Tell me more! Rear sights

[OldSarge79]

Simple question I hope, and pardon my ignorance, but how would one go about removing the rear sight on a Model 1861 or Richmond musket without the Springfield or Richmond tool?
None of my reference books address that.

 

[JOHN42768]

https://www.lodgewood.com/Italian-Made-M1855-M1861-Rear-Sight-Base-Screw-Wrench_p_2579.html or if you have the screwdriver set there is most likely the bit with the two points
I don't have a Richmond so not sure

 

[Trooper "D"]

Simple question I hope, and pardon my ignorance, but how would one go about removing the rear sight on a Model 1861 or Richmond musket without the Springfield or Richmond tool?
None of my reference books address that.

"Get the BIG hammer".

 

[7thWisconsin]

I'm not looking at my 1861 at the moment, but IIRC the screw in the rear sight is a lot smaller than the nipple wrench/screwdriver. You need a smaller tool.

 

[johan_steele]

Get the tool, they aren't difficult to find. Lodgewood or S&S should have them in stock. The other option is to butcher a screwdriver.

 

[Keith.303]

"Get the BIG hammer".

This has always worked for me.

Getting it back on might be an issue though…

 

[OldSarge79]

It kinda reminds me of the car makers that make it so that you can't remove certain critical parts without their special tools that only they have.
I may bugger up a cheap screwdriver as per johan_steele. I need to find if there is a Richmond barrel under the sight in question.

 

[Tanglewood]

I always used a pair of high quality snap ring pliers (because I already had them), with downward pressure. I'm sure the actual tool designed for the job is best.

 

[OldSarge79]

I had to look up what snap ring pliers are but they look like they might do the job.

 

[Tanglewood]

I had to look up what snap ring pliers are but they look like they might do the job.

For what it's worth, I never liked the kind with interchangeable tips.