H.E.Leman project build

[Davemuzz]

I've received most of the parts to begin my project for building my next flintlock rifle. This one will be based upon an H.E. Leman Full Stock, and will be in 50 caliber. I will have no brass furniture on it. The Leman's have a steep 4" to 4.5" drop in comb from the top of the barrel. I'm also installing a rear peep sight which is NOT true to the original Leman's....but is great for my kind of deer hunting!! Here's the parts I have so far, and I still need to pick up a few more. Also, a patchbox will not be put on this one....as I can't stand Patchboxes on flintlock rifles. (Well...on my flintlocks anyway) :grin:

My current pile of parts....barrel is not shown

Close up pic's of my wood stock

 

[Razor62]

Nice! Looking forward to progress reports.

 

[MSW]

looking good ... keep us posted!

 

[Davemuzz]

Thanks gent's. I will do so. If summer ever gets here.... :shocked2: ....in between groundhog hunting, fishing, and just plain shooting, I do plan to make this my project. Now, I don't plan on rushing to get it completed by the fall flintlock season....but if I do I will take it, if I don't, I'll take my Hawken.

The wood in the stock has the "natural" lines that a Leman has painted into it. I will have about ten inches or so of the front of the wood stock to cut off to play with, so I will have something to experiment with to see how or what I will do to get that "Leman Look" on the wood. :grin:

Dave

 

[fusil de chase]

Nothing beats a large aperature peep sight. Good choice. Like you say not PC but the sight a hunter would choose.

 

[galamb]

Can always go with the peep sold by TOTW - from 5 feet away it looks like a primitive.

In the pic the peep is on the top and compare to the primitive on the bottom of the pic.

This is going on my current build. Have it on one other and it works rather well.

Not like a typical peep which is mounted at/near the tang, this goes where you would (normally) place your rear sight.

 

[Davemuzz]

Graham,

That's a nice looking rear peep. :hmm: OTOH, it still won't replace my Lyman.....because one of the "functional" items the Lyman performs is that the site completely blocks the frizzen from my view when the hammer falls. :grin: Ergo.....no "Mr. Flinchy."

Dave

 

[fusil de chase]

Graham, how in the heck do you create a usable sight picture with that sight??? None of the benefits of an aperature sight but extra metal blocking target pic and light?

 

[Old40Rod]

I have one on my .50 Tenn Mt. flinter. I love it. Works like a ghost ring sight.

 

[galamb]

Exactly - you (look through it) at the front sight. As long as you keep the front blade/bead in that little ring, you are "on target".

 

[fusil de chase]

No disrespect intented but the top of the ring and the sides of the ring are covering your target!

The magic of an aperature mounted close to your eye is that it magically centers the front sight. Not so with that arrangement. The other benefit is that none of the aperature sight blocks your view of the target or hinders the light reacing your eye. With the sight pictured above the only light availab;e is coming thru a 1/16th inch hole 10 inches awaydrom your eye and most of that is blocked by the front sight.

No doubt it might work for some people in bright light when they do not care what is beside or beyond thier target but it is simp;y not a good sight for hunting, especially in low light.

Sight your rifle for a 6 oclock hold with a normal rear sight adjusted to bring the front sight level with the top and you have an unobstructed view and 100% light available. 100,000,000 or so rifles have been arranged as such. Sometimes HC/PC has some merit.

 

[Blackbruin]

Cut a v in the top and you won't have those issues, like how rmc circumvented older pennsylvania game laws with their v peep. IMHO a 6 o'clock hold is not a good hunting application, but we all have our own preferences.

 

[galamb]

The top/sides of the ring are no more "obscuring" the target than what you get from a v notch, semi or full buckhorn.

That is unless your target is 1000 yards away. On a 100 yard CF sighting target the outer portion of the bull is still fully visible beyond the ring (which is 14'ish inches from your eye) and looking through that little peep forces you to sight exactly at the "center of the mass".

And you can shoot this with "both eyes open", so no issues with light collection compared to just about any other "non-optic" sight system.

 

[Old40Rod]

All I know is that it works :wink:

 

[galamb]

Yep and at $8.99 it's about 10% the price of a Lyman peep or a Creedmoor style.

Plus, unless you are right on top of it, it looks like a traditional sight.

 

[Davemuzz]

Plus, unless you are right on top of it, it looks like a traditional sight.

Now Graham....in a shoot....does that mean your not cheatin until your opponent gets within ten feet of your rear sight? :rotf: :idunno: :surrender:

 

[galamb]

Bambi don't have a rule book :rotf:

 

[fusil de chase]

Then why do we not see this style of sight on rifles? Seldom does a good idea go unexploited in the world of rifles/hunting/shooting?

I obviously trust that you like it and that it works for you but that does not make it a good idea.

 

[galamb]

I like it because, yes, it works. It also retains the appearance (somewhat if you don't look too close) of an original sight that would be found on a rifle.

I use a reflexive red dot scope on my cross bow. It produces a "holographic" cross hair which appears many feet in front of the end of the bow. It only gives you a single sighting axis so you don't have to line up anything - you don't have to have your cheek snugged down to the stock etc etc - as long as you can see that cross and put it on the target you are "on target".

Would it make my shooting more accurate on my muzzle loaders - most certainly - but would it look waaaaaay too far out of place - yes.

You don't see many originals, such as we are discussing with a Creedmore style sight (ok maybe the odd one but certainly not the majority) and Leman certain didn't install a Lyman 66 Receiver sight on any that came from their factory.

This sight simply gives you the option of replacing a semi-buckhorn with a peep that, from 5 feet away, looks like a semi-buckhorn.

And L&R is the only "off the shelf" maker of a Left-Hand Leman lock - does that make it a "bad idea" because Chambers and Davis doesn't make it as well??

 

[Davemuzz]

JMHO, but I believe if they made a Lyman back in the day....they would have sold like hotcakes and today you would see them mounted on every BP repro. They would say it's because it's "period correct" but I'd say it's because it makes the rifle more accurate.

OTOH, I shoot all of my open sight handguns and rifles using a 6:00 o'clock hold position. I always choose to see what I'm about to pull the trigger on. This also includes shooting clay birds.

Why? Because when I was a young lad and was taught to shoot by my Grandfather, his words of wisdom when making a sight adjustment were..."Always keep your eye on the prize boy". "If you cover up the target, how do you know it's there when you pull the trigger?"

I seem to kill most everything I line up in an open sight or a peep sight. Albeit, buck fever will get me now 'n then and let me know I'm human. :grin:

Dave