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John in PA
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Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Mar 23rd, 2022 at 9:40am
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I picked up an interesting Whitney Phoenix rifle in .40-50 SBN, 32" round barrel, decent bore and exterior finish. Plain sporting rifle, Whitney flip up rear barrel sight and simple brass blade front, but missing its tang sight. I'm pretty sure this was a very simple sporting tang, sliding peep sight. There is a small flat machined on the upper tang just ahead of the tang screw. Flat is 1.25" long, .375" wide at the front (with very slight taper in width  at rear). Two tapped holes about .875" CTC.

Anyone have photos of the cheaper tang sight that Whitney used on their lower grade Phoenix sporting rifles?  I can only find pictures or catalog drawings of the higher grade Whitney sights (with much longer bases) that were used on the better Phoenix rifles and rolling blocks, but not a "cheapie" type tang sight anywhere. There's a Rock Island gun that sold years ago that looks like it has one of those sights, but the photo quality is not good enough to see much in the way of detail.
  
John Wells
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #1 - Mar 23rd, 2022 at 10:30am
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Here are some photos for the curious.   Wink
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John Wells
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #2 - May 4th, 2022 at 10:20am
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Bump. 

Still hoping for info (photo or Whitney catalog woodcut) on the Whitney tang sight that may have been OEM on this rifle.
  
John Wells
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oneatatime
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #3 - May 4th, 2022 at 1:28pm
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Maybe the same one that might have been on a Whitney rolling block?
  
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ndnchf
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #4 - May 4th, 2022 at 7:11pm
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FWIW -  Stroebel's Old Gunsights book decribes the Whitney peep rear sight and vernier rear sight. Both are tang mounted. but no photos.
  
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roundtop
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #5 - May 4th, 2022 at 8:07pm
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Check out a Maynard tang sight. They are flat on the bottom.
  
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #6 - May 6th, 2022 at 9:53am
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roundtop wrote on May 4th, 2022 at 8:07pm:
Check out a Maynard tang sight. They are flat on the bottom.


Were the Maynard tang sights on the post war guns  ('73 and '82) all the rack and pinion type, or did Maynard also have a cheaper sliding version?
  
John Wells
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #7 - May 6th, 2022 at 10:11am
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Found it! (the Maynard sight, that is...)  Looks like a really good candidate. Appears to be derived from the First Model Maynard (Civil War) tang sight with the base integral to the tang. Hole spacing looks approximately correct, too.

Lodgewood offers a repro of the staff, not sure if anybody offers a separate repro base for the '73 and '82 models...
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John Wells
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #8 - May 6th, 2022 at 10:20am
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Bingo!!  Complete 1873, 1882 sporting tang sight! 
Now to check hole spacing...


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John Wells
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chipmaker
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #9 - May 6th, 2022 at 2:05pm
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John,
Be aware that the Maynard tang sights are held in the upright position by a spring and stud under the tang. The stud protrudes up through a hole in the tang and fits into a notch in the sight upright.
Unless you modify your tang, you'll have to devise another way of keeping the upright in the proper position.
Otto
  
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #10 - May 6th, 2022 at 4:12pm
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I figured that was the case. Gotta check the hole spacing first, then I'll address the spring issue. Might do friction with a spring washer possibly, or just screw tension...
  
John Wells
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oneatatime
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #11 - May 6th, 2022 at 4:32pm
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Maybe the same as the Whitney-Kennedy tang sight? It looks like more the length than the RB one. 
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #12 - May 8th, 2022 at 3:40pm
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Yep,, hole spacing looks way off on that one. Good guess, though. 

Still waiting to hear back from S&S re: hole spacing...
  
John Wells
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John in PA
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #13 - Jun 1st, 2022 at 3:54pm
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Hole spacing on the early Maynard sight is precisely spot on. Got one from S&S and had it mounted and shooting in no time. Fits that milled flat perfectly, looks like it "belongs," and suits the level of build of the rest of the rifle well, as a rather plain-Jane sporting rifle. No idea if the original owner chose the Maynard option as well, or the mounting and hole spacing is just happenstance, but I'm well satisfied. Screw tension alone holds the sight in position for use, so I don't think I'll further modify the rifle by installing a spring-loaded detent in the tang. 

I could age the sight to blend it better with the rifle's condition, but I'm really not out to fool anybody, just want to breathe new life in the old boy again with something that looks period correct.

Suits me . Wink

BTW, thanks for the suggestion, Roundtop!!

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John Wells
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Re: Whitney Phoenix Sporting Tang Sight?
Reply #14 - Jun 1st, 2022 at 11:18pm
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Glad it worked. I have same rifle. Mine likes Lyman Ideal mould 413174, 260 grains, with a black duplex loading. My favorite javelina rifle.  Ed
  
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