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Uechi
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What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Jul 13th, 2012 at 4:15pm
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Looking to find out what where the standard issue front and rear sights for a Winchester 1885 Hi Wall made around 1896? I know you could order special sights but what were the standard? Thanks
  
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frnkeore
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #1 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 5:40pm
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Are you asking what just the barrel sights are or are you wanting the tang sights also?

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John Boy
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #2 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 6:31pm
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All the sights on original '85 HiWalls

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Uechi
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #3 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 6:48pm
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Thanks, but pics don't tell me what the sights are and who the manufacturer is and yes both the front and rear sights. I know for a fact that a regular manufactured Hi Wall didn't have apparently globe front sights or tang rear unless special ordered.
  
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SSShooter
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #4 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 7:12pm
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What is a "regular manufactured High Wall"? If you did not select sights then that is what you got......... no sights.

You might find Campbell's Vol I most helpful. Has a chapter on sights.
  

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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #5 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 7:52pm
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Uechi,

There were some fairly standardized model front and rear dovetail sporting rifle sights available, but the specifics as to front sight height etc depended on your 1885s barrel configuration and calibre. 

What have you got?

  

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Uechi
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #6 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 9:07pm
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I'm looking at a standard model sights for a Hi Wall Sporting Rifle in 30-40 Krag i.e. 1896
  
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #7 - Jul 13th, 2012 at 11:09pm
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If you went into a gunshop and picked your highwall up off the shelf, these are the standard dovetail sights supplied by WRA that you would most like encounter: 

Front sight: most common is the 21A without the set screw, or less likely the 79D Rocky Mountain front sight

Rear sight for barrels no larger than a #3 weight: 22A Sporting Rear sight (the flat top - not a clover leaf or buckhorn), with the 1A elevator 

  

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John Boy
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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #8 - Jul 14th, 2012 at 12:59pm
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Quote:
I'm looking at a standard model sights for a Hi Wall Sporting Rifle in 30-40 Krag i.e. 1896
When you determine the sights you want, scroll down to the bottom of this link to calculate the proper front and rear elevations 

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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #9 - Jul 14th, 2012 at 2:09pm
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An unmodified 21A is 0.358" tall. The "leaf" of the 22A is about 0.275" tall. And the 1A elevator wasn't provided just for looks.    Grin

  

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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #10 - Jul 16th, 2012 at 12:48pm
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The std. front sight for most early Hi Walls was a German silver blade front and a Rocky Mountain rear. If you didn't specify any special sights, then this is what most came with.
  

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Re: What are the correct sights for a Winchester 1885
Reply #11 - Jul 16th, 2012 at 4:15pm
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The Winchester 21 and 79 series front sights supplied by WRA for the 1885 SingleShot rifles normally had a german silver insert. The common 21 series was also less commonly produced as a one-piece all steel sight. 

The 79 Rocky Mountain front sight series has an almost 1" long blade. You could special order the 79 sight with a steel, copper, brass, or ivory blade, and it was available in two base widths, one for #1 thru #3 barrels, which had radiused sides, and one for #4 and #5 weight barrels which had the wider base to completely fill the front barrel dovetail, and which had squared sides like the 71A Beach front sight.

The 79 with a steel blade is pictured on page 185 of Campbell's first singleshot book. Note that the base junction with the blade is radiused, which is correct for a WRA sight. Winchester did not square the top of the base where it joins the blade. Ebay buyer's beware!

The 79 is similiar to the special order 73 series Knife Blade front sight, having the same bases, but with different blade profiles. 

Among the 22 series rear dovetail sights, the 22A Sporting Rear sight and the 22D Rocky Mountain Rear sight both were the same sight except that the 22D base was wider to completely fill the dovetail of the #4 and #5 weight barrels, the other measurements being the same. 

The 22 series rear dovetail sights with the cloverleaf, semi-buckhorn, California buckhorn, etc, were usually found on the earler rifles, with the flat-top becoming the factory supplied standard as the singleshot approached the smokeless era. 

Interesting thing about sights is that they are usually the first thing on a firearm to get messed with, altered, and changed out, and swapped by shooters and sellers behind the show tables. 

They have a history and evolution that is intriguing as a subcategory of firearms history, and you can accumulate a number of books and documents that are strictly sight related, if you have the inclination. 



  

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