I periodically see Axtell-made sights on eBay, GunBroker or mounted to a rifle.  There are a handful of high-quality sight manufacturers still available, but Axtell was true to the original design and in many cases better than the originals.  For an avid shooter, sights by Lee Shaver, MVA, Kelley, and others offer improvements over the original designs and will be their preference.  A collector scours the internet and gun shows looking for a period appropriate sights.

Axtell made some very nice sights not too long ago and unfortunately, no one followed through on that part of their business.  Periodically I see Winchester and Sharps sights by Axtell in online auctions, but in older catalogs I see they also made Remington type sights.  A Google search will also show Remington sights by Axtell at MidwayUSA (no longer available).   

Did Axtell make much more of one sight than others?  Are shooters / collectors holdings spare sights in their parts bins?  Where have all their sights gone?

... Joe

Well, yes, Tom Axtel made sights for the Remington and I have two of them.  One is a on a Remington #1 sporter rebored to 40-70SS.  That also has one of his windgage front sights on it.  The other is on a #1 1/2 Remington sporter rebored to 38-55.  I wouldn't part with either one.  I also have one of his long range "transition" models (with windage) on a Ballard base that  is on my 45-70 Meacham sharps.  That rifle had an original Ballard sight on it so was already drilled for the Ballard base.  I have another of his mid-range sights with a Sharps base that will go onto one of my rifles sometime in the future.

They are around.  I got the two Remington sights when they were making them.  The others I bought from people on the ASSRA forem if I remember right.

George

I have a windgage and a long range on my HiWall.  Maybe some on a Ballard too.  I don't remember for sure whose those are, but probably Axtel.  He was the only game in town in those days.

BP wrote on Jan 26^th, 2016 at 8:48pm:


Why would anyone want to remove the stamp?  Pass it off as an original from the 19th century?

I believe Carmen is still selling sight parts on eBay, about a year ago I bought a lead screw for a Ballard vernier tang sight from her, it looks and works just like the old one.

gunlaker wrote on Jan 26^th, 2016 at 10:25pm:


Soules are a lot more convenient than moving that front sight backwards all the time 

I think the first reproduction Soules were from Mike Stevens. I bought mine from him in 1993 and he passed away soon after.  When did Axtels (who's quality is just as good as Mikes was) start making sights 

Boats

My understanding was that Pony Express Sporting Goods in California made and sold the first repro tang sights back in the 1970's. I have one of them marked "Pony Express" on the base of the staff, on my #2 Rolling Block.