Different iron sight types: explain it like I'm 5

An example of good accuracy with the Garand's aperture rear sight is putting 24 shots inside 12 inches at 600 yards across 50 seconds time from prone.
 
W.W. Greener said in 1910 that proper use of the V and bead, D on the chart, was to take the bead, the whole bead, and nothing but the bead. He was depending on the relatively flat trajectory of the express rifle to hit a game animal in a vital area at reasonable ranges.

On the other hand, the American frontiersman was prone to estimate the range and take a "fine" or "coarse" bead if necessary to allow for the distance.
 
On the other hand, the American frontiersman was prone to estimate the range and take a "fine" or "coarse" bead if necessary to allow for the distance.
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I got to thinking about this, and it occurred to me that, generally, until we reach the era of cartridge firearms, field adjustable sights were pretty rare things.

Even today there are many guns with fixed sights. (and I count drift adjustable as "fixed" cause you aren't likely to be able to adjust them in the field)

SO, the only way to "adjust" for distance is taking a different sight picture.
Compared to muskets and fowling pieces, (shotguns) the Kentucky rifle had great sights. But compared to modern ones, they aren't great. They don't move, so one takes a different sight picture (bead fine in the notch, or front sight standing proud, etc) or one simply "holds off" the amount needed in order to hit.

"Kentucky windage" isn't just about left/right due to wind, its also up/down, and any other way you need to hold off in order to hit. (I hve no proof, but i don't think the term came from Kentucky I think it came from the way one used a "Kentucky long rifle". Most of which were made in Pennsylvania, and used everywhere, when Kentucky was the frontier.
 
I like aperture sights, sights where you look through a hole, I can often still shoot without glasses. I don’t know the scientific reason for that effect.

However, they can be more difficult in low light.
 
For hunting I like full buckhorns.

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All this has certainly taught me a fair bit.
Never even seen “buckhorn” sights before!

I can say that I understand better now that certain sights lend themselves to fast aiming if not pinpoint accuracy and others do the opposite. And I can recognise which styles might fall more in one category more than the other.
 
Jim Watson said:
A lot of modern service pistols have post and notch sights style A or B but adorned with color; a simple paint dot on the front post, one on each side or below the rear notch for fast but coarse alignment at close range. A fibre optic insert gives higher visibility, a tritium lamp allows alignment in low lighting conditions, a gold bead looks luxurious on one of those $8000 custom 1911s.
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A gold bead or other inlay does more than just look pretty. Because it doesn't tarnish, it was sort of the "fiber optics before there were fiber optics" hi-viz low-light front sight insert.
 
Yes, and so was ivory. Warthog and hippo ivory are said to yellow less than elephant ivory. Westley Richards used white ceramic enamel that for sure wasn't going to change.
I think nowadays gold beads are largely a prestige item, at least I don't know of a cop or competitor who uses one.
I'd like to see one of those gold line front sights, but in the meanwhile wonder how good their index in elevation is.
 
If you read Sixguns by Keith, (and pretty sure he also mentioned it in his Guns&Ammo articles, Elmer had King's Sight Works install a couple of gold lines (bars) on the front sight of at least one of his guns, as elevation marks.

Ivory, and Gold beads are class, Brass also works and is cheaper. You don't see them much these days, not just because of newer tech (fiber optic etc) but because Ivory is "bad" in the legal sense, but mostly because it was discovered that beads even flat ones, can change your point of impact when the light is just at the right angles. Not much of a problem at short range, or most woods hunting, but an issue for precision long range and target match work, where a solid black sight is better.

The bead gives speed, but not precision. For a lot of things, that is the most important thing.
 
I had a brass bead, actually a brass square, a la Redfield Sourdough, on a pistol.
It tarnished and had to be rubbed up bright to shoot. Better than black against non-contrasting targets but not as good as fibre optic.

Old saying was that a metal bead, brass, gold, nickel, etc. would shoot away from the sun. If the light was from your left, it put a glint on the left side of the bead, and you would pull that into the middle of the rear sight, swinging the gun to the right.

The Sharps crowd likes copper pennies as front sight blades on hunting rifles. Smoke it, tarnish it, rub it bright as your area calls for.
 
Adjustable rear sight can allow a variety of sight pictures for that bullseye- bead covering bullseye or where bullseye remains visible, for example.

Your next question might be, "sight it in handgun for 50 feet?" If you're going to move the target closer to you, or further out, you will adjust your aim with one or both hands to stay on the bullseye.

Have fun!
 
Jim Watson said:
Yes, and so was ivory. Warthog and hippo ivory are said to yellow less than elephant ivory. Westley Richards used white ceramic enamel that for sure wasn't going to change.
I think nowadays gold beads are largely a prestige item, at least I don't know of a cop or competitor who uses one.
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Oh, for sure. Now it's just to add that nice bougie touch to a custom blaster, since there are much more effective high viz alternatives.
 
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