Tang Sights on Infantry Rifles

[klw]

Can such a sight be used?
If there is metal at the right place, it is already drilled and tapped?

Peep sights help sharpen up the sight picture at my age.

[French Jack]

The only examples that I have seen of tang sights on Spencer rifles were on sporting models.  They required a separate base that is attached to the rear of the receiver.  There is no tang, so the base must be attached to the receiver.  Doing so would require drilling and tapping the receiver, as well as machining a base to fit the rifle and the sight.

[klw]

Thanks!

[Hell-Er High Water]

I believe that tang sights were used on the Trap Door Springfield Officers Model rifles.  I don't know about the Officers Model, but my original rifles do not have any tangs.  Navy Arms shows their reproduction Officer Model with a tang sight.  You might contact Navy Arms and see if one of their tang sights could be adapted to the Spencer. 

It will be interesting to hear what you find out.

HHW

[Wagon Wheel]

Wouldn't a tang sight get in the way of proper shell ejection?

WW

[Arizona Trooper]

It actually works OK on both Soencers and Trapdoors. As noted, the Spencer sight has to have a special base that screws into the back of the reciever. You have to drill and tap holes for it. The holes will break into the ejector ramp spring housing, so short, special screws are required. Also, the base is a pain to make because the stock wrist isn't a straight line on top.

Trapdoor Officer's Models and some of the 45-80 Long Range Rifles had tang sights inletted into the wrist. I have also seen a couple Trapdoors made into buffalo rifles with long range Sharps sights. One was a Whitney Officer's Model clone (neat rifle in 40-65 with a full octagon barrel and schnable tipped stock). The other was a straight M-1868 that was probably issued to a contract hunter.