“Folk Art”: Coins replacing front sights

[mrcvs]

I call it "folk art", but it's really not. Just a convenient means to replace a damaged front sight.

Post photographs of yours.

I put this in the Gand Ejector section for greater visibility, but any Smith & Wesson revolver with this homemade repair qualifies.

Here's mine, a .44 Double Action First Model revolver with a Liberty Head nickel front sight.

Liberty Head nickel - Wikipedia

This revolver was forged 03 Feb 1897 and shipped May 1900.

 

[lihpster]

I once used a nickel and the hacksaw on a Leatherman to replace a lost rear sight elevator on a .22 rifle in the field. It worked so well I left it there for another 20 years. As you said, convenient.

 

[gmborkovic]

You could buy a mug of beer at Miss Kitty's "Long Branch Saloon" for a nickel! Would have to think about that repair in 1880 Dodge City.

 

[DGNY]

This is a neat topic. In a sense, my reply is thread drift/off-topic…

I do remember in my extreme youth fastening from a small piece of scrap steel a new front sight for a Hopkins & Allen .22 Range Model. Also a new cylinder/base pin from a nail.

Reason for choice - not sure I then could afford a nickel!

Both worked very well, still have revolver.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

Back in the day.

People worked with what they had. The Wells Fargo wagon only came around so often. And that new pistol that you ordered out of the Sears catalog might be months down the road.

 

[raljr1]

My Regulation Police Target with a dime for a front sight. Later replaced with something of sufficient height to get the shots closer to point of aim. These shot were with a hold south of 6 o'clock

 

[kwill1911]

 

[mikepriwer]

Years ago I bought a 1899 6 1/2" .38 target revolver. It had a silver coin front sight blade. The first two pictures show the two sides of the front sight blade, mounted in the barrel.

The sight blade has been removed from the revolver. The next two pictures show both sides of the silver front sight.

The last picture shows both sides of the full coin.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[JohnRippert]

When I was a young teen I had a firing pin on a Stevens clip fed bolt action rifle break and disappear. I found a nail the proper diameter, cut it off and slipped it into the hole. Worked like a charm. I did not know if it would stay in so I made a couple more and installed them in grooves cut into the wood under the buttplate. Never had to use them because it worked until I sold it. Even told the new owner about them.

 

[Jim Watson]

Guys on the Shiloh board report making sight blades out of real copper pennies. Indian head pennies if they want to be period correct. They can be blacked or polished to suit their taste, bright copper is said to show up well in the woods.

 

[Muley Gil]

I once used a silver dime to make a front sight for a sporterized .30-40 Krag rifle. No pictures; rifle is long gone.

 

[CZU]

Here's mine, a .44 Double Action First Model revolver with a Liberty Head nickel front sight.

Nice revolver, that was probably a 1913 V Nickel.

 

[mrcvs]

Nice revolver, that was probably a 1913 V Nickel.

At first, I thought, how can you tell. And then I recalled…

1913 Liberty Head nickel - Wikipedia

From what I can see on my sight I think I can see part of an 8 and a 9, suggesting the nickel was from the 1890's.

 

[StrawHat]

Here is an Indian head penny I put on an old revolver.

Kevin

 

[smithcollector]

Year or two ago i bought an old Winchester Model 1885, and while i was cleaning it up and getting the set trigger working, i realized it had an old Indian Head penny as a front sight. It had obviously been there a long time.

 

[LEO918]

I have a '92 Winchester with a sliver of Ivory for a front sight.