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Thread: Trapdoor sight options

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Trapdoor sight options

    i got a great deal on a never fired Pedersoli trapdoor and of course it shoots high and about 8 inches right.What are my options but still remaining period correct as possible.Thanks for any help or pointing me towards a route to getting on target.it groups 2.5 inches at 100 yards with my first throw together load of 26 grains of 5744.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


    foesgth's Avatar
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    My trapdoors (originals) have windage adjustment. Didn't Pedersoli copy the original sight? The original was sighted in at about 200 yards. I put a taller front sight on mine to shoot 100 yards.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy steveu's Avatar
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    If it will fit, Burffington sight.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    x2 on the Buffington.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Till you can find a buffington if the front sight on the pedersoli is like an original then you can put in a taller blade and bend it slightly to the right to adjust the windage. To set the elevation you file down the height till you get the correct zero.

  6. #6
    Boolit Mold
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    I wonder if all the Pedersoli trapdoors shoot high right? Because mine does as well, I just have always held low left and compensated.

    Doesn't a Buffington sight require a notched barrel band for clearance?

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  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by pietro View Post
    there is no windage on that sight

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barnabus View Post
    there is no windage on that sight
    FWIW

    All tang sights are easily adjusted for "set & forget" windage zero via inserting a small/thin shim under the appropriate side of the tang sight base.


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    Now I lay me down to sleep
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  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by barnabus View Post
    there is no windage on that sight
    There was on the one I had.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    The couple Pedersoli M1873s I've looked at and shot one had replica M1873 rear sights. What is the sight alignment you are using? A simple sketch will suffice.
    Larry Gibson

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  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    The couple Pedersoli M1873s I've looked at and shot one had replica M1873 rear sights. What is the sight alignment you are using? A simple sketch will suffice.
    is there a secret alignment im not aware of

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy Brimstone's Avatar
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    Pedersoli does make the M1879 sight for their rifles. About $160 iirc.
    The original M1878 and 78 sights are windage adjustable above 100 yards. At the 100 yard setting the 78 and 79 sights are not usually adjustable as they have a pin and alignment dovetail of sorts to bring the windage to zero set.
    At their lowest setting, they can be off windage a bit. Not out of regulation. Still in the black or as battle rifles go, still on target.
    It's once you adjust elevation to 200 yards and beyond that the ability to adjust windage is unlocked.

    These two sights are regulated for a 405gr bullet at 1,350 fps with a BC of .250.

    The Buffington. Don't know if Pedersoli makes a replica or if the mounting screws are correctly spaced or sized.
    Not windage or elevation adjustable when the leaf is down. In leaf down mode the buckhorn is set for 200 yards as indicated by the Manual.
    In leaf up mode, the windage is unlocked. The triangle battle sight starts at 200 yards. The bottom right of the battle triangle has an arrow pointing right to indicate distance setting.

    Below the battle triangle is the aperture. Has an arrow pointing low left applying to upper aperture and a right hand arrow indicating for 200-1300 yards.

    The Buffington is regulated for a 500gr bullet at 1,315 fps with a BC of .390-.400.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barnabus View Post
    is there a secret alignment im not aware of
    Not sure its "secret" but back in the day with those sights, particularly with the large V rear notch, the sight alignment was referred to as "full", "half" or "fine". Which one are you using? If you don't know, no problem.

    Do you hold the top of the front sight level with the top of the V?

    Half way up in the V?

    Or jus enough the front sight appears a smal; square in the bottom of the V?
    Larry Gibson

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  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    Not sure its "secret" but back in the day with those sights, particularly with the large V rear notch, the sight alignment was referred to as "full", "half" or "fine". Which one are you using? If you don't know, no problem.

    Do you hold the top of the front sight level with the top of the V?

    Half way up in the V?

    Or jus enough the front sight appears a smal; square in the bottom of the V?
    usually a fine cuz it shoots so high. i could live with high but 6 inches to the right i cant

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