Fiber optic sights for octagon barrel smokepole?

[HomeBru]

Yeah, I know it's not "traditional", but I put a set of Williams fiber sights on my Cabela's Hawken and that extra 10-15 minutes of clear sight picture either side of full light is worth the ridicule.

The problem: The design of the Williams front sight is a polymer ramp/base with a clear plastic blade insert that houses the fiber tube. That clear plastic blade is only a snug fit, not tight and not fastened. I lost the first one in the brush five years ago and bought a new set so I could finish out the season. Even super-glued the new blade in.

Well, the worst has happened, when I pulled the muzzleloader out of the safe this evening to get ready for tomorrow morning's hunt, the front blade was gone. Completely cleaned out the safe, searched everywhere possible, but it's gone. Add to that, Williams has changed this model so I can't just go grab another tonight and the new model gets terrible reviews.

So, anyone have any good experiences with Tru-Glo or Hiviz on a smokepole? I'm primarily worried about fit on the octagon barrel and general durability.

J-

 

[alex]

If you need an immediate fix just get a piece of the thicker bright green or any color weedeater line which is about .090 and superglue it in there. I had to do that once as an emergency type repair and it worked pretty good.
Just go by the nearest Home Depot and cut about a 1" long piece off one of the rolls there as a "sample".

My repair is just to fix the colored fiber piece as long as the rest of the front sight is still there to hold it.

 

[HomeBru]

It's not just the fiber, I actually have repair fiber on hand. The whole BLADE is gone. The design is a 1/4" polymer ramp screwed to the barrel with a 3/16" clear plastic blade dovetailed into the ramp.

 

[crackerjax]

I dont own a bp rifle but would it not be better to have the gun drilled and tapped for sights and get some trijicon glow on your rifle?

 

[HomeBru]

I dont own a bp rifle but would it not be better to have the gun drilled and tapped for sights and get some trijicon glow on your rifle?

It's a traditional hawken sidelock percussion rifle, lots of brass, beautiful gun.

Anything more high-tech than fiber optics would REALLY look goofy!

 

[dalee100]

Hi,

Can you quick post a picture of what is left of the front sight? Just off the top of my head, you may be able to find a piece of copper electrical wire that would be a close fit for emergency use. A piece of hand formed plastic or wood painted with a bright fingernail polish? Back in the day before fiber-optic sights, we used fingernail polish to highlight sights.

Just a couple of Q&D ideas.

dalee