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Thread: Cape gun sight

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    Cape gun sight

    I have a Cape gun that was made in Stettin, Germany, between 1885 and April 1, 1892. It is in 10.5x47R and is the 24th different such chamber Dave had at CH4D! I designed a 286gr boolit and Dan made the mold. I shoot 777, a case full.

    It is shooting 11 inches high at 100 yards. (Note, since cataract surgery I can shoot open sights again!) The front sight is a silver piece in a base that is clearly dovetailed in, or no, that's an assumption since I can't actually see the dovetail. I need to raise the front sight.

    What are my options?
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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Could you silver solder a taller blade into it?
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  3. #3
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    Humm, never done that, but probably. My existing front sight blade is relatively thick, more so than a dime. Gotta think about something else to solder on. It is a piece of silver, btw, my front sight blade.
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  4. #4
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    Last edited by ulav8r; 02-08-2023 at 12:25 AM. Reason: Formatting
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  5. #5
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    Cape guns barrels would be soft soldered, so you have to be very careful with heating them. What gauge is the shotgun barrel?

    The people here tend to have a lot of expertise on these types of firearms. https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums...s.php?ubb=cfrm
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  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Shotgun side is 16x2.5 - Damascus barrel. Rifle side is fluid steel, it says so, but in Deutsch.

    At this point whatever I use I'll probably start with super glue rather than solder, given the age of the gun. Don't want to take the chance of damaging it.
    Last edited by Wayne Smith; 02-08-2023 at 10:22 AM.
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  7. #7
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    Wayne, you may want to try a heavier bullet with more bearing surface. A friend got a Shiloh Sharps, and was trying a 405 gr. bullet, and it shot high like yours is. I gave him some of my 560 gr bullet loads, and they shot to point of aim.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    That's a decent idea, Ric, but this is a 10.5 mm. Not a common size - between .41 and .42 if I remember correctly. And, with this small case, a heavier boolit might just be too much. With this 286gr and 777 I basically have a .44Mag in a rifle barrel.
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  9. #9
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    I think we need to see a picture or two of this rifle. Not that it will help me have any good ideas, it just sounds like a neat firearm.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    You might try finding a piece of solder wire about the same thickness of the blade, bend and trim it to fit, and temporarily glue it on . Then shoot it to determine what height adjustments need to be made. Later a proper piece could be filed out of an old coin, and epoxied or soldered on

  11. #11
    Boolit Master slughammer's Avatar
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    How tall is the rear sight? Can you lower it?

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  12. #12
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    Sounds like a cast bullet for a 41 mag might size to fit your purposes, in testing. Reduce the weight, increase the velocity, reduce the height of impact above the point of aim. Could a substitute powder, like 5744 work in that cartridge, gun combination?
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  13. #13
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    I have the formula somewhere, but this will have to do since I can't find it!

    https://www.dillonprecision.com/sigh...alculator.html
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  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I must be missing something. That doesn't let me put in the needed correction. My sight height from the center of the barrel (approximate) is .47". I assume that is the first value to be entered. I'm shooting at 100 yds, and my sight radius is 18". I am currently shooting 11 inches high at that range. How much height do I need to add to my front sight to drop my point of inpact 11"? I don't see how I can use that program to solve that problem.
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  15. #15
    Boolit Master Cap'n Morgan's Avatar
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    We need more threads with pictures in here!

    I have a nice C. G. Edwards & Son 12 gauge/450-577 cape gun which suffers from the same front sight problem.



    The front sight is way too low:



    This 4-shot group were shot at forty meters. The gun can certainly shoot but obvious needs a higher front sight.
    A holo-sight would probably be the best solution for my aging eyes, but it would be totally out of style!



    The rear sight is marked for 100 yards, and has two more blades for 200 and 300 yards.
    If that's not enough it can be raised to 1200 yards! Pretty optimistic, if you ask me...

    Cap'n Morgan

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Hey Cap'n - if I can figure out how to send a phone pic to my e-mail I can get some pictures up. Until then... Mine has a side swinging lever in the forend.
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  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Sights like that look like they can be removed and a taller one installed.
    But be careful.
    The barrel rib is I think soldered on.
    So you might have to drive it out or press it out carefully without heat.
    If you remove the dovetail sight blade.
    Then you can build up the blade by sweat soldering on an extension .
    Finding a taller original replacement sight might not be easy.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Could use JB Weld to build up that front sight.

  19. #19
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    Using Brownell's formula, (amount of change)x(sight radius)/distance to target = correction needed. I get 11x18/3600=.055. That's still a goodly piece of metal to add. If that sounds right to you folks I'll go see what I might have that I can use. Got lots of junk in the garage!
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  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Got it! #54 drill bit. Guess which one is missing from my collection??
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check