Sighting Tubes for Muzzleloaders and BPCRs

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Hi all, I'm trying to get some information for a friend on the usage and manufacture of sighting tubes as an augmentation to standard iron sights. He has the idea of mounting a sighting tube on an 1863 zouave repro rifle musket.
If anyone has any info or pictures I'd appreciate it! :redface:
 
How would a non optical tube make you better than a Soule iron peep sight? IMHO, since these 'tube sights' did not exist, or did not catch on, historically,they are just not relevant. Our forefathers were very good at invention; especially motivated about shooting longer. After all, as hunter/gatherers, their very existence relied on shooting long, shooting well, and feeding their families. Optically enhanced sights were not even documented to exist before 1835. Today, I would be really pissed about just waiting 6 months for a period correct Malcom sight, cause my old eyes (cataracts) cannot use my Soule peep sight anymore, to go really, seriously long with my BP 45/70 (1300 yards).
 
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I've never heard of a sighting tube. The period scopes of the time looked like long brass tubes but of course had glass inside. A quality modern MVA repo will be over $1000.
 
Are you thinking something like this:

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It is period correct for the 45/70 Buffalo gun. It does have glass elements in it.
 
No, the OP means a sighting tube. They were basically tubes with crosshairs but no magnification and usually no glass. But I imagine there might have been a couple of different styles way back in the day. I have one of the period scopes as pictured above only it is all brass but that isn't what the OP is talking about.
 
Sight Tubes, or Tube Sights, are mentioned in, "The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle ', by Ned H. Roberts. Page 33.

They are a form of sight for a target rifle, that came into use about 1840 to 1850.

They consist of a sheet iron or brass tube about 3/8" or 1/2" in diameter.

They eliminated all light reflection between the rear peep sight and the front sight.

They can be mistaken in old photographs for a telescope.
 
Edenchef said:
How would a non optical tube make you better than a Soule iron peep sight? IMHO, since these 'tube sights' did not exist, or did not catch on ...........
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about that,but they certainly did exist,and were used in the 60's for Olympic level competition. i.e. Al Freeland was an Olympic level shooter, and it appears his sight was good enough to be copied.

See this page:
http://rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Martini_International_Mk.III.html#Freeland_tube

The page is long but a search (Ctrl-f) for Tube sight will get you to the pictures.
 
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