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Buckhorn Sights?

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Friends, I am set to receive my Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading flintlock rifle next week, my first ever custom made gun.

In the photos they sent me, my gun has a full buckhorn rear sight, which seemed curious and too “modern” to me. Here’s a picture they sent:

0-CCA1-A7-F-DCA8-47-DE-9-CCB-CE973-F63516-A.jpg


When exactly we’re full buckhorn rear sights invented, and were they ever even used on traditional American flintlock long rifles?

Thanks for the help. If they’re not authentic, I’m going to have to replace it with something else. Thanks all.
 
It appears that there's documentation that at least one example of a full buckhorn rear sight was used on one of the Hawken family made guns.
And that doesn't mean that they invented it or were the first and only makers to use it.
Especially if the barrel is rifled, then the sight is designed for accurate shooting at multiple distances including long range.
The source of the documentation for the sight is on ALR which I found there by doing a forum search for "full buckhorn".
 
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I personally don't like the full buckhorn sights. Those extensions serve no purpose and they catch on brush when moving through the woods while hunting.
 
Actually, buckhorn sights like the one shown in the picture are one of my favorite rear sights on the guns I have built.

I look at them like they are raw material, like a cast sideplate or a cast trigger guard so, I remove the "horns" and end up with a very nice, flat topped rear sight. :)

People seen to tend to look at a part like these buckhorn sights and figure they must be used just as they are or replaced. IMO, if Smokey doesn't like the horns all he needs to do is to file them off and touch up the bare metal with some Birchwood Casey Perma Blue.
 
I had/have a .32 squirrel rifle with buckhorn sights. It's accurate at zeroed squirrel ranges, but once I shot it at 100 yards. I centered the buckhorn tips with the front sight and was able to get all three rounds on a paper plate. I was impressed and wonder if that may have been the inspiration of buckhorn sights.
 
Actually, buckhorn sights like the one shown in the picture are one of my favorite rear sights on the guns I have built.

I look at them like they are raw material, like a cast sideplate or a cast trigger guard so, I remove the "horns" and end up with a very nice, flat topped rear sight. :)

People seen to tend to look at a part like these buckhorn sights and figure they must be used just as they are or replaced. IMO, if Smokey doesn't like the horns all he needs to do is to file them off and touch up the bare metal with some Birchwood Casey Perma Blue.
This is the same with tangs on a barrel. How many people just inlet the tang the length it comes? I don't. I cut off the extra material to a length that pleases my tastes.
 
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Most variations have a notch at the base of the sight for the closest setting, a least the ones I have seen and made do. I don't know the origin of this type of sight, I had read somewhere the earliest dated one was found on an Ohio made gun. I like them and use them where I feel they are appropriate.
Robby
 
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Most variations have a notch at the base of the sight for the closest setting, a least the ones I have seen and made do. I don't know the origin of this type of sight, I had read somewhere the earliest dated one was found on an Ohio made gun. I like them and use them where I feel they are appropriate.
Robby

This is what did ,as at 67 years i couldnt see both front sight & small rear notch any more. This buckhorn peep mod works very well. Im getting 3 inch groups at 80 yards with my hunting load. 110 gr fffg & 10 thou patch on 58 cal ball. With the small rear notch i was terribly inconsistent. I hope to get my moose with this rifle this year.
 

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Were they "Period"?
Based on the number of original full stocked longrifles that have buckhorn sights mounted on them I would say, no.

I've seen hundreds of photos of original longrifles and none of them had buckhorn sights. This includes the rifles that were made in the 1840's.
 
By the way, buckhorn sights were invented by Samual Fullerton Buckhorn, but his date of birth and death remain a mystery.
 
Since Smokey Plainsman seems to have his answer, mind if I ask a variation on his question?

What would have been the most common sight on a late period (say circa 1800) long rifle flintlock?

Thanks
 

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