Sights on the Uberit 1876's

[Crazy Horse]

My new 50-95 Uberti 1876 will be here Monday. I was wondering what to expect with the factory sights? Are they pretty usable or have y'all replaced them or added a tang sight?

[CarverTripp]

Hi Crasy Horse,
I guess that would depend on how good your eyes are and what you plan to do with it I put MVA tang with a hadley eye cup and globe on mine,(45-75), cause my eyes ain't that good, and I couldn't be happier.
Carver

[larryo_1]

I filed down my front sight to 0.340" and put on a copy of a Winchester ladder rear sight.  Also have a Marbles tang sight.  the rear sight that came with my rifle gave me fits as the height adjustment kept slipping and that sure can louse up your day when it keeps slipping.  That ladder sight I got from BA and it not only looks good like the originals but also works good.

[Grizzly Adams]

My Uberti sights were "good to go" for me.  However, I removed them in favor of a ladder sight off of a Browning 1886 SRC.  It is very similar to the one Larryo installed on his.  I just like ladder sights!

[McLernon]

I am thinking of putting a tang/globe sight set on my 76. Does anyone know where I can buy a period set?

Thanks

Mc

[Wes Tancred]

The #30A on the following Riflesmith page—

http://www.riflesmith.com/sightswinchester.html

—is essentially a replica of the tang sight commonly used on the Model 1876. The sights with vertical adjustment screws were also used, but less often (as far as I know; others with more knowledge should feel free to comment). The Riflesmith sights are available from Buffalo Arms, making it convenient to add them to orders for other items.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/

For a tube-hooded front globe sight, there are two types consistent with the era of the Model 1876:

(1) The Beech combination sight, #36 on the page referenced above.

(2) The tube & globe sight without interchangeable inserts. These are hard to find to-day. #16 on the following page—

http://www.riflesmith.com/sightssharps.html

—is of this kind, but note that it is not made for the 3/8 (.375) inch dovetail slot on the Uberti rifle. I have been able to find only one sight of this kind for the 3/8 dovetail:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=182755

It is made in Italy, and very inexpensive, but of high quality—a most pleasing combination. It is surprising that this type of sight is not more widely available, given how common it was in the 19th century.

By the way, the buckhorn rear sight on the Uberti Model 1876 is not historically incorrect, though it appears that the ladder sight was more common on original rifles. Uberti's rear sight for the 1876 is of high quality and very similar to originals. While many BPCR shooters to-day prefer to remove the rear barrel sight and replace it with a dovetail blank, when using a tang sight, it seems to have been more common in the past (at least in so far as lever action rifles are concerned) to leave it in place.

Edited on 14 July to correct sight model number.

[Grizzly Adams]

Very informative post, Wes!  Thanks!

[Wes Tancred]

Thank you, Grizzly. But I forgot to add an important bit of information. The Uberti Model 1876 will require special screws for the tang sight. The Riflesmith sights come with screws that fit original Winchester rifles. Buffalo Arms have the two screws available at very low cost, but I can not provide a link to the item description since their web-site is down for maintenance at the moment. I will do so as soon as possible.

[Wes Tancred]

According to Buffalo Arms, the following is the correct tang sight screw set (#MAR995010) for the Uberti Model 1876:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,6419.html

[larryo_1]

As Griz said, that ladder sight that I have is about as close to an original as can be.  I really like it.  I also have a Marbles rear sight and did get those special screws from BA and they work as they should.  The one thing that I did that is not traditional was put a dab of white paint on the rear of the front sight.  My eyes are not as they once were so that helps me.  I did have to file down that factory front sight to about the same height as what is on my '86 45-90 original front sight and that helped me a whole bunch.  Something to keep in mind.

[Russian]

I hear alot about a good tang sight, but someone was mentioning it may be better to put a Vernier (sp?) sight on instead for longer ranges?

Sorry to intrude, but I thought it would be better than starting a whole new thread!

[Wes Tancred]

Correction!

The Riflesmith period style tang sight particularly suited to the 1876 Winchester is the #30A. I received the sight to-day, and it is of extremely high quality. I shall edit my previous message accordingly.

Further information: The 10X32 screw set for Uberti 1876s, offered by Buffalo Arms (#MAR995010) do fit the rifle properly. But their heads are not shaped for the Riflesmith tang sight, and appear to be shaped for a Marbles sight. While the heads could easily be turned down, and small collars turned out to transform the special screws into replicas of the Riflesmith screws, I am investigating more convenient options, and shall report here when I have more information.

With reference to the message just preceding, the Riflesmith #30A is both a long-range sight and a vernier sight. The term "vernier" refers to the method of measuring the vertical adjustment of the sight by means of the graduated scales. A vernier tang sight may, or may not, have a vertical adjustment screw. The Riflesmith web-page linked above also lists long-range vernier tang sights with vertical adjustment screws, such as the #32.

[Russian]

Thanks for the sortin' out Wes!  I like gettin lots of info before I start spendin money on stuff that may not be the way to go.

Wes, what do you think about the #32?  It has that adjustment screw which 30A doesn't.

[Hell-Er High Water]

I don't know about the Uberti M'76 but on my Chaparral M'76 the current production Lyman No. 2 tang sight for the M'86 Winchester fit right in place with the mounting screws provided with the sight.

The replacement screw set provided by Buffalo arms may fit this sight also on the Uberti model.  You would have to check with them.

IMO, I don't consider the M'76 to be a long range rifle that needs a ladder type tang sight so that is why I opted for the Lyman model.

You might look at this as another option.

HHW

[Russian]

Thanks HHW, that's where I am stuck, one friend recommended the Lyman No2 with threats of name-calling if I chose to ignore his advice, while another chap recommended the Marbles (not sure which one) tang sight as it has windage adjustment which the Lyman No2 doesn't have. 

[Wes Tancred]

Earlier in the thread, McLernon asked about period-type sights. That is what I wanted for my rifle as well. The ladder type tang sights, with short or long staff, were typical for the 1876. Later in the 19th century, the Lyman/Marbles style tang sights became much more popular on repeaters. They would properly be "period", too—they certainly would have been used on 1876s before 1900.

The long range tang sight gives one the option of long range shooting even if this is not the regular plan (however, I should mention that Marbles now offer extra pedestals for their improved sight, in various heights for increased range capability). The #30A Riflesmith sight looks correct on a Model 1876. A ladder sight with the vertical adjustment screw would be period appropriate, too, and is useful for target shooting. But the simpler version can be set just as accurately. Decisions like this are necessarily very personal!

A tang sight need not have a windage adjustment in order to work properly. The front sight can be adjusted as needed, and all should be well if the relationships between the bore and the tang sight screw holes are within reason. The Marbles, and other tang sights with windage adjustment, permit one to centre the front sight directly over the bore, and work from the rear. Adjustments can be made easily if required.

The Lyman, which originates essentially in 1878, pre-dates the Marbles. It actually represents the origination of a new principle in aperture sights, in which the area of the disc or ring surrounding the aperture is very small, so as to not obscure the vision. It led directly to the so-called "ghost ring" concept, originated by William Lyman himself, who preferred using no inserts in his sights. This makes for more of a sporting, rather than target, sight, though large-disc/small-aperture sights can be, and certainly were, used for sporting purposes, and the opposite is true as well.

[Russian]

Choices, choices!  Thanks for the info Wes