revolvers without front sight

[Cyrille]

I  read somewhere, a while back, that the front sight on some of the 'original' revolvers used in the 'old west' were either filed down to the height of the front sight on most of the simi autos produced today or removed completly! And that the revolver was pointed at the target much like a shotgun, rather than aimed. I have no idea where the author got this bit of information or in what magazine I read this in [barbarshop maybe?] Anyway can this 'rumor' be substatiated? Or is this just some 'old wives tale' ?

[St. George]

Hardly...

The front sight of original revolvers was left at the same height if not the same thickness as those of today.

Period front sights were on the thin side and the 'U'-shaped rear notch was jut that - unlike modern firearms.

The individual - should he so desire - could file and adjust to suit 'his' particular needs - though the 'balance' of the piece lent itself to instinctive point shooting and was used that way more often than not.

Jack Schaefer's 'Shane' addresses the gun used as having 'no' front sight - because supposedly that made the protagonist a real gunfighter and the gun that much faster to get out of the leather.

Look at pretty much any 'decent' reference on firearms of the Frontier West - as opposed to a novelist's idea of plot enhancement - and you'll see un-altered original revolvers of every manufacturer represented in the displays and museum reference collections.

Scouts Out!