Rear sight placement?

Why are rear sights placed so far forward? Is it to get the cut into the barrel away from the main powder pressure?

For the sight to be in focus for older eyes and to not be at the balance point. That’s how I decide where to put the rear sight anyhow.

I see a rear sight best at about 14 inches.

I use a piece of double sided sticky tape and move the sight up and down the barrel to get it right for me before filing the dovetail .

Phil Coffins said:

For the sight to be in focus for older eyes and to not be at the balance point. That’s how I decide where to put the rear sight anyhow.

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It is often said you can tell the age of the rifles owner by how far forward the rear sight is. Older guys often have a couple filled in dovetails behind the current sight location. There are no rules, do what works for you.

Rifleman1776 said:

It is often said you can tell the age of the rifles owner by how far forward the rear sight is. Older guys often have a couple filled in dovetails behind the current sight location. There are no rules, do what works for you.

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You can tell I am no pup. My back sight is 2" behind the front sight.
Larry

My English Fowler doesn’t have one!

That simplifies matters.

Yep. When b. Hoyt made my .58 I had sent him the rear sight and he too suggested I put it farther forward than normal. It works for me.

akroguy said:

My English Fowler doesn’t have one!

That simplifies matters.

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So that's why old guys shoot shotguns and smoothbores!

bronko220002 said:

Yep. When b. Hoyt made my .58 I had sent him the rear sight and he too suggested I put it farther forward than normal. It works for me.

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There are antique long rifles in existence which have several dovetails cut into the barrel as the owner moved the rear sight forward . You can buy one of these things which stick to your glasses , they work but I seem to bump mine out of line all the time
VIA for AR-15/A2

leam said:

Why are rear sights placed so far forward? Is it to get the cut into the barrel away from the main powder pressure?

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They're not, really. Look at other rifles and barrel lengths. Sight picture for us humans was pretty much figured out centuries ago.
Nobody has been able to improve the human eye, so open sights have pretty much stayed the same,
It has to do with barrel length.

necchi said:

They're not, really. Look at other rifles and barrel lengths. Sight picture for us humans was pretty much figured out centuries ago.
Nobody has been able to improve the human eye, so open sights have pretty much stayed the same,
It has to do with barrel length.

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Uh....no.

I’ve seen lots of old guns and most have the sight near the rear ramrod pipe, but not all.
The Carolina Trade gun parked it pretty near the breech and there are matchlocks with it at the tang.
Just as I right this I’m thinking the 1803 was closer to the breech then common on Americans civilian rifles, but too I’ve seen them way up over the fore arm.

All of us old guys have it right. You youngins are not talking from experience. As you get older, even with glasses, the rear sight needs to be moved farther forward. Barrel length has nothing to do with it except giving you a longer sight radius.
Peep sights can be much closer to the eye because your eye will automatically center the front sight in it. However as you get older the aperture needs to be larger because with a smaller aperture you will see what looks like a sliver of metal or fuzz running thru it. I can tolerate that but its distracting when trying to line up the shot. A bigger hole is much better.

My first rifle I had built was a ISSAC HAINES, the builder done a very good job on the rifle, the only question I had for him why was the rear sight set forward a good bit, he said as you grew older you will understand, he was right, Have that rifle going on 35 years, the last one a ANDRES ALBRICHT inspired rifle the builder had the rifle in the white had me shoulder the rifle set the sight on the top flat and told me when I had a good view and sight picture to let him know as he mover the sight forward at that point he took a sharpie marker and made a line in the barrel, then set the sight. I have an original rifle that the site was moved forward on, and the original dove tail has been filled in.

I am like Fred Sanford finding glasses to use with certain guns.
I also have to decide which of the three rear sights that I see to use.
While shooting at some dark crossties at my brothers range, I had to get the sights lined up against a lighter background then move to the steel that I did not have the paint to make visible.
I installed a peep on a TC and will try it this week.
I cannot bring myself to put one one a flintlock…yet.