Tang sight

[yamoon]

I was reading about the American Soule tang sight, which brings up the question, the Soule sight was available about 1890 it had very fine elevation and windage adjustments. The German Schuetzen rifles I own with tang sights are wonderfully finished, the sights seem rather crude compared to the Soule. Was an after market with fine adjustments available? The German Schuetzen rifles seem in every way fit and finished better than their American counterparts, so why not a sight with fine adjustments?
Mike

[mike ford]

yamoon,
Are you certain the sights are original to the rifle? It was very common for the rifles to be brought to the US without sights. To make them useable, many were adapted for after market sights, of varying quality. What all these retrofit sights had in common, was they were all much better than no sights at all.
Mike

[yamoon]

Hi Mike
I have several Schuetzen rifles with original sights, the actions are finished to a closer tolerance than my HiWall and Stevens 044 1/2 sch?etzens yet the sights on the German rifles have no reference marks to use when adjusting for windage or elevation. The Soule sight was an after market item, was an after market sight with more user friendly adjustments available for the German rifles?
Thanks Mike

[sharps4590]

Purely speculation on my part: The Schuetzen matches as I understand them were fired at 175 and 300 yards/meters, (I forget which). Perhaps once the sight setting was determined only slight adjustments were needed? Our matches were fired at more, greater and different distances and finer adjustments were needed?

[Old No7]

I just posted a question on this forum recently about a German Schuetzen rifle having front and tang sights -- and mid-barrel sights.

The answers surprised me! But I think it explains "why" tang sights aren't like the Soules...

I was told the Germans would sight-in their rifles using the mid-barrel and front sights -- and then then rear tang sight was sighted to co-align with the mid-barrel sight, and it's only purpose was to "sharpen the image" of the mid-barrel sight.

The responses to my post said German matches may allow all 3 sights, or some only 2 (but no tang sight, mid-barrel and front only) which I found pretty amazing.

I have both a Buchel Meister and Haenel KK Sport and they have tang sights -- but no mid-barrel sights. The way I was raised, shooting High and Low Walls, or Sharps, I'd much rather have the tang sight any day -- and a Soule type tang sight EVERY day.

Tight groups,

Old No7

[mike ford]

The tang sights that are to be used with mid-barrel sights to sharpen the sight picture are found on older hunting guns ( often combination guns) and usually permanently mounted to the tang, folding up for use. This type sight is only crudely adjustable, if at all. Tang sights on Schuetzen Rifles are in a whole different class and are precision instruments. They were usually removed from the rifles after use, and stored in their own container. When the war was over and authorities required all guns to be "turned in" for destruction, the sights were often not turned in. This explains why so many that were brought home by GIs were missing the sights ( this is the same reason so many hunting rifles were missing the scopes). In the last 75 years, many of these rifles have been put back to use by adapting what other sights could be found. Schuetzen rifles are not my main interest, but other members often shoot them. Maybe an expert will answer the basic question about the adjustments.
Mike

[yamoon]

Thanks everyone, I have been collecting and shooting German Schuetzen & stalking rifles for more years than I like to admit, never had the money to afford the carved, engraved ones, I have only bought ones with original tang sights, I have seen a few with all three sights, but never owned one. After damaging the front sight insert on a Schuetzen a few years ago, I now keep sights in a separate padded case.
Mike

[Old No7]

After damaging the front sight insert on a Schuetzen a few years ago, I now keep sights in a separate padded case.
Mike

That's a great idea Mike, I'll have to follow your lead on that.

I haven't damaged a sight yet -- or forgotten to put the drain plug in the boat yet either -- but I'll try my best to avoid doing either.

Old No7

[yamoon]

Harbor Freight has a small padded case about 10 x 10, will hold 4 or 5 sights, it is what I use.
Mike

[yamoon]

The Harbor Freight box