Missing front sight on a Trapdoor

[ACORN]

I'm am going to buy an 1873 Springfield "Trapdoor" that has been cut down to carbine length. Along with the end of the barrel went the front sight. Just to make the rifle functional again and to make it look "right" I'd like to replace the sight. Dixie lists a front sight but I am not sure how they attach to the barrel. Is it silver soldered on? Anybody else done this?

 

[DnPRK]

The front sight on my Pedersoli clone appears to be silver soldered.

 

[Roswell 1847]

You might silver solder half a copper coin to the barrel, then decorate the stock with brass tacks. That way it would at least appear period correct as an Indian rifle.
I've seen a few of those , real ones, over the years. I almost bought one once, a large caliber smoothbore musket cut to about twenty inch barrel, but the bore was too far gone to be safe, and I don't care for wall hangers. It even had part of a feather still hung from a sling swivel. It had some beautifully done brass tack decorations.