To bead or not?

[ZVP]

When I ;opped the 11" of barrel off my Home made HD Shotgun I lost my front bead.
For weeks now I have ben shootinng the guj , getting used to it and patterening it I have been shootin sans Bead and doing fairly well. Patterns were shot at 12 and 15 yards and I easily kept getting good sight pictures with the flat reciever top and the top of the barrel. In daylight this seem to work well.
I suppose I will need to get a 'smith to drill am tap to put the origonal bead back on but for now the shotgun is doin well.
I think that with the pratice I have done that even with low light conditions I could shoot reasonably.
No doubt that a Bead (even a small Brass one) helps aiming and I don't doubt that!
Anyone out there shooting a H/D shotgun without
BPDave

 

[deputy tom]

No I always have the front bead replaced. tom.

 

[Fred Fuller]

No, I prefer to have something out there at the muzzle. I prefer sights on a working gun, but do have several with beads.

I think it was Askins who talked about tying a handkerchief around the barrel of his shotgun for night work, back in the days before tritium... and night vision.

ETA - yep - Askins.

Reading Col. Askins’ sanguine tales as a youth learned he and other BP guys had custom extended mag tubes made for Brownings and Remington 11s and wrapped white handkerchiefs around near muzzle for early night sights. -- from the comments at http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=2995, assuming the commenter got it right of course... BTW, note the Browning A-5 at the link...

 

[rcmodel]

Yep!
I'd want a bead.

Should have marked the centerline and the new bead location before you chopped the barrel off.

It's way easier to put it in the center of the barrel & receiver then it will be now.

Double a string, loop it around the old bead, center it with the top of the receiver, then center-punch the new bead location.

Before you cut the barrel off.

rc

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i would put a large brass bead on it

 

[bubba in ca]

if it is an indoor HD shotgun it doesn`t matter. If you shoot it in low light it doesn.t matter.

On one of mine I went thru the trouble of installing a standard bead. On another one I put a clip'on fiberoptic on the back bead. I may put a big white bead on this one because it is a vent rib and the bead is easier to install (drill and tap) because you don`t have to trim it so it doesn`t stick down into the barrel.

I just read the fbi has modified its training recently because they figured out that 75% of shotouts happen within 9 feet.

How much sight does one need to shoot a burglar within 9 feet?

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

not so you need a bead when was the last time you shot a shotgun
on paper at 9' you will have a hole about the size of a small fist
you need a sight

 

[Uniquedot]

I've used these snap on sights on a couple of mine in the past. They are low profile and a good sight, but not so durable. http://www.hivizsights.com/products/shotgun-sights/plain-barrel.html

I had another one that was made from heavy aluminum and attached to the barrel via two allen set screws and used thin sheet brass as bushings if needed for smaller gauges...I killed a lot of game with that site. I don't remember who made that one, but it was very durable. I actually cut one of them in half between the set screws and made two sights out of it.