1873 src front sight- soldered, dovetailed or band?

[Baltimore Ed]

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I'm curious about the front sights on 73 src's. On some the sight is silver soldered mounted to the bbl but on others it's made as part of the bbl band. Is one more correct than the other? Or should it be dovetailed? The 73 carbine that I have has the bbl band sight. As I am putting a full forarm on my Spanish Contract Carbine  project where can I get a sight to solder on the bbl? Thanks

[Buck Stinson]

I'm taking it for granted, you're  referring to original '73 carbines, is that correct? If so, all first model and early second model carbines had the front sight blade as part of the front band.  All late second model and all third model carbines had the sight post mounted to the barrel. Late third models had a post with a pined sight blade.  None of the original 1873 model carbines had a dovetailed front sight.

[Baltimore Ed]

Thanks Buck, I didn't really think about there being an evolution of 1873 src's, doesn't seem to be alot there to improve upon, but engineers had to justify their pay then just like now. Vertical fins to horizontal fins?

[Buck Stinson]

I re-read my previous post and see that I used the word "detailed"front sight, when I meant to say "dovetailed". Changed my post to correct that error.

[Cliff Fendley]

I suppose if you really want a modern reproduction to look most authentic you would need the ones with the sight mounted on the barrel because the receivers on the Uberti repros are more like a third gen.

That said I kind of like the ones made on the barrel band because I can file and adjust and replace if need be plus they look kind of like a second gen so it's not a totally wrong look. Even though the rail does not screw on the receiver.

If it's a carbine it should not be dovetailed. It needs to be soldered on the barrel or as part of the barrel band.

[Buck Stinson]

That is correct.  None of the original '73 carbines had dovetailed front sights.

[Baltimore Ed]

As to my Spanish contract carbine project, the next question is who sells 1873 src solder on front sight bases and installs them? I've looked all over the web and only found dovetail sights. I've gotten my forearm just about done, it started out as an 1876 src forearm so to say it was proud would be an understatement. I had to use a brass tube in the mag tube channel to fill it in. The tweeked bbl band is from a Krag. Now I need to figure out how to attach the end cap. I also built my own coiled mainspring unit. I will try to post a photo.