Anybody on here bag that nice Peabody Sporter recently on Gun Broker ???
It was supposed to be .45 Peabody CF I believe.
It would be interesting to know if it will be shot at all; and what the cartridge and load details end up to be.

I explained to the seller how to pull the breechblock to make sure.  Then I was pissed at myself that I told him, cause it jacked the price.  ( I did the same thing a couple months ago when I informed a seller that his Remington RB had a set trigger. Of course he immediately changed his ad description.  Now I got bullet wounds in BOTH feet...)   

The Peabody is a centerfire, and was originally, never converted.  His original statement was based on the guy who sold him the gun.  It's on it's way to my place.  I'll post more on it after I inspect and clean the reported grime off it.  I assume it's .45 Sporting, but don't know yet.  A number of possible choices.  If necessary, I'll do a chamber cast.   

Actually, it's the original style tang sight.  I have other pics of the same sight on other Peabody's.  The one on Outsidebear's that we were discussing is a first model Winchester tang sight for the 1873 model.  The identical sight appears in the Whitney catalog.  I'm guessing either they were made by Whitney, or both companies sourced them from the same place.  Then Winchester came up with  a proprietary design later that is the spoon-type 1873 tang sight that is more familiar to collectors.  I'll post a couple other Peabody pics with the same sight that I have on file.
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Note the lightened hammer on this one...
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Note: These are not my guns, just pictures I've collected.

Did all original Peabody's come with a tang for sights? Tommy

Even though this is not an original 1800's Peabody, hope it's ok to post these, k'.  To share pictures of a false tang being installed on a Peabody - that I had built years ago - hey, them originals kinda hard ta find ya know! Yes, I used a modern (what was available) tang sight, didn't have an original to use.  On the front of the false tang is (as John in PA stated) a small lip that slides underneath the back of the action; then inletted into the top of the wrist; secured to the wrist with a wood screw.  Does this method provide a solid/secure, base for the tang sight?  Very much so.
Does anyone have a link to the GunBroker posted Peabody Sporting Rifle - would like to see it and the stock checkering, if any - thank you.  
What a fine Sporting Rifle you posted John in PA, thank you for the sharing.
On the .45-50 Sporing Rifle John in PA mentions, here's a view of the tang sight.  Obviously it has been mounted directly to the stock wood, there being no false tang. This method also holds very well.  When the screws were tightened down, this caused the outer edges of the tang sight base to impress into the stock wood - it holds very secure.
Hope this lends some info n' insight (no pun intended - honest!)...

AFAIK, no records remain from Providence Tool Co.  They produced many thousands of military models and a number of breechblock styles, but very few sporters.  Factory-original Peabody sporters are among the rarest of US single shot rifles.   

Bear, you can post all the pictures of Peabody's that beautiful, original or not, that you choose to!!

did you get a chance to check the hole spacing on that sporter that has the Winchester/Whitney tang sight?  I've got a sporter with two filled holes in the wrist and I wonder if one of those was mounted at one time.  The gun IS pictured in the Roberts?Waters singleshot book with a Remington tang sight mounted, which separated from the gun long before it came into my hands 30 odd years ago.  Just wondered if at one time it may have "sported" one like yours.

Bear, your fine taste in rifles is only exceeded by your dedication in making those two!!

As usual, I was the last one to find this! But here's the link for those who'd also like to view it: Peabody Sporting Rifle
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That's the one we're talking about.  Most recent number on GB is 319194751.  (put the number in the search window in GB)  Seller had it misidentified as a rimfire initially.  He also had it described rather "optimistically."  The "bright bore" is actually what I'd describe as "fine with scattered light pitting."  Majority of visible screws have some degree of mild buggering.  The "uncleaned, untouched" gun covered with "dirt and grime hiding underneath it a very fine rifle", implied that the gun was in all probability much nicer than the photos.   It had actually already been pretty thoroughly cleaned (excessively in some areas).  No cosmetic improvement after very careful cleaning the remaining small areas untouched by previous "craftsman".  I am a bit miffed by the "dangling carrot" method of leading the buyer on, and seller did offer to take it back after I gently expressed my disappointment, but the gun is so danged rare it's staying here.  (Seller claimed ignorance of Peabody's and antique guns in general---benefit of the doubt??)  Probably overpaid a bit(??), but it won't be the first time.  I'll post a few additional pics, though the ones with the GB sale advert pretty much tell it like it is.   Oh, BTW, it's a .45 Sporting, and has the slot-type firing pin hole in the breechblock, with the half-moon firing pin that's self retracting due to it's radiused profile. (no spring) Identified elsewhere as the Roumanian style breechblock--the one on the left.

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.45-50 Peabody CF, or .45 Peabody Sporting.  Have brass, dies, bullets, GOEX.  Need time and weather, and I will make it LIVE again!!!  I recently nabbed a really nice early Sporting Rolling Block in .40-50 SBN that's waiting on the same conditions!!

outsidebear wrote on Dec 21^st, 2012 at 8:57pm:


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