Front Sight on Original 1859 Sharps

[milrifle]

Can someone please tell me how the front sight is held on an original 1859 Sharps Carbine? I originally thought the steel sight base was just soldered to the barrel, but on closer inspection, it looks like there MAY be a dove tail, but I'm not sure. Also, how is the brass blade held in the sight base? It appears the base has a channel milled through the center and the brass blade fits down inside it. I do NOT see any pins to hold it in though. Is the blade soldered into the steel base?

I need to put a taller blade on, but I don't trust my soldering skills to do a neat job. I can usually stick two pieces of metal together, but I can't say they don't usually have a lot of solder all over the outside when I'm done, so I am apprehensive about trying it myself. No local gunsmith wants to touch it, so I am considering doing it myself, but I REALLY don't want to mess up the patina on this rifle. It is too nice to do a crappy job on.

If the brass blade is soldered in the base and the base is dovetailed to the barrel, I may try it. If the base is soldered to the barrel, I'm afraid I will melt that solder when trying to replace the blade in the base.

Thanks,

Milrifle

[milrifle]

I was told on another board that the base was dovetailed and brazed to the barrel, and that the blade was "tightly pinched" in the base and could be driven out with a properly shaped punch. I ground a punch to fit, but found the blade was indeed pinned. The pin was sheared into three pieces upon me driving the blade out, but no damage to the gun, and surprisingly little to the brass blade, which I intend to keep, although it is too short for 50 yard shooting.

Just wanted to document what I found in the event someone finds this in a search one day.

[Hickok]

Milrifle, you can take a brass key, like used in locks or door locks and file it down or mill it to make a new sight blade. I have a Pedersoli Sharps Berdan, and made a new front sight blade for it.

When the .52/.54 caliber Sharps is zeroed at 100 yards with a ring tail boolit, and 50-60 gr. of powder, it is about 5 inches high @ 50 yards.

To be dead on at 50, you will need a higher front sight. Those Sharps sights are pretty fine and narrow, as I am sure you already know.

[milrifle]

Actually, I bought a piece of brass 3/32 x 1/2 x 12 from McMaster Carr and made one out of that. It turned out pretty good. I intentionally made it too tall so it can be filed down to get POI at POA. We hope to do that today if the wind cooperates. Yesterday, it was 20 mph. Not a good day for trying to work up loads or adjust sights. We cast bullets and made paper cartridges instead.