Trapdoor Carbine Front Sight

[Bat 2919]

I'm attempting to figure out what the front site looked like on the 1873 carbine.  The few front sight photos I've found have all been of full length trapdoor rifles.  I need to send my "carbine" to the gunsmith for repair/replacement of the front sight and I want it to look right when it's finished.  S & S has several base and blade front sights (most of them marked rifle) and also a one piece sight.  

I refer to my gun as a "carbine" because I know it began life as an 1873 rifle.  It was one of several rifles cut down in the 70s or 80s by a Denver gunsmith for a Buffalo Soldier reenactment group.  The dealer I got it from was selling it for the previous owners family.  The "Carbine" currently has a rifle (marked "R") rear sight that I'm replacing with a Carbine style.  The current front sight is a base and blade type but it is badly of set to the left.  If the barrel can be rotated that would solve the problem but I'm not sure if this is possible.  If I do have to replace the sight, like I said, I want it to look right when it's finished.  Any help I can get identifying the proper sight would be appreciated.

[St. George]

They look exactly like that of the Rifle and 'rise' from the barrel like you see on a proper Krag.

They also have a 'C' on the front sight blade.

Trapdoor and Krag Carbine barrels were built simultaneously with those of Rifles, and were shortened as-needed.

Their front sights were then silver-soldered in place.

An original 'Carbine' rear sight can quite often bring more than an intact, complete Rifle in nice condition.

Scouts Out!

[Trailrider]

Being this "carbine" is a cutdown rifle, the presence of a M1873 rifle rear sight is not surprising. HOWEVER, something you might want to consider before replacing the R sight is that quite a number of original M1873 carbines had their C rear sights replaced by R rear sights. While there is no official documentation that I've been able to uncover in years of research, there is evidence that a number of cavalry company commanders (Capt. Albert Barnitz, of the 7th Cav) requested issuance of the .45-70-405 rifle ammo instead of the .45-55-405 rounds, with a suitable change to the sights! I have examined quite a number of original M1873 carbines that had R rear sights.  Now, originally, these carbines, with serial numbers 50,000 and lower, were issued with the long wrist, short comb stock. The stocks were fairly fragile, and when they broke, most had the broken stock replaced with the later M1877 thick-wrist, long comb stock. Of those I examined, the ones that had their stocks replaced in the field or in 1879 at the arsenal, almost all had Rifle rear sights, except in the case where a Carbine rear sight...which didn't match the original finish of the barrel! Of the M1873 carbines that retained their long wrist stocks, most also kept their carbine rear sights. The implication there was that those pieces had left Army control (having been stolen by deserting troopers) before they could have either the stocks or the rear sights replaced.
Whether the use of the M1873 Rifle sights actually compensated for the use of the rifle ammo or not is another question. Since target practice was not universally believed in until the 1880's, most troops probably couldn't tell the difference, and the problem was most likely exacerbated by the increased recoil induced by the full-power ammo.
Just saying...

[Advertising]