Unusual Krag 'cocking-piece' Peep-Sight

[butlersrangers]

This unique sight sold today on Ebay. I was tempted, but, resisted. (It went for $66, along with a 2nd 'knob-less' Krag Striker-Rod).

It appears well made, but, without provision for elevation or windage adjustment. I have never seen one like this before. I am not sure what holds it in place on the Striker-Knob?

I have used a Lyman sight that was 'dovetailed' into a 1903 Springfield Striker-Knob. That 'Flying Peep' made 'follow-through' a challenge! (I didn't like it, except as a curiosity).

[psteinmayer]

It would probably be set for a specific distance... but I can't fathom a reason you would only want to be set to a specific distance. Maybe if you set up in a stand, and bated the deer, you could get each buck in the same spot. Hmmmm

A plethora of questions leap to mind looking at this...

[gnoahhh]

I'll betcha it's not a sight in the strict sense of the word. It's an image focuser for use with the original arsenal barrel sights. You look through the aperture at the standard sight picture and it narrows down the light beams bringing the whole sight picture into focus- a definite bonus for older eyeballs that are getting tired.* If a user of this apparatus tried to use it as a sight in and of itself he would experience frustration. Look through it at your sights and ignore it.

I never saw such a thing on an American rifle, but they aren't uncommon on German/Austrian rifles. Mannlicher-Schoenauers turn up with a similar aperture that pops up from the top tang and looks like a tang sight without windage or elevation adjustments. Many people encounter them and think they are a sight but they are wrong.

* Same phenomenon as with the diaphragm in a camera lens. When you stop the lens down to a high f-number (say f-22), the light is more sharply focused and depth of field is dramatically increased, but the downside is there is less light passing through the aperture and the image is dimmer.