Decades ago, the N-SSA had a rule that you could modify your front sight to a certain extent AS LONG AS A BAYONET, DESIGNED FOR IT, COULD FIT ON YOUR RIFLE. I recall seeing inspectors going down the line, carrying on original Springfield bayonet and picking Skirmishers with 3 Band Springfields at random.
They would then "Inspect" their rifle for rules compliance and one of the tests was to see IF that bayonet they were carrying could fit the rifle. The "trick" was that the "bridge" on the shank of the bayonet had to clear the top of the front sight and a high front sight would prevent that, making it impossible to fit a bayonet to the rifle. Of course, failing a N-SSA Inspection, would have the rifle banned from the firing line until it was fixed and in compliance with N-SSA Rules.
Of course, this was an "unfair rule" because the Skirmishers that shot 2 Band Rifles like Fayettevilles, Enfield Naval Rifles and modified Mississippi's got away "Scott Free" because their bayonets were attached by an entirely different system (bayonet lug) to their rifles.
I don't know when the rule changed, but it did, and now the N-SSA doesn't really care about the height of your front sight blade (within reason) as long as the base is cosmetically identical to original front sight bases.
Now, original Springfield Rifles (Models 1855, 1861, 1863, 1864) came with a fairly low front sight and absolutely NO WAY to adjust for "Windage" as the front sight was Silver Soldered to the barrel and the rear sights were SCREWED to the barrel. [Although desperate Skirmishers have been known to file down one or the other side of front sights to adjust their Windage "just a tad."]
Most Skirmishers that buy a replica Three Band Rifle-Musket like a Springfield or Enfield are HANDICAPPING themselves when it comes to Skirmishing, as a rifle with a 39 or 40 inch barrel takes longer to reload than a rifle with a 33 inch barrel! The Musket Team Matches in Skirmishing are all about shooting (and reloading) FAST and SHOOTING ACCURATELY.
Most replica,Three Banders with "Issue" front sights, when carried to the range and shot off the bench, will print their bullets a foot or two high at 50 yards using the lowest setting for the rear sight. Back when they were designed in the 1850's and 1860's, the military wanted rifles that had a "Point Blank" range of 250-300 yards-I imagine they hardly ever considered shooting at a 50 yard range, as in battle, troops would probably be fixing bayonets when the enemy closed within 50 yards!
So, to really make your replica competitive in the N-SSA you are going to need a replacement front sight that is TALLER. S & S Firearms sells the perfect replacement:
http://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=58S148A&cat=87
Note that it is DOVETAILED. You will have to carry your rifle to a gunsmith with a milling machine (who knows how to use said milling machine) and he will knock off your factory front sight and then cut a "dovetail" channel in the top of your barrel, so the S & S Front sight will slide right in.
Then ask the gunsmith to drill a small hole on THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BASE OF THE FRONT SIGHT. Put the sight in a vise (sight, upside down) and throw the flame from a propane torch on the base. When it is hot enough, FILL UP THE HOLE WITH SILVER SOLDER. Let everything cool down and then file the excess Silver Solder off the base, leaving only the Silver Solder in the hole in the underside of the front sight.
Then it is "off to the range" with your rifle. The rifle will probably shoot LOW at 50 yards-so you simply file down the top of the sight to RAISE the point of impact at 50 yards, until your Elevation is perfect. Taking care of the Windage is easily done...you simply tap the front sight back and forh in its dovetail until the bullets are hitting "Dead On" the target. HINT: When adjusting the front sight left and right, remember that you have to tap the front sight in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION to move the Point of Impact!!
After your rifle is "Sighted In" perfectly for 50 Yards with your lowest sight setting, recall that N-SSA rules require that your front sight be "soldered" to the barrel. Simply turn on your propane torch, heat the front sight until the Silver Solder in the hole melts and runs down into the dovetail. When it cools you will be a "Legal Eagle" so far as N-SSA Rules are concerned....
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
They would then "Inspect" their rifle for rules compliance and one of the tests was to see IF that bayonet they were carrying could fit the rifle. The "trick" was that the "bridge" on the shank of the bayonet had to clear the top of the front sight and a high front sight would prevent that, making it impossible to fit a bayonet to the rifle. Of course, failing a N-SSA Inspection, would have the rifle banned from the firing line until it was fixed and in compliance with N-SSA Rules.
Of course, this was an "unfair rule" because the Skirmishers that shot 2 Band Rifles like Fayettevilles, Enfield Naval Rifles and modified Mississippi's got away "Scott Free" because their bayonets were attached by an entirely different system (bayonet lug) to their rifles.
I don't know when the rule changed, but it did, and now the N-SSA doesn't really care about the height of your front sight blade (within reason) as long as the base is cosmetically identical to original front sight bases.
Now, original Springfield Rifles (Models 1855, 1861, 1863, 1864) came with a fairly low front sight and absolutely NO WAY to adjust for "Windage" as the front sight was Silver Soldered to the barrel and the rear sights were SCREWED to the barrel. [Although desperate Skirmishers have been known to file down one or the other side of front sights to adjust their Windage "just a tad."]
Most Skirmishers that buy a replica Three Band Rifle-Musket like a Springfield or Enfield are HANDICAPPING themselves when it comes to Skirmishing, as a rifle with a 39 or 40 inch barrel takes longer to reload than a rifle with a 33 inch barrel! The Musket Team Matches in Skirmishing are all about shooting (and reloading) FAST and SHOOTING ACCURATELY.
Most replica,Three Banders with "Issue" front sights, when carried to the range and shot off the bench, will print their bullets a foot or two high at 50 yards using the lowest setting for the rear sight. Back when they were designed in the 1850's and 1860's, the military wanted rifles that had a "Point Blank" range of 250-300 yards-I imagine they hardly ever considered shooting at a 50 yard range, as in battle, troops would probably be fixing bayonets when the enemy closed within 50 yards!
So, to really make your replica competitive in the N-SSA you are going to need a replacement front sight that is TALLER. S & S Firearms sells the perfect replacement:
http://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=58S148A&cat=87
Note that it is DOVETAILED. You will have to carry your rifle to a gunsmith with a milling machine (who knows how to use said milling machine) and he will knock off your factory front sight and then cut a "dovetail" channel in the top of your barrel, so the S & S Front sight will slide right in.
Then ask the gunsmith to drill a small hole on THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BASE OF THE FRONT SIGHT. Put the sight in a vise (sight, upside down) and throw the flame from a propane torch on the base. When it is hot enough, FILL UP THE HOLE WITH SILVER SOLDER. Let everything cool down and then file the excess Silver Solder off the base, leaving only the Silver Solder in the hole in the underside of the front sight.
Then it is "off to the range" with your rifle. The rifle will probably shoot LOW at 50 yards-so you simply file down the top of the sight to RAISE the point of impact at 50 yards, until your Elevation is perfect. Taking care of the Windage is easily done...you simply tap the front sight back and forh in its dovetail until the bullets are hitting "Dead On" the target. HINT: When adjusting the front sight left and right, remember that you have to tap the front sight in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION to move the Point of Impact!!
After your rifle is "Sighted In" perfectly for 50 Yards with your lowest sight setting, recall that N-SSA rules require that your front sight be "soldered" to the barrel. Simply turn on your propane torch, heat the front sight until the Silver Solder in the hole melts and runs down into the dovetail. When it cools you will be a "Legal Eagle" so far as N-SSA Rules are concerned....
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Bringing the