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Parts for arms of pre-1899 design. Components only — we never sell a firearm.

Sights & Markings

Front Sight

Forward aiming reference, often integral with a base or block.

Also called

  • bead
  • blade
  • front sight base
  • post
34

Arms it fits

34

Documented parts

None today

In stock now

5

Names recorded

Identification

Notes on the front sight are still at the bench

Identification notes are written one part at a time, from pieces Butch has had in hand — so this section fills in as he works through the vocabulary rather than all at once. If you are trying to identify a front sight you already own, he answers those directly at butch@butchsantiquegunparts.com.

Vocabulary

Other names for the front sight

4 recorded

The same component has been called different things by different makers, manuals and trades. Each term is printed with whatever is recorded about where it comes from.

  • bead
  • blade
  • front sight base
  • post

Fits

Front Sight by model

34 arms
1808 North Flintlock Martial Pistol Front Sight1 documented variant1816 North Flintlock Pistol Front Sight1 documented variant1836 Waters Johnson Flintlock Pistol Front Sight1 documented variant1841 Mississippi Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantAustrian Weapons Front Sight1 documented variantBritish Brown Bess Flintlock Musket Front Sight1 documented variantBritish Enfield Musket Front Sight1 documented variantBritish Military Pistol Front Sight1 documented variantBritish Sea Service Flintlock Pistol Front Sight1 documented variantCanadian Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantCorbeav Flintlock Pistol Brass Stock Hardware Set Front Sight1 documented variantCorbeav Lock Front Sight1 documented variantDutch Beaumont Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantFrench Corbeav Flintlock Lock Kit Front Sight1 documented variantJ. H. Hall Front Sight1 documented variantKrag Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantL. C. Smith Shotgun Front Sight1 documented variantMauser Front Sight1 documented variantRemington Rolling Block Front Sight1 documented variantRolling Block Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantSharps Carbine And Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantSpencer Rifle And Carbine Front Sight1 documented variantSwiss Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. .45-70 Trapdoor Springfield Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. 1817 Common Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. 1855 Harpers Ferry And Springfield Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Krag Rifle Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Martial Pistols Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Military Flintlock Musket Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Military Percussion Rifles And Muskets Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Model 1816/21 Flintlock Musket Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Model 1835/40 Springfield Musket Front Sight1 documented variantU.S. Model 1855 Rifled Musket Front Sight1 documented variantWinchester Front Sight1 documented variant

Will it fit

No interchange recorded yet

Butch Schoeller writes these notes only from parts he has handled. A blank section means nothing has been checked yet — not that everything fits.

From the bench

Availability

Nothing of this type is listed at the moment. Most of this catalog is one-of-a-kind, so stock turns over item by item rather than being restocked — posting a wanted listing is the reliable route, and aggregated requests are what tell Butch which parts to make next.

The reference

Documented examples

34 entries

1808 North Flintlock Martial Pistol Front Sight

1808 North Flintlock Martial Pistol

1816 North Flintlock Pistol Front Sight

1816 North Flintlock Pistol

1836 Waters Johnson Flintlock Pistol Front Sight

1836 Waters Johnson Flintlock Pistol

1841 Mississippi Rifle Front Sight

1841 Mississippi Rifle

Austrian Weapons Front Sight

Austrian Weapons

British Brown Bess Flintlock Musket Parts Front Sight

British Brown Bess Flintlock Musket

British Enfield Musket Parts Front Sight

British Enfield Musket

British Military Pistol Parts Front Sight

British Military Pistol

British Sea Service Flintlock Pistol Parts Front Sight

British Sea Service Flintlock Pistol

Canadian Rifle Parts Front Sight

Canadian Rifle

Corbeav Flintlock Pistol Brass Stock Hardware Set Front Sight

Corbeav Flintlock Pistol Brass Stock Hardware Set

Corbeav Lock Parts Front Sight

Corbeav Lock

Dutch Beaumont Rifle Parts Front Sight

Dutch Beaumont Rifle

French Corbeav Flintlock Lock Kit Front Sight

French Corbeav Flintlock Lock Kit

J. H. Hall Parts Front Sight

J. H. Hall

Krag Rifle Parts Front Sight

Krag Rifle

L. C. Smith Shotgun Parts Front Sight

L. C. Smith Shotgun

Mauser Parts Front Sight

Mauser

Remington Rolling Block Parts Front Sight

Remington Rolling Block

Rolling Block Rifle Parts Front Sight

Rolling Block Rifle

Sharps Carbine And Rifle Parts Front Sight

Sharps Carbine And Rifle

Spencer Rifle And Carbine Parts Front Sight

Spencer Rifle And Carbine

Swiss Rifle Parts Front Sight

Swiss Rifle

U.S. 1817 Common Rifle Front Sight

U.S. 1817 Common Rifle

U.S. 1855 Harpers Ferry And Springfield Front Sight

U.S. 1855 Harpers Ferry And Springfield

U.S. 45 70 Trapdoor Springfield Front Sight

U.S. .45-70 Trapdoor Springfield

U.S. Krag Rifle Parts Front Sight

U.S. Krag Rifle

U.S. Martial Pistols Front Sight

U.S. Martial Pistols

U.S. Military Flintlock Musket Parts Front Sight

U.S. Military Flintlock Musket

U.S. Military Percussion Rifles And Muskets Front Sight

U.S. Military Percussion Rifles And Muskets

U.S. Model 1816/21 Flintlock Musket Front Sight

U.S. Model 1816/21 Flintlock Musket

U.S. Model 1835/40 Springfield Musket Front Sight

U.S. Model 1835/40 Springfield Musket

U.S. Model 1855 Rifled Musket Front Sight

U.S. Model 1855 Rifled Musket

Winchester Parts Front Sight

Winchester

Check it yourself

Sources

12 sources

Period and institutional material relevant to this entry. Listed so it can be checked, not as decoration — nothing here has been through expert review yet.

  1. 1.Ordnance March-April 1924: Vol 4 Iss 23Internet Archive · 1924
  2. 2.Report of the Adjutant General of West VirginiaWest Virginia. Adjutant General's Office; West Virginia. National Guard · [Charleston, W. Va. : The Adjutant General · West Virginia University Libraries · 1913
  3. 3.Ordnance July-August 1925: Vol 6 Iss 31Internet Archive · 1925
  4. 4.The manufacture of optical glass and of optical systems; a war-time problemUnited States. Army. Ordnance Dept; Wright, F. E. (Frederic Eugene), 1877-1953 · Washington, Govt. Print. Off. · University of California Libraries · 1921
  5. 5.Handbook of the 6-inch howitzer matériel, model of 1908 and 1908 MI with instructions for its careUnited States. Army. Ordnance Dept · Washington, Govt. Print Off. · University of California Libraries · 1917
  6. 6.The Manufacture Of Optical Glass And Of Optical SystemsOrdnance Department Of Usa · Internet Archive · 1921
  7. 7.DTIC ADA438182: Provisional Machine-Gun Firing ManualDefense Technical Information Center · Internet Archive · 1917
  8. 8.Description of the Colt's double-action revolver, caliber .45, model of 1909 : with rules for management, memoranda of trajectory, and description of ammunition, September 10, 1909United States. Army. Ordnance Dept · Washington [D.C.] : G.P.O. · University of California Libraries · 1917
  9. 9.Provisional manual for ordnance field serviceUnited States. Army. Ordnance Dept · Washington : Govt. print. off. · Cornell University Library · 1920
  10. 10.DTIC ADA501877: The Coast Artillery Journal. Volume 65, Number 1, July 1926Defense Technical Information Center · Internet Archive · 1926
  11. 11.The manufacture of optical glass and of optical systems : a war-time problemWright, F. E. (Frederic Eugene), 1877-1953; United States. Army. Ordnance Department · Washington : Govt. Print. Off. · Getty Research Institute · 1921
  12. 12.Ordnance January-February 1930: Vol 10 Iss 58Internet Archive · 1930

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