Mississippi .54 with long range sight....

[Stantheman86]

I recently purchased a used Euroarms .54 Mississippi , that the last owner had installed the long range ladder sight on to make it look like a re-worked .58. It appears to be from the Armi-Sport 1st model 1855, or 1841 Rifle-Musket .69.

The issue is, although this rifle shoots beautifully with .54 Minies and round balls , it hits 2 feet high at 100 yards.

Would you recommend replacing that rear sight with an 1861 Springfield sight or trying to have a higher front blade installed? I want to keep the rifle "authentic" as in, no Williams sights or aftermarket stuff.....maybe the Springfield leaf sight will lower the point of impact?

 

[hawkeye2]

No it won't unless you modify the rear sight. You can flip the 2nd. leaf up, cut a notch in it and then file it down to where you want it or install a taller front sight. The simplest solution is to install a taller front sight.

 

[Stantheman86]

I also have a Zouave front globe sight but the sight , although it's higher, has a terrible sight picture......I don't know how people use these with rear notch sights.

Ill have to have my gunsmith install a higher front sight

 

[Stantheman86]

I think I found my solution, I have here, the Zouave "sniper sight" that I bought a year ago when I thought I might buy a Zouave, I never did. However one of the leaves was bent creating a horrible sight picture , must be why it was $25 on Ebay.......I tried to remove the bent leaf and it broke....

The inserts for a Lyman sight are nearly the size of the globe, I may be able to use a large plastic punch and "tap" it in.

That said Dixie has these for $35 so I'll probably just get a new one and shoot with it, just to see if it works. The fit on the barrel is somewhat loose, maybe some scrap canvas can tighten it up.

It's a repro and the Zouave "sniper" sights are at least somewhat historically accurate so I feel ok about using it, just to have fun at the range.

I like this rifle so much I may get a "standard" 1841 in .54 with the fixed rear sight if I see one used.

 

[Idaholewis]

What you have there is a Card of Lee Shaver’s BPCR inserts, not sure about your Actual front sight? But i am VERY familiar with those inserts

 

[Stantheman86]

I have the Lee Shavers because I have a Model 1917 that was sporterized in the 1960's, and it has a Lyman globe front sight. I settled on the crosshair insert and these have been laying around.

I compared the size of them to the Zouave sniper front sight and the inserts are just a hair bigger. I could probably massage one into the globe.....since I'm not gonna use the insert I'm going to try and I now have this pretty much useless Zouave sight , it's worth a shot , maybe someday I'll pick up a Zoli Zouave.

 

[32 ballard xl]

I recently purchased a used Euroarms .54 Mississippi , that the last owner had installed the long range ladder sight on to make it look like a re-worked .58. It appears to be from the Armi-Sport 1st model 1855, or 1841 Rifle-Musket .69.

The issue is, although this rifle shoots beautifully with .54 Minies and round balls , it hits 2 feet high at 100 yards.

Would you recommend replacing that rear sight with an 1861 Springfield sight or trying to have a higher front blade installed? I want to keep the rifle "authentic" as in, no Williams sights or aftermarket stuff.....maybe the Springfield leaf sight will lower the point of impact?

It hits two feet high at 100 yards because they used battle sights set for 200 yards. This was in order to have what came to be known as a beaten zone for three hundred yards, although 250 yards was more like it. At 100 yards they sighted on the enemies crotch. At two hundred yards, you held on the upper chest. At three hundred yds you held on his cap. Pretty deadly, especially if the other side had only muskets.

 

[Stantheman86]

Its frustrating when I have this cool rear sight with "1" "2" and "3" on it but then none of those numbers actually really means anything.....

 

[Stantheman86]

Has anyone removed the front sight on an 1841 Mississippi repro? Just wondering if there's a "channel" like on a Ruger single action or they just braze that little blade on.

 

[hawkeye2]

Has anyone removed the front sight on an 1841 Mississippi repro? Just wondering if there's a "channel" like on a Ruger single action or they just braze that little blade on.

If you have the original brass blade set into the barrel without a base file the sight off flush with the barrel. Buy or make a front sight and soft solder it to the barrel. Don't silver solder or braze it on as that can cause a tight spot in the barrel. Below is a link to a sight though intended for a Zouave according to the listing it is also for a Mississippi and is similar to what was added when the gun was modified. Before you install the front sight remove the front band and cut a slot in the bottom (above the ramrod) that is wide enough for the sight blade to pass through or you won't be able to get the gun back together. The slot in the band was cut when the originals were modified for the same reason. This sight modification is done to almost every Mississippi or Zouave used for skirmishing (mine included) and is N-SSA legal. If you would like a photos of the mod I could provide some later.

http://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MP216

 

[Stantheman86]

Did you file it down or just leave it in that big square shape?

I never thought of the barrel band aspect , thank you

 

[hawkeye2]

They are usually far too tall so I file them down before begining to sight the gun in and then file as needed. I file a slope from back down toward the front for looks and to prevent sun reflection. I then round the front corner for safety and a pleasing look.

 

[Rat]

For rifles with that big square base, you can also file off the blade, then cut a slot in the square thing, with a hacksaw blade, and make a nice sight out of a penny or old dime...and solder it in, using as little heat as possible. You can also drill a small hole through the square thing, and pin the blade in, and avoid the heat. Make it tall, and file it down to sight in. Shape it any way you like, but I like the rounded, "barley corn" style.

 

[Stantheman86]

Mine has the little half moon brass blade......would be an awesome sight if it had the fixed rear sight but I need the taller 1861 Springfield type sight. S&S sells the one described above or a tall barleycorn style.

 

[hanshi]

Back when I got my 1841 .54 it shot too high, though not as high as reported in your post. I filed down the rear - not much since they are already quite low - and it still shot high; but it was only 4"-5" high at 50 yards. The notch was deepened and it's now quite well sighted in. To get the ball to hit high at 50 yards I simply hold the front even with the top of the rear. For "dead-on" hits the front is held lower. When sighting with the front even with the top of the rear sight, The barrel band is slightly visible. All I have to do for poa hits is lower the blade in the notch until the top of the barrel band disappears.

 

[Stantheman86]

I attempted the "fine bead" , still hit high
,like way high. Likely due to the added Long Range rear sight.

We're talking 6" high at 200 yards with the front sight barely visible in the bottom of the notch, high