Rear sight position

[ndnchf]

Hey Pards,

I've had my henry for a few years now and absolutly love it.  One thing I've always wondered about was the position of the rear sight.  Mine (Uberti) has it on the barrel as most do.  Some originalis (early ones?) had them mounted on the receiver.  Why did they go to the  barrel position, empty shells hitting the receiver sight?  It seems like the longer sight radius of the the receiver sight would be a benefit.  Ideas?

[Fox Creek Kid]

I had an Uberti Henry with the rear sight dovetailed into the receiver. I bought it that way as the previous owner had it machined. Unless you have the visual acuity of a peregrine falcon forget about anything but snap shooting. The sight plane did not enable any focal acuity. In layman's terms: worthless.

[Will Ketchum]

I second what Fox Creek said.  I had a dovetail milled into my receiver just because I had seen so many with them on originals.  My old eyes couldn't get a sight picture.

I have seen several Kentucky rifles with multiple dove tails cut.  I have been told that as the owners eyes aged they moved the sights so they could see them clearer.


Will Ketchum

[Advertising]

[ndnchf]

Well that makes sense.  Its funny how technology evolves.  You'd think that they would have figured that out at the factory with the first prototypes.  Maybe it was a young guy with good eyes who recommended putting the sight on the receiver 

[Henry4440]

The dovetail on the receiver they made only in the serial range 1 to 3000.Plain, unslotted, frames began about serial no.3000.