Have you ever added iron sights to your rifle that came without them?

I have only added front ramps

I’ve used Williams ramps, random take off ramps gunsmiths had on hand and fancy ones I bought or was given by friends.

Next time I do it I’m thinking of getting a skinner front sight meant for a lever rifle. They have a lot of stuff online that isn’t listed that might work

Not an issue for a competent gunsmith and a few guys will also make them for around the same price as euro or high end ones
 
Yes, and the best ones I have found are Recknagel sights made in Germany. They can be imported directly, but it is simpler to buy from the biggest North American retailer, New England Custom Gun in the USA. I've ordered front and rear sight sets from NECG for several rifles, and highly recommend their selection and quality.

In the past I've also purchased and mounted sights from other factory standard rifles like Remington and Sako. And a few Williams sights. Meh. The Recknagel sights are in another league and worth the extra money.

As my eyes have reached 60+ years of age I have pretty much given up on open rear sights but apertures still work very good. NECG makes several very good aperture sights for use on common rifle actions, and they pair well with their front sight options.
 
I’ve got a bolt action .22 that I wish had irons but I figure for the price of the sights and what a gunsmith would charge to instal them I’d be better off buying another .22 that already has irons, win win as far as I see it.
 
Only a couple instances of replacing sights lost or discarded by previous owners. I kept it simple by getting the original types.
 
I've upgraded irons with aperture or other better sights but never added them to rifles that didn't have them. Never really saw the point. I can't see a situation that I would want to add them.
 
Longwalker said:
Yes, and the best ones I have found are Recknagel sights made in Germany. They can be imported directly, but it is simpler to buy from the biggest North American retailer, New England Custom Gun in the USA. I've ordered front and rear sight sets from NECG for several rifles, and highly recommend their selection and quality.
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Don't forget to give Wolverine Supplies a call too...they import direct from Recknagel and some products come to us direct a lot cheaper than going through NECG. I had some front sight inserts come in at $15 CAD each when through NECG they were $30 US before shipping and exchange. It's not the case with every product but it is worth a call.
 
I try and avoid open sights as much as possible, factory order higher end rifles specifically without.

In the off chance the optic fails and I need it, that does not make up for how often they snag in the bush, on clothes, gun cases, damage vehicle interiors, damage other firearms, etc.

I had issues with optics failing years ago, since going to higher end optics more than a couple decades ago, I have never been in a hunting situation where my optics failed me
 
Peculiar that some high quality peeps command the price they do. I purchased a nice Post WW1 mauser for a song... the attached Lyman 57 was worth more than what I paid for the entire rifle.
Retro I suppose...rose colored glasses perhaps. Despite my age and the fact that I have been quite shortsighted since Grade School... I still manage to get irons to work fairly well. 344 yds being my best shot ( Rangefinder)... a Ross M-10 on a wounded / crippled Elk. Can't help but wonder if a scoped rifle maimed it though.
I mean who shoots irons for the most part...Luddites? Oh, yeah...and that guy in the mirror LoL.
 
I shortened a barrel on a Swede Mauser in 9.3x57, which meant I had to unsolder the front sight ramp and move it back to reinstall on the shorter barrel. A bit challenging to rig something that was spring loaded that would hold that ramp perfectly, when the heat came on and the tinned solder went liquid. The rifle has a neat old Hellquist hunting aperture sight on the rear bridge, so I wanted to keep a front sight on that punkin chucker - was never drilled for scope bases, and I intend to leave that one, that way.

It is the first and only front sight that I have installed relying only on tinning with soft solder - no screws, no barrel ring. Has not fallen off yet, but I do find myself looking to see that the front sight is still there after firing it!!! :)
 
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Got a 98 in 'Punkin; Chucker' Caliber... it has that SSR QD unit? It sees as much irons as glass... but I mostly play on the creek brush. So irons work good for it in addition to the glass. It's a Stalking rifle proper.
 
Probably sounds like blasphemy to some, but about the only use I have found here in rural Manitoba - for the 458 Win Mag, I lob out 485 grain cast lead bullets, and the 9.3x57 uses 285 grain cast bullets - never checked the speed, but not likely more than about 1,200 fps - like really big 22 Long Rifle, I guess - just a total "old guy" hoot to take them out with the aperture sights and blast away at gophers in a pasture - occasionally hit some, I think - lots of "collateral casualties" from flying dirt though!!! The 14 year old grandson prefers the 4.5-14x40 scope on the CZ 452 Silhouette, but he will eventually catch on!!!

For the black bears in back yard, I have the 9.3x62 with full power 250 grain Accubond - have not had to fire, yet, but now we have a new-to-us Bulldog, that does not seem to have enough smarts to know when "retreat" is actually a smart move. So, might have to take care of business one of these days - lots of bears here; but we only have the one dog...

P.S. - total apologies to OP for completely de-railing your thread....
 
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OP - kind of a twist on your question - I wanted a Schultz and Larsen rifle chambered in 7x61 Sharpe and Hart - yeah - so a bit strange, I guess. Finally bought one a year or so ago - had not really done my "due diligence", I guess - barrel was 2" shorter than what factory barrel was supposed to be, and it did have a front sight ramp soldered in place - but no sign whatsoever of a rear sight, or accommodation for a rear sight. So, S&L Model 60 was a "scope only" rifle from factory - no iron sights - so I did remove that front sight ramp and re-blued it - several times and counting... Just am stuck now, with the 2" shorter than "normal" barrel... So, if you install a front sight, have a plan for the rear sight as well.
 
Butcherbill said:
I’ve got a bolt action .22 that I wish had irons but I figure for the price of the sights and what a gunsmith would charge to instal them I’d be better off buying another .22 that already has irons, win win as far as I see it.
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So true. I've added, or moved the front ramp after shortening a barrel. There is more of an art to installing irons on a rifle than there is to putting on a scope in most cases. I prefer a receiver sight, which usually involves raising the front. Not many shops even stock replacement parts. Installed a 788 front blade and a Williams receiver on a Mosin once, it worked well.
 
Beaver Skin said:
Don't forget to give Wolverine Supplies a call too...they import direct from Recknagel and some products come to us direct a lot cheaper than going through NECG. I had some front sight inserts come in at $15 CAD each when through NECG they were $30 US before shipping and exchange. It's not the case with every product but it is worth a call.
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That is wonderful news to me. I was just about to place an order with NECG, for a taller front sight blade that would fit my Merkel 140AE double. The rifle was purchased from Wolverine Supplies originally, and they treated me very well as the second owner who needed some service after the first owner neglected to keep the rifle maintained properly. I will call them, thanks!
 
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