New ladder sight for my BC

[mechanic]

I bought a surplus sight of yet undetermined origin on an auction sight.  It was relatively easy to modify for my BC.  The ladder gives almost 3" of elevation in 21 graduations marked from 5 to 24.
 
Now to find time to go play with it....

[Winter Hawk]

That looks just like the ladder sight on my Chilean Model 95 Mauser! 

-Kees-

[gcrank1]

I eagerly await your results.

[mechanic]

I eagerly await your results.

Me too....I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel, they are killing me at work, and this is the busy season for my cub scouts.....and deer season opens in a couple weeks.  I hope to take this to a friend's pasture where I've got about 1200 yds. to play with, and shoot at my gong.  (A 24"x24" steel plate)  I need my brother to go with me as spotter so I can walk it in and mark yardage.
 
Ben

[gcrank1]

My sympathies, we did the kitchen a couple of years ago and are in the middle of our only bathroom...........
If it wasnt for this site my sanity would be gone.

[Buckwheat Jack]

I have thought about doing something like that for a rear sight. How hard was it to do?

[mechanic]

I have thought about doing something like that for a rear sight. How hard was it to do?

This sight had a tubular base, apparently it slipped over the barrel of whatever it was made for.  I used a cut off wheel to cut the base off, leaving extra, then placed it in the mill vise squarely upside down and removed the additonal metal.  It then fit the curvature of the barrel perfectly.  The center of the sight has a spring that runs the length of it to tension the ladder, I had to center and drill this with a carbide bit.  Clean up and reblue took longer than the mods.  All in all a couple hours work, and for about $13.00 shipping and all I have a ladder sight.
 
As long as you can locate one with a curved or radiased base instead of a flat base, it should be easy to modify to fit the barrel.
 
Ben

[gcrank1]

Seems I recall something about the 30-40 Krag rear sight is not too bad to mount up. There were several, the one on my '98 rifle is pretty sweet, has a ladder complete with a peephole slider and a windage adjustment. I have not, and will not, take it off the lovely Krag to try it on the H&R.

[tacklebury]

Seems I recall something about the 30-40 Krag rear sight is not too bad to mount up. There were several, the one on my '98 rifle is pretty sweet, has a ladder complete with a peephole slider and a windage adjustment. I have not, and will not, take it off the lovely Krag to try it on the H&R.

Meeeee either.... !

[mechanic]

Sweet!
 

[gcrank1]

My Grandfathers '98 is an original and complete; he said he bought it when they became 'surplus' for something like $3.98. I shoot cast bullets exclusively from it with loads about 1450fps. It takes a bit more elevation than the sight are regulated for that way, but is pretty competitive with any of the other vintage mil-surp rifles my mates play with. It is quite a hoot to nail the 200yd. buff silhouettes offhand with cast bullets about 218gr.; they dont always go down (they are made for the 45-70s) but the 'hit and ring 'em' is worth it.
This rifle is why I dont need a Handi in 30-40Krag (it would just be another excuse not to shoot the real deal  ).
BTW, I had an uncle in the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish-American War. Ive yet to find out which rifles they were issued.

[tacklebury]

My great-granddad carried this one in WWI.  He brought it home, but had liked the carbine style ones he'd seen some of the troops using, so he sportsterized his to be similar.  He also added the recoil pad, think it's been replaced once.  He told of ringing the bell in the church tower near one of the towns they were entrenched near during the war.  Don't know how far it was really, but he always claimed about 3/4 of a mile.  hehe  I did shoot a coyote off the roof of my dad's house chasing deer at about 300 yards and took the head off a grouse at 30 yards, so she's a pretty accurate old gal.  I took my first deer with her too.  I love the smooth bolt also.