiece to lock it in place.

Would you please get pictures of the base close up as possible and possibly without the staff installed.

I am trying to see how it is made and what you did for windage changes.

[ammohead]

If you want it more reproducible (I'm assuming you mean the sight setting) then one might have a piece of all thread about #6 and used it to move the sight up and down and the eyepiece to lock it in place.

Would you please get pictures of the base close up as possible and possibly without the staff installed.

I am trying to see how it is made and what you did for windage changes.

TCL,

I drift the front globe sight for windage. The rear base has no windage adjustment. I do have a piece of #6 brass allthread that I bought and a knurled knob for it. I have some ideas about how to mount it. I am going to play with it some more at longer ranges to see where I want to shorten the riser to and then I will try to mount the screw elevator adj.

ammohead