Pictures of my Shiloh bb with sporter tang

[Fogman01]

I just received my Shiloh 50-90 16 lb bull barrel buffalo rifle. I had Distant Thunder custom make me a Sharps Sporting Tang sight patterned after the original Sharps Sporter. I think it turned out well - nothing fancy but very much like an original which is what I was after.
Maybe the pics are in this one.

[billydixon]

That is a beautiful rifle there. I bought my 50/90 as a barreled action in 1979. I was going to Colorado School of Trades. I was in the machine shop when my gun came. I barely had enough money to pay for it. I think it was $349. I still have the invoice. I put a really nice piece of walnut on it. I put a 1903 checkered butt plate on. Boy did that kick. I guess it weighed 9 lbs. 3 years later I bought a 45/90 HB. But I still like the 50/90 the best. I finally got the ok to send it back to Shiloh for a 34" HB. I haven't shot it yet. Which is a shame but my knees went south after riding motorcycles for 40+'s years. But the last 10 years I could barely walk. So hopefully on Wednesday I'm having a knee replacement I hope everything will go all right. I gave all my black powder guns to a friend just in case I don't make it. I live near Winchester, Va. in the mountains. So good luck on your rifle and happy hunting.

[Don McDowell]

Nice rifle

[ken s]

[attachment=747]I received my Distant Thunder original style Sharps Hunters tang site.
I was very pleased with the quality, and the looks of the original. I had them put the serial number on the side, to match what Sharps did in the 1870's.
I did remove the Distant Thunder logo on the side, then reblued it.
No big problem....It's going on an original 74 Sporting rifle and I want the 'look' of the original. I'll bet they will drop that if asked.
I would recommend this sight to anyone....

Ken

[bobw]

I don't remember seeing a thumb screw on any original, explain please. bobw

[Stephen Borud]

What twist did you get in you Big 50? Nice rifle too!

Stephen

[Mike]

I don't remember seeing a thumb screw on any original, explain please. bobw

Bob, Please allow me to step in for just a moment. I've been consulting with Jim at Distant Thunder for several weeks about his new sporting tang sight. Based on some poor experiences with an Axtell made copy of the old Sharps sight, which would not hold its vertical setting, a set screw was requested. The Axtell sight would lose its vertical setting with recoil or simply a bumpy ride in a pick-up truck. The thumbscrew is a set screw for that vertical hold. Now that a couple of the sights are out, I have one on a .40/70, the set screw is being reconsidered. It most likely will either be eliminated or offered as an option. One other idea is to use a small set screw without the thumb piece so it would not be so obvious because most probably these sights will be set for an elevation and then left alone. Authenticity is highly desired but the sights must be useful too. There will be more to say as the final design is developed. Shoot sharp, Mike

[bobw]

Mike, I sorted all ready figured the purpose of the set screw, but it doesn't make it authentic. Purposeful without a doubt, but these sights were to be adjustable on the spot. Sometimes I think the odg's rusted them lightly to give their movement a certain amount of resistance to unwanted movement or vertical drift, The Smith folks build a buckhorn ladder barrel sight with detents on one side of the ladder to hold elev. A good friend went that route and shot the hell out of it. His comment was that " the detents aren't all ways where you need them". I wonder if a set screw in the side of the eye piece against a thin brass shim the sets on the vert rail to tension the eye piece wouldn't be better? bobw

[ken s]

I don't remember seeing a thumb screw on any original, explain please. bobw

You're right Bob. He gave me the option of no thumb screw, but said it would lock up tighter if it had one. It is tight without the screw, but I will use it for shooting so I'll leave it in. I can easily remove the screw. The hole is so small it's not noticeable. And. I could just fill it with a flat screw, no head.
But...I'll just wait and see.

The quality is superb. Ken

[bobw]

Ken sounds good... Pull the thumbscrew put in a little delrin slug and tension it with a set screw that you can't see sticking out. bobw