I need ideas on a front site replacement ?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A recently acquired Voere 22LR bolt action single
shot rifle came to me without a front site.
also, No scope rail or No scope mounts or holes for such.
The (made in Germany) Rifle has no Model
number and a very unique front site dovetail mounting.

I'd rather not modify the rifle as it may have some collectable value ?
Does anyone have any ideas how to make a non-original
commercial front site (readily available in the USA) work ?
Thanks,
Jon

Here are some photos.

[EdS]

I am not an expert on Voere rimfire rifles, but I'm skeptical that the cuts on your barrel were done on a new rifle at the factory. Anschutz, Walther and other German rimfires use a screwed-on dovetail base on their target rifles that looks a lot like the traditional bases that were popular for the long Lyman, Unertl, etc. target scopes. If you can find out for sure that the milling was done by a previous owner, you may want to have the barrel cut, recrowned, and drilled/tapped for the kind of base I described. Then, you could use a quality target (globe) front sight with interchangeable inserts. Just my $0.02 worth. -Ed

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

eds, thanks for your opinion.
I think the machining for the front site is original.
Here is a link to another forum, the OP is asking about
a newer model, but the discription of the sites
sounds similar to this rifle.
http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=7209
adding to the similarity is the mention of the rear site
as adjustable for elevation to 200 meters.
mine is a ladder type site and has numbers on it...up to 200.
here is a photo.

[Mk42gunner]

That doesn't look like a factory front sight base to me. Your cheapest route will probably be to make a front sight with a female dovetail to mount on your barrel. If you cut a slit you can drill and tap the sight to clamp on the dovetail, sort of like the front sight on an M-14 only with the slit at 90 degrees to the bore instead of inline with it.

Make the blade tall enough that you have to file it for elevation, then the yardages might actually work out. I know the rear sight on my CZ452 is on to at least 125 yards (the farthest I have shot it).

Robert

[gnoahhh]

I've seen that before. If I recall, it was how the ramp was fastened to the barrel, and then the sight itself is dovetailed onto the ramp. If it were mine i would have a new ramp made to fit that longitudinal dovetail, and have a perpendicular dovetail cut into that to accept U.S.-style front sights.

[scrapcan]

Isn't the voere an austrian made rifle?

i am with gnoahh. i think you shoudl go to a machine shop and have them make you a block that you can either screw a sight to or put a dovetail in and use a dovetail.

Maybe send Dutchman, buckshot, or lathesmith a pm to see if one of them can build you an adapter.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Isn't the voere an austrian made rifle?

the link I posted in post #3 kind of addresses this:
in post #7 of the thread in this link states:

there was also a Voere in Germany completely unrelated to the Austrian manufacturer.

No I don't know how true that statement is,
the printing on my rifle is:

Voere Vohrenbach Germany

It doesn't say West Germany, I think that fact helps identify it's age.
Jon

[P.K.]

JonB,

Have you thought of using a banded front sight ramp from New England Custom?

http://newenglandcustomgun.com/

Pretty good folks, I'll bet if you shot them an e-mail with the pic's they would have some ideas.

[jsizemore]

JonB, Wacking the muzzle end of a German/Austrian target rifle is considered sacrilege. Recrown, clean-up, no problem. Cut, no. Most have a choke in the muzzle end. I'd check it with a Q-tip for a burr and let it go if it doesn't.

I checked the front sight dovetail on my Suhl 150 and it's .25 at the widest and .215 for the other and .150 tall. Most German target rifles have a 11mm grooved dovetail on the receiver to attach rear sight. Most manufactures have a different front sight attachment dimensions.

I'd contact Mac Tilton about the sights that will work on that gun. He might even have some and could give you an idea about the value and collectibility. Good Luck

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

P.K.,
I checked out your suggestion,
those sure are nice, But are spendy, and then needs Smithin' besides.

jsizemore,
I just composed an e-mail to him.
thanks for the contact.

I looked at a Muzzleloader ramped Firesight for an octagon barrel with a dovetail.
I found one very close to the right width and height (cheap... $18 at midway)
if I have someone machine off the dovetail, then machine a new female dovetail
to match the barrel. it'd be ugly (as in extremely incorrect configuration),
But it might be a nice sight picture.

I won't be modifying the barrel, even if this doesn't have much collector value.
Jon

[Jon K]

What about a Redfield Globe front sight...it fits a dovetail like you show in pics. What size is the dovetail on the rifle?

Jon

[Jon K]

sight pic

[P.K.]

P.K.,
I checked out your suggestion,
those sure are nice, But are spendy, and then needs Smithin' besides.

I won't be modifying the barrel, even if this doesn't have much collector value.
Jon

O-k, understood. The shadetree in me agrees with you concerning NECG, pricey but they do good work and have prolly worked on your model in the past. Anywho, how about some JB Wled to fill and have a dove tail milled and fitted with a thrifty 12.00 bead or fiber optic from Marbel's Outdoors? Pg 708 in the Midway cat.

[gnoahhh]

Sometimes doing it the right way in the end beats the bubba approach in spades, for both cost and appearance.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well,
I was unsuccessful in search of a correct original front site.
My local gunsmith had this site laying around, He thought
that it had a military look to it and thought it may match
the rear site in that way.

It was originally designed to fit a fluted barrel, like a cog'ed gear.
He machined the ID to fit the barrel and added a set screw.
I've shot it once so far (yesterday) with the new site, and it appears that
I'll need to remove 90% of the front blade...I'm not crazy about that.
but it was cold out and super bright...my Eyes don't like that...maybe it was just me.

I'm thinking of giving this rifle as is, to my SIL as a Christmas project to finish off.
I've found no where that hints that this may be worth keeping original
He really likes the German stuff, and has done some stock refinishing.
I think he'd really like it ? maybe ?
Jon

[EdS]

JonB: That military-look front sight is a nice solution, but like you, I'd hate to remove 90% of the blade height. Is the rear sight attached with screws? If so, you could have your gunsmith or SIL machine a fitted riser to go between the rear sight and barrel. Some experimentation with cardboard or anything flexible as temporary shims would tell you how thick the permanent rear sight riser should be. Merry Christmas, Ed

[higgins]

This Lyman sight may fit right on your rifle if there's some standard European dovetail (a lot of references to Anschutz in the Lyman info.), and it comes with a variety of inserts. Not overly expensive compared to trying to find one that may or may not fit. contact Lyman with your dovetail measurements and see how close the fit is.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/s...lobe-front.php

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

@EdS,
The rear site is held by a large dovetail joint. A riser may be possible.

@higgins,
the Lyman dove tail runs 90º and the dovetail on this rifle runs
in line with the barrel, a rare cat if I ever seen one.


Anyway, I did give it to my SIL today as a christmas gift.
I was hoping He'd like it...It sure seems that He does.
Jon

[higgins]

JonB-Take another look at the Lyman sight. Check with Lyman to be sure, but I believe the sight Lyman sells sits atop the dovetail in the photo that runs parallel to the barrel, and the dovetail perpendicular to the barrel in the photo is the dovetail by which the factory sight base is attached.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

yes Higgins I now see you are correct.
I'll mention it to the SIL to see if that is a route
he'd be interested in going.
Jon