Vintage Sights?

[RatherBHuntin]

Jay, or any others who can contribute, I was looking at a catalogue last night and noticed the MLs had current ramp sights.  I am assuming that they were not what was originally used on the 18th and 19th century pieces.  Does anyone have any closeups of vintage sights used on flinters and percussion caps of that era?  Just curious as to what they used on those long guns.

[Jay Edward (deceased)]

Howdy Glenn.  Take a quick look at Track of the Wolf for the traditional sights.  Here is a link:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(tsfgoq55rw5lhwfo0wsya4j4))/categories/catList.aspx?catID=14

[RatherBHuntin]

Do you know at about what period they started using the buckhorn?  The adjustable ramp sight? How about when they started using rear sights in general, as I see the Brown Bess didn't even have one?  Would it have been about the time rifling came in vogue?  I figured you would be the SME.

[Jay Edward (deceased)]

Well a quick search of my reference books shows this Wheel Lock from 1568 and you can plainly see the rear sight.  I cannot state that it is buckhorn or, more likely, semi-buckhorn but the basic sight designs are pretty straight forward.

A piece of steel with a 'U' or a 'V' in it is pretty universal.  This has always been a mystery to me since most of the front sights have been 'blades' with a square top.  You'd think the square notch would just fit the bill.

I know that some of these firearms had 'masks', effigies or animals on the barrel but that is a little harder to tie down since in many of the pictures the front sight is cut off in the interests of putting the decorated portion of the buttstock on the page.