original sights for 66

[wyattm]

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Did winchester ever use the 73 style buckhorn rear sight on the 66. I see all new Uberti 66's come with the buckhorn sight. The first 66 I owned had the Henry ladder sight.
Thanks
Wyattm

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy Wyatt M.

I can't speak for ALL '66s, but mine was made in 2000, according to the date code.  It is the 24" barrel Sporting Rifle version, and came with a ladder sight much like on the 1873.

I THINK the Carbine and Short Rifle versions come with a different sight than the longer barreled versions and it may be a buckhorn sight.

Actually, I replaced the ladder sight on mine with a Lyman Tang sight, but I don't want to part with the original sight that came on it.  I put one of the Marbles "sight blanks" in the dovetailed slot.

[Coffinmaker]

No.  The flat top ladder site was standard on the '66.  You could however, special order nothing your little heart desired from Winchester.  Early production from Uberti was the flat top ladder until Uberti stared to "standardize."

Coffinmaker.

PS:  Uberty also "improved" (sic) the ladle at this time.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

(To Coffinmaker)  Does this mean that the former "cartridge stop" issues are now a thing of the past?  The ladle on mine seems to have been "improved" at the factory and has given me zero issues.  I figured I simply got lucky.  However, I have still contemplated buying one of the aftermarket ladles that are the shape and design of every '66 that I have seen pictures of on "Rare Winchesters" and other sites.  The cartridge cut shape on mine looks totally different than all the originals I've seen.

The issue I had with the ladder sight (as it came on my Uberty) was that there was no detent grooves/ball to hold the crossbar on whatever range the shooter (me) wished to use.  The crossbar would move EVERY time after shooting and had to be re-positioned.  PIA !  I have the Lyman tang sight on my '66 and I also have a Marbles tang sight on my '92.   I like them a lot.  I learned about the "peep" type sight from lots of Army shooting, since every rifle or hand-fired longarm-type weapon (I fired) had a "peep" sight on it.  I believe the correct term is "aperture sight," but many know it as "peep" whether on the receiver or tang.

[MJN77]

In the book "Age of the gunfighter" by Joseph G. Rosa, on page 138 there is a pic of an original 1866 winchester rifle with a round barrel and the adjustable simi-buckhorn rear sight like an 1873 winchester. So yes. They were made that way, just don't know how common it was.

[wyattm]

Thanks for the info. Been doing a lot of research and the earliest 66 rifle with the buckhorn sight i have found is 1870...have found some from 1871, 1873, and 1878....seems to me they were quite common.
Wyattm

[Coffinmaker]

Steel Horse,

No.  My reference to the "improvement" of the ladle was tong in cheek.  The "old" ladle was bullet proof.  The improved ladle (little bent tab on the back) are granteed to break.  It needs to be replaced and/or reinforced.  If you have an older '66 and the back tab runs length wise and is welded won' t won't break.  The more authentic looking replacements need reinforcement.  You'll also need the "small screw version."
Unfortunately, the cross bar has no detents.  Just slides up and down.

MJN77 and wyattm

You missed it.  The flat top ladder was standard.  You could order anything (I misspelled it before) your heart desired from Winchester and or you could have a gunsmith change anything you wanted.  Most folks didn't bother.  Just shot their guns with what came on them.  Wrer their some examples of guns from the past with Buckhorns ... Yes.  We're they standard ... No.  It doesn't really matter as long as you nan use what you have effectively.  If you can't, change the darn thing :-)

Coffinmaker

[MJN77]

MJN77 and wyattm

You missed it.  The flat top ladder was standard.  You could order anything (I misspelled it before) your heart desired from Winchester and or you could have a gunsmith change anything you wanted.  Most folks didn't bother.  Just shot their guns with what came on them.  Wrer their some examples of guns from the past with Buckhorns ... Yes.  We're they standard ... No.  It doesn't really matter as long as you nan use what you have effectively.  If you can't, change the darn thing :-)

Coffinmaker

Nobody said the buckhorn sights were standard on a 66. The OP asked if Winchester ever put the buckhorn style sights on the 1866 rifles, like the Uberti replicas. Special order or not, they did. Again, I don't know how common they were. I think you are the one who "missed it", with all due respect.

[Coffinmaker]

yep.  Yer right.  Reread the OP, the question was did Winchester EVER, etc.  So the answer is Yes.  Oops.

Coffinmaker