Making a front sight shade for my Hawken

Swiss diopter hooded front sight from Dixie gunworks. $12.95, Fits 3/8" dovetail.

Lyman sight with T/C tang sight
Front sight comes in different heights

1971fx said:

Lyman sight with T/C tang sight
Front sight comes in different heights

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32 inch .45 cal. Green mountain barrel

Another PVC user here. Sched. 20 PVC. 3-4 " long. Cut a small slit to fit andstill provide tension against the underrib when it's in place, painted flat black inside and out.

Toyed with the old black film bottles and a simple rubber band. Cut out the bottom, slit down the side and hold it on the barrel with a rubber band.

Could you show us a picture of your Lyman peep sight? If it is the tang version it no longer qualifies for open iron sight matches anymore. Why not pop off that front blade sight and install a globe sight with interchangeable posts inside the hood? This will make a big difference in your accuracy The most recent Muzzleloader magazine has a nice article of an Alvin York Memorial Match in Tennessee. It has many pictures of the sheet metal shaders over both the front and rear sights for the chunk gun match or beef shoot. On a full stock rifle a sheet metal hood can press against the barrel where it meets the stock and is held by the spring tension of the bent shader. For your half stock TC Hawken the bent "flaps" could surround the barrel, hug the octagon flats and touch the under rib. I wonder if the front shader extends beyond the muzzle it could deflect some of the gases downward and through the shot off. Same principle as having a ramrod stick out beyond the muzzle.

Dont know about a extended front sight shade throwing off a shot, but have never heard of a rammer a bit past the muzzle doing this.

Crawfish said:

I am ok as a solderer, but no Ace. Anything special needed to solder on to front sight dovetail?
It will take a lot of heat to get that dovetail area hot enough, I think

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Sometimes JB Weld is your friend. I made a shade out of thin walled steel tubing. I ct a 1" length of it down one side from top to bottom with a very fine saw. A bit of pressure to slip it down the sight blade, where it was held by the spring pressure of the tube. On and off easily for times when no such devices are allowed. Why not get a Globe-type front sight with changeable inserts?

Globe front sight is on my list! I am really trying to get rifle sighted in to the best I can do. I can pop of tang sight pretty fast.

I am selling my model airplane engines on eBay to finance my BP addiction

Crawfish,
I don't have a picture but will try to describe what I did that is very simple.
Since you have a front sight that the dovetail base overhangs the side of the barrel
as I did.
I took a 2 inch piece of 1" copper pipe and split it down the axis. Spread it apart
until it will slide on the barrel underneath the dovetail overhang.
It has enough spring in it to be firmly attached but will remove easily.
Barry