Alright folks I need some help here.

I have a really neat little remington rolling block. It is in 40-50BN with a good bore single set trigger and rough and ready rear sight. It is a light weight little thing with a light (lighter than a #3) 26" barrel. It was originally silver plated but all the silver has flaked off and it is now just overall brown with traces of silver here and there. The stock is original and all numbers match but someone along the way inlet a tiny little compass into the side of the stock then smeared the whole stock with what looks like linseed oil. The stock does not look to have been sanded and I think I can steel wool the goop off. I have a picture of the original owner holding the rifle (silver plated) in about 1889. My dilemma is this: It shoots really darn good. Good enough to shoot silhouette and midrange for sure with 50gr 3F and a 400gr bullet. I am really tempted to drill and tap the tang for a sight but cant quite bring myself to do it. WHile it is far from a perfect collectors specimen it is a neat little rifle with some good provenance. That said I would shoot it a whole lot more if I was to put a verneer sight on it and start shooting silhouette and midrange with it and I dont see that as any greater sin then the compass already in the stock or its overall finish-less condition. Thoughts ?? Thanks in advance.

Great story Zack!  I love it. What a great problem to have.  
I too have an early Rem roller in 40/70 BN. No sight base screws in the tang either. It's the early non rebated frame with the lower tang being longer than the later ones. Great rifle with a nice bore and single set trigger. I left it alone and dont shoot it. If I ever shoot a Buffalo, it's the rifle I'll use.  
I wonder if theres a way a base could be glued to the tang?  Sweat one on with 50/50 solder?   Awe what the heck! Go ahead and drill it. It'll make mine worth more.  
 
Pictures are worth a thousand words.

                           Joe. 

Alrighty- am gonna try and upload some pics. Forgive me they are of poor quality. I am no photographer !! Also included a pic of some loads. 250, 300, 360 and 400gr. They are stable at 300m. Dont know what they will be like at 500m and 600yds. The fellow sitting with the dog is holding this rifle. There is another pic of him on this same surveying expedition where he has the rifle on his foot and you can see it face on but I dont have that one scanned in. Thanks for the input !

testing testing...

Zack T,

Looks like a civilian Rem #1 roller to me.

If that rifle was mine, I'd most definitely NOT drill/tap it. You have a very nice piece of history there, it would be a shame to tamper with it.

Gorgeous Rolling Block! I can't emphasize how much I am against D&T that gorgeous old Roller! Like Don said, that rear sight should already do whatever you want, so why put anything on it, or do anything to change it. 
Your #1 Sporter appears to be a Black Hills Sporter model in the caliber and 26" barrel. It's a piece of history, and any collector would love to own it, so if you want a Roller with a tang sight I'd sell that one and get one, or just buy a repro to mess with and keep that beauty as is.
I've got a similar one with a 34" barrel and no tang sight, but I wish it had that cool barrel sight you have. Mine's just a regular Rocky Mountain sight. I bought another #1 action and just built up a gun that I could play with and not worry about what was changed.

Yes, my suggestion is to leave it be.