Windage Adjustment: 1863 Springfield

My Euro-Arms 1863 .58 shoots about 4 inches left at 25 yds...
It has the standard 2 leaf folding sight, with 300 and 500 yd leafs. When I raise the 500 yd leaf, there is a disc with two holes in it that either covers up an attachment screw or does something else. I've tried turning the disc in hopes that it would adjust windage, but it does not seem to want to turn with my needle-nose pliers.
Am I missing something here?? Is that indeed windage, and is there a tool for it?

Any help is appreciated.
Chowmi

That is just the screw that holds the sight on, there is no windage adjustment. You can file one side of the slot in the sight, but this makes it too wide in my opinion. I believe blank sight leaves are available, then cut the slot where you want it.

I weld up the notch and file a new one. You can solder a thin piece of metal over the leaf and cut a new notch or buy blank leaves from S&S or other suttlers. The disc is a screw head. Unscrew it, lift up on the front of the sight and it's off. I put epoxy under the sight base on my muskets to keep the water out as I clean them barrel off in a bucket of water.

4" is alot at 25 yards. How far off is it at 50?
You can fill in the rear sight notch with dark epoxy and file a new one. It'll probably take a few tries to get it right assuming there's enough
width on the sight leaf to get you there. You can also file the front sight to reduce the thickness.File the right side of the blade to move the point of impact. Last option would be to send the barrel
out to Whitacre or Hoyt and have the fixed front sight replaced with higher one in a dovetail. Most muskets shoot high at "normal" ranges and the higher front will correct that.

Duane

as said. But the screw can be loosened there is a tool for it. S & S has them. Once loosened you can get some adjustment but I do not think 4" out of it can be had maybe 1" or 2"

All,
thanks for the replies. I'm sure I can fill the gap and cut a new one, or buy new leafs.
I'm still working on finding the most accurate minie ball to use and the right powder charge, so I intend to wait until the gun is grouping well, then fix the sights. Right now, it's all over the place, so it may not be as bad as 4 inches.
Thanks again,

chowmi

Chowmi:

We corresponded back and forth on this forum regarding your accuracy/fouling problem. Might I suggest that you try the n-ssa's forum for some advice? There are some very knowledgeable gents over there who are very forthcoming when it comes to helping out a newbie. I'm sure a number of them have experience with your musket.
www.n-ssa.org

Duane

You might make that tool out of a screwdriver by filing you two "tits" to fit the spanner holes. Like Sharps 59 said there is some play there. You might even elongate the screw hole to take the sight to the right some.

Bob

I'm surprised the "bend the barrel" crowd isn't here yet. But anyway, just bend the barrel as needed.

Duane said:

Chowmi:

We corresponded back and forth on this forum regarding your accuracy/fouling problem. Might I suggest that you try the n-ssa's forum for some advice? There are some very knowledgeable gents over there who are very forthcoming when it comes to helping out a newbie. I'm sure a number of them have experience with your musket.
www.n-ssa.org

Duane

Click to expand...

I'll second the suggestion!

Duane,
thanks for the point out to the N-SSA, I'll give it a try.
I've got a couple of sizers and a bullet mould on the way, so I'll start working up a load for it.
In the meantime, it's still awfully fun to shoot!

Cheers,
chowmi

Where would you suggest he bend it? In the middle and it won't fit back in the barrel channel without opening it up a bit!

I like Hoyt's barrel work best but Dan Whitacer does a better job on front sights. With either though you must solder it in place after you sight it in or you WILL eventually loose it. Their dovetails are very shallow without much to grip the sight base. This isn't considered a problem as N-SSA rules require the sight to be non-adjustable (soldered in place). Another alternative is to file off the front sight base and buy one of the blank solder on front sights from a suttler. These are taller, thicker, and have a concave underside to match the barrel radius. Using a sight protecter when transporting/storing the gun will prevent it from being knocked loose and in normal use I have never had a problem with a soft soldered front sight provided it has a good solder joint.

I have one of the rear sight tools and it is dimensioned to fit original US muskets and doesn't work on the screw on most of the imports I have tried it on. If you remove the rear sight (assuming it is made in the style of an original) you will quickly see that it is not worth the effort required to modify it to move even a few thousandths.

For my own use I have a devise that mounts on the rear sight base and has an aperture that is adjustable for windage and elevation. You sight in, reinstall the sight leaves and drill through the aperture to give you peep sights. This is not cost effective for only one gun though.

Replacing the front sight is very much worthwhile, almost a necessity, if you are serious about shooting and hitting. If you are interested in finding correct style sight replacements PM me and I'll give you some links. I could probably pick one up for you at tne N-SSA nationals in about 3 weeks and send it to you.

Most of the Italian CW musket barrels are so thick bending is not a pratical solution.

It should barely take a 1/16th inch of bend between the sights.

Chowmif16 said:

Duane,
thanks for the point out to the N-SSA, I'll give it a try.
I've got a couple of sizers and a bullet mould on the way, so I'll start working up a load for it.
In the meantime, it's still awfully fun to shoot!

Cheers,
chowmi

Click to expand...

Chowmi:

I'm going to go out on a limb here. This may be a bit premature, but down the road you may want to consider a new barrel for that musket. Yes they are expensive, but you may find that you're putting as much money or more into a variety of moulds, different handles to fit the different moulds, dies and what have you in an effort to get a bad barrel to shoot. I wouldn't rule out a reline job either, which would be less expensive. Hoyt has relined a number of original barrels for me and I've never been disapointed, and I have a custom Whitacre barrel that is top notch.

Just some food for thought if you find yourself frustrated. Been there done that.

Duane

S & s also carries blank L leafs.

I try to stay a way from that. had it done to ca C & B. After awhile they seam to walk back!

I used to shoot NSSA. One method for both Springfields and Enfields is to remove the leaves and file one side to make them narrower so it will move for windage. Now, move to one side or the other to center you POI. When you find the sweat spot, make a shim to go between the leaf and sight base to keep it in place. HTH

threepdr said:

I used to shoot NSSA. One method for both Springfields and Enfields is to remove the leaves and file one side to make them narrower so it will move for windage. Now, move to one side or the other to center you POI. When you find the sweat spot, make a shim to go between the leaf and sight base to keep it in place. HTH

Click to expand...

I did the very same thing with my original '63. It took alot of shooting and filing but it worked
out. That was my first experience with a musket. If I had the same problem now I'd do the fill the notch file a new one route.

Thanks all for the replies.
Just had a new baby girl, so I suspect it will be a while before I get much work done on the musket...
When I do, I'll post my solution.

Cheers,
Chowmi