'96 Carbine Sights - Another CAVEAT

[Martin Wagner]

'96 carbine sights are another area of rapidly expanding counterfeiting due to their value. A real '96 carbine sight will bring between $400 and $500 if in decent condition while the rifle sights are worth perhaps $25.

Therefore when contemplating the purchase of an alleged 1896 carbine it is most important to be certain the sight is an original and not a fabrication from a rifle sight.

What is being done is this. Shysters are taking rifle ladders and removing the indicia and then restamping them with carbine configuration. There are several things to look out for when ascertaining the legitimacy of these sights.

1. The original carbine ladder was .109 thick, plus or minus .002, and the slide rode up and down tight. The remade ladders have to be ground down to a thickness of about .075 and the slides run up and down loosely.

2. Original ladders are flat, with no raised areas around the indicia. Fabricated ladders have raised areas around the restamped indicia which is caused by the moving of the metal when struck with a punch and hammer.

So, my advice, don't be blinded because you HAVE to have a '96 carbine, and the price is too good to be true. Examine the entire gun very carefully before you plunk down your hard earned rubles. These phoney sights have shown up at some of the bigger gun shows out west and have been offered by some well known dealers who may or may not know what they are selling.

Hope this saves someone heartache some day.

[Ned Butts]

Hi Martin,
Thanks for the heads up! My main intrest is in the Krag carbines and this is a good reminder for the buyer to beware. Also on the KCA home page in the picture section, at the bottom is a series of photos of a fake '96 carbine sight to study.
Thanks again for keeping us on our toes!!
Ned