These are really crummy pictures because this K-22 isn't mine.....yet.

Can someone ID the front sight? It looks like there is an insert inside the normal front post. I've never seen one like it and several google searches have come up empty.

I'm guessing that this setup would cause the gun to shoot low unless the rear sight was regulated for the taller than normal front sight.

No serial number available but supposedly it was made in 1951.

It probably did shoot low and why the rear sight is raised.

It'll be interesting to see better photos of the front sight. But I think your precisely right, a bead inset in the original Patridge blade.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Do you have a close up photo of just the sight alone? It looks like a Marble or Lyman bead sight.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Sorry JSRIII, no other pics. I'll try to stop by the shop that has it later this week and get a better look.

I've tried researching Lyman, Marble, and King front bead sights and they all seem to be one piece instead of the two piece insert style in the photos.

I was hoping that one of the resident experts would wander by and say something like "According to my database, that sight was made by a guy named Frank on Thursday, March 8th, 1951 at 1:15 PM. The sight was inspired by the shape of the pickle that was served with Frank's lunch that day and turned out to be the greatest bullseye sight ever made by man. Unfortunately it was discontinued after Frank was killed in a freak gardening accident."

In all seriousness, I've been really impressed with the identification abilities of folks on this site. It's really just a curiosity question.

Someone went to a lot of work to put that insert into the front sight and they had to know it would make the gun shoot low. As I was falling asleep last night I was wondering if the site was intended to work somewhat like a lower case letter i, with the top of the base being lined up with the top of the rear sight and the bead "floating" above the normal sight picture. If it was tall enough it would allow for a 6 o'clock hold with a "pointer" inside the bullseye. It doesn't look quite tall enough for that in the pictures though.

You'll just have to wait till you get it to find out where it shoots. You may be right that it's meant to be aimed like an 'i' and shoots right on that way.

Or did you notice if the rear sight blade has a proper U shaped notch for use with the bead.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I'd bet that is a Marble's 'Sheard' #35 sight blade. Someone cut a grove in the existing Patridge sight, then installed the round-based Marble's the same way they were meant to be installed in pre-war pinned sight bases.

It looks like that K22 has enough wear that the sight mod won't hurt it's value much. If the price is right and it shoots straight, it's a keeper.

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Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292