Peep sight for an H&A Underhammer

[Steve Rosen]

I recently acquired a old Hopkins & Allen (Numrich) "Off Hand" under hammer .45 muzzleloader in overall very good shape, but having a broken front globe sight and missing the receiver mount peep sight. From what's left of the globe, it looks like a Lyman 17 AML would be a perfect replacement, but I have been unable to locate anything that would be a direct replacement for the missing peep sight.

For those of you unfamiliar with this particular mode, it has a globe front sight, a fixed blade barrel mounted u-notched sight (for the close shots) and the tang mounted (actually the back end of the receiver) peep adjustable (elevation only I believe) for long shots. The peep sight looks somewhat similar to a Lyman #2, but instead of having an angled base, mounts into a single 1/4-28 tapped hole at the rear of the receiver. The hole is tapped vertically (perpendicular to the barrel, not the receiver).

I would like to locate an original peep sight, but after spending hours searching the web, all I have been able to find are a few old posts by people looking for the same thing. If anyone here on The Muzzleloading Forum happens to own one of these, I would greatly appreciate some detailed pictures and or drawings to serve as a starting point for fabricating one.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yep, you might have difficulty finding an original replacement. I had one or two but sold them very quickly after joining here. Your post might stimulate some helpful responsed. However, it should not be difficult to adapt something else to your rifle. That is the beauty of those ugly underslappers. They are versitile and adaptable.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I looked high and low for an insert for one of those sights and had no luck. And unfortunately the lyman inserts were too large to fit. I hope you have better luck than I did though :wink:

 

[Steve Rosen]

Mountain Dewd,

If you're willing to part with the post, please PM me. I'm pretty sure I (and my lathe) could cobble up an aperture disk

 

[Pete44ru]

.

Those tang sights are usually referred to as "popsicle" sights, IIRC.

DGW carries one: http://www.dixiegunworks.com/produ...cts_id=7542&osCsid=9sh2kb4o4v0a5ghkuk766mn0n3

.

 

[garra]

Steve,

Give this guy a try. [email protected]
He has helped me in the past in getting some peep sight parts.

gg

 

[hawkeye2]

The original sight had a threaded stem which allowed you to adjust the elevation by screwing it in or out of the action. It had windage adjustment also by moving the piece at the top. It was a simple sight and somewhat primitive. It bore no resemblance in any way to a Lyman sight, see the links below. I have been watching for one for years and have seen only one on eBay and it brought more than it was worth specially considering the condition. If you wanted only elevation adjustment it would be easy to make one using a bolt and a Lyman or Marbles eyepiece.
http://s639.photobucket.com/user/hawkeyetoo/media/UHlolypopsight.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
http://s639.photobucket.com/user/hawkeyetoo/media/1554065738_HA_Peep_Small.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

 

[garra]

Steve,

Here is one that is on the Buffalo site. looks like the correct style, but those threads look too coarse. http://www.buffaloarms.com/Red_River_Sights_it-164101.aspx?CAT=4073

 

[Grizzly Adams]

The post is on my fathers rifle, he has sort of a bubba'd insert in it, he may or may not be too attached to it. If he is not I'll certainly PM you :wink:

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Oops! I re read your post and I was mistaken that you wanted the front sight while you in turn want the peep my apologies.

 

[Steve Rosen]

Thanks to all....

hawkeye2 - Those pictures are exactly what I was looking for, I had been thinking of something far more complex (typical engineer )

garra - Thanks for the email address, I will contact him and see what he may have. The one on the Buffalo Arms site looks nice, but costs almost as much as paid for the rifle (and the threads do look awfully coarse)

Mountain Dewd - Yeah, its the rear sight I'm seeking, that would have been way to easy..

 

[Katahdin]

Check with Numrich part # 395060 or try this,,PecatonicaRiver 815-968-1995. they make UH in the style of H/A.They are out of Illinois. There are several other mfg of UH go to you search page and type in Underhammer and see what comes up!!
Some sweet shooting rifle,,I have on Heritage model in 45,,,

 

[andles]

I was told that the curve on a Savage 99 receiver is the same as the curve on the H&A Underhammer. There are several tang sights for the Savage by Lyman, Marbles, and probably others that would work. If you want the original the picture is the same one I got on mine back in late 1960's. Nothing fancy but it works.

 

[Katahdin]

andles If you could post a picture I'd appreciate it.... Mounted on the rifle if possible. My U/H, H/A Heritage looks like at one time it had a target sight on the back of the receiver,looks as someone put a bolt in it then filed it smooth????? Not sure if it is part on the MFG doings or not..Hanshi you got any ideas on that???

 

[hawkeye2]

Numrich sold out of H&A underhammer parts years ago, except for a handful of mostly things you don't need. I don't know of any H&A clone manufacturer who offers a receiver sight like the original or otherwise. I had thought of using the spindle from a cheap micrometer to make a post. 40 threads per inch should give one a real fine vertical adjustment.

I have a nice original Numrich made H&A action and it was never drilled and taped for a tang sight. I also have a Buggy Rifle (20" bbl.) that had been D&T'd. Someone had filed off whatever is in the hole and then drilled a hole in it to possibly remove it. I have no idea if that gun came with a receiver sight as it has been butchered so badly. I suspect they weren't drilled unless the gun was going to get the sight as it would have been a few extra operations to drill, tap, and plug the hole.

 

[Steve Rosen]

I actually got one of those for the time being, but it is the adjustable barrel mounted rear sight, not the receiver mounted aperture sight.

 

[Katahdin]

Hawkeye2 mine shows the same "repair", fix At the very back of the receiver looks like a field fix, not a MFG done .
Check these sites out: www.thegunworks.com www.rjrenner.blogspot.com Both address UH and build them as well...
then try this one very good,,,go here first www.fire-iron.biz