skeeterfogger
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- Jan 5, 2019
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The recess in the stock is actually cut for an accessory globe front sight. Remember that by the time this rifle was produced, patched round balls were a thing of the past, and Minie bullets were standard.Even still has spare nipple in patch box.
The recess in the stock is actually cut for an accessory globe front sight. Remember that by the time this rifle was produced, patched round balls were a thing of the past, and Minie bullets were standard.
Even the "patchbox" on the M1841 Mississippi rifle was not for patches, but for implements such as the worm, ball screw, etc. The Mississippi did indeed use round balls, but the paper cartridge served as the patch. Patches were not carried except for cleaning.
The globe front sight is a neat accessory to have. It slips over the muzzle and is secured by a thumb screw, with the crosshairs co-witnessing with the top of the front sight blade.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...uct_name/EP0606+Remington+Zouave+Sniper+Sight
I don't understand. It's the oval cutout in the stock, under the door (where you found the spare nipple). This is exactly dimensioned for the globe sight. The original Zouaves have an additional (deeper) hole, in one corner of the oval cutout, for the spare nipple, but many of the reproductions lack this feature.Nice to know. However I find no cut in the stock to accommodate this. I'm sure it can be added. I'll have to find a pix of one.
I don't understand. It's the oval cutout in the stock, under the door (where you found the spare nipple). This is exactly dimensioned for the globe sight. The original Zouaves have an additional (deeper) hole, in one corner of the oval cutout, for the spare nipple, but many of the reproductions lack this feature.
There are two different Zouaves being discussed in this thread. One is skeeterfogger's recent acquisition, and the other is Texas Moon's rifle with the pitted barrel.You gotta decide for yourself what you wanna do with this thing. If it's just for fun and something to shoot and enjoy by all means cut it down.
The Zouave has a unique rounded front sight base that interfaces with the accessory globe front sight (aligning it). You can't get that with a dovetailed front sight. Actually, other than the fact that with a blued barrel you have to re-do the bluing, soldering a sight is easier to do than cutting a dovetail. You apply the special silver-solder flux liberally, clamp the sight in the desired position, heat the joint with a MAPP torch until the solder flows, and let the solder be drawn into the joint. Then you polish the area to remove the excess flux and solder.(That also removes the bluing, which is why you have to reblue -- not a problem with a bright barrel such as on an M1861 rifle-musket .)It's do-able certainly; I was thinking that I'd skip the solder and cut a dovetail...
The Zouave has a unique rounded front sight base that interfaces with the accessory globe front sight (aligning it). You can't get that with a dovetailed front sight. Actually, other than the fact that with a blued barrel you have to re-do the bluing, soldering a sight is easier to do than cutting a dovetail. You apply the special silver-solder flux liberally, clamp the sight in the desired position, heat the joint with a MAPP torch until the solder flows, and let the solder be drawn into the joint. Then you polish the area to remove the excess flux and solder.(That also removes the bluing, which is why you have to reblue -- not a problem with a bright barrel such as on an M1861 rifle-musket .)
I have a Euroarms M1803 Harpers Ferry flint rifle. They used a truly atrocious soldered-on front sight. That's a case where a dovetailed front sight would be correct. The barrel is browned. I agree with you that if done right, cutting a dovetail shouldn't require refinishing the barrel. I'm planning to do this (I even have the replacement sight in hand), but it's just a matter of finding the time.. If the dovetail is done cleanly, there's no need to re-blue the whole barrel.