I have 2 22" 45-70 barrels, they don't have the same size hole drilled in the muzzle end of the barrel for the front sight. H&R has evidently changed sight mount hole sizes sometime in the past. The newer one has a 6x48 hole, but no sights, it's got a scope on it. The other older barrel has sights, the hole for the front sight on it is only a 3 or 4x40 hole, considerably smaller than the new barrel sight mount. My idea is to have 2 45-70s for different hunting conditions, one with a peep sight, the other scoped. Because the Williams Firesight comes with a 6x48 screw, I swapped the stocks on the 2 frames and moved the sight from the old barrel to the new barrel so I wouldn't have to use the dinky little screw of the old sight on the Firesight. And put the scope on the old barrel that I didn't need iron sights on. An alternative would have been to drill and tap the old barrel to 6x48, but I don't have the tap or the drill for that size.....so I just made a swap.
Both 45-70s....