I didn't want to clutter up the original post so here goes. This sight came on the rifle when I bought it.
Left side:

Right side:

That sure looks like a near virgin MVA midrange vernier. BTW, it seems to be set at 0.32" if you are curious but are not familiar with reading vernier scales.

Excellent sight

Brent

Thanks Brent. I am still learning them. I had Ron Heilman one on my first Hartford that I regrettably sold before becoming familiar with it. I have MLV's book that explains them pretty well.

If I wanted to sell the rear sight (and the front globe for that matter) what would be a good and fair price to ask? I am going to put a penny front sight on and go the Bagwell route and use the barrel sight.

If I keep it I thought about taking the eye piece off but when I did it gives a nice big hole but I don't think it works too well with the full buckhorn rear.

Go to montanavintagearms.com and confirm that you have a 107 or 108 model and see what they are worth new. Then price it accordingly. That looks like "as new" to me, so maybe 75% of new would be a good asking price? Front globe depends. With a level or not matters to many.


I'd stick with that particular tang sight however, though I've been told it doesn't work very well. A whole lotta dead critters disagree however...

Good point. Thinking I probably ought to keep it in case I do get to play at long range somewhere. Most hunting shots around here are under 150 yards.

It is an excellent sight for hunting or informal target shooting. It will probably not reach past ~8-900 yds, and it is suboptimal as a competition sight, but otherwise it is hard to beat.

Brent

Brent.

I can reach 1000 with my MVA mid range with the .44-90 bn.
You can always turn the base around and that will work for the 1K but you will shoot over the 100 doing this.

Nice trick.

My bet is that if you remove the sight there will be an "A" stamped inside of a shield on the bottom of the sight base, making it a "Riflesmith" sight made in Sheridan Montana by Axtell Rifle Company. Midrange. And the finish looks to be pretty well worn as these were meticulously polished and nitre blued. These sights will develop "Brown" spots that look like rust(but cannot be removed with "Big Frontier 45" http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/Customers/ or steel wool) if not cared for (cleaned and oiled) properly. In your original question on the other thread you stated it was color case hardened, it is/was not case colored. What you have is blotchy blue/gray remaining finish. It would look great on a heavily "Antiqued" Quigley model Shiloh.
Chris

Forgot to mention, this would be a Riflesmith "#5 Transition" sight. The same one Shiloh originally used on their "Quigley" model. Riflesmith is out of business now and these sights, in excellent condition; are bringing a premium price.
Chris

It had a lot of oil on it but it definitely looks to be case colored. One more pic

The eye cup is blued in contrast with the staff and base. I will take it off and look when I get home today.

If it is case colored, it's not an MVA or an Axtell. Kelly is the only case colored sight I can think of and I have never seen a Kelly that was not a Soule configuration. Looks like a nice sight in any event.

I will have to pull it wipe it down and look at it in some bright light.

Here is a pic I found of the Axtell:

pacecars, in the end, maybe it doesn't matter who made it. Looks like a quality sight in any event.

Very true. It feels well made too. It is a lot closer to the Heilman I had than it is to the Italian job that came on the Rough Rider with the "lean" windage adjustment! I think I am going to keep it either way.

In this photo, elevator and windage knobs, the eyecup, the ball that holds the lower end of the elevator, the locknut on the elevator screw, and the entire windage assemble all scream MVA to me. But the finish of an MVA is always a glossy jet black. And Axtells are always bright niter blued. Perhaps you have an MVA with some post purchase refinishing to better match the rifle?

Here is and MVA midrange

Pacecars,
The picture link you posted above is not a Riflesmith tang sight. It is one made for and sold by C.Sharps Arms Company.
They are good for hunting only as they do not have a true vernier scale on the staff/eyepiece.
http://csharpsarms.com/catalog-detail/53/Deluxe-Long-Range-Tang-w-windage.html
Pull your sight and check under the base. Let us know what you find.
Chris

Chris, I really like your diagnosis except for one thing. This sure looks like a true vernier scale. Look close at the marks. That has to be a true vernier. It is set at 0.32" and you can see how it would walk up the staff to 0.33, 0.34 etc and down to 0.31 and so on.

Problem is Brent, you need to carefully reread my post. I said the Tang sight in the picture/"Link" Pacecars posted above (click on the link that says Axtelljpg.)is not a Riflesmith sight. It is, in fact a C.Sharps tang sight.
The photo you reposted above is not the tang sight in the "Linked" photo.
The tang sight picture you just posted is a "Riflesmith" and sure as heck is not color case hardened.
Sorry I got you so confused.
Chris

Yup. My mistake. Have a beer on me

The one in the photo here, however, I do not believe is an Axtell either. Maybe but it's a dead ringer in every way except bluing for an MVA midrange.

How much do you want to put on that last statement professor?

That it is a dead wringer for an MVA except for finish. I could bet a fair bit on that. There are about 10,000 Elvis impersonators too. Some of them pretty good, but that does mean Elvis lives.

What makes it an Axtell and not an MVA?

The partially blued vernier scale edge of the sight (below the ZERO, the color of the blueing and the "A" inside the Shield on the bottom of the base.

I'm on my 2nd beer!

You ain't won yet! WE haven't seen that A. Might be an MVA under there. But if you happen to frequent any of the matches I go to, we can make this beer wager for real. You have to reveal which of the 0.75 billion Chris's in the universe you are before we get to know what's on the underside of that sight.

The fun one........3rd beer........I better not drive tonight.......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0xAh2X9HtI

Na, there are no fun Chris's. Gotta step up and take off the mask.

Hmm, how about a Scotty Karate Scotch Ale or maybe a Lagunita's Maximus. Such hard decisions.

I'm not driving anywhere, but I have to finish butchering this deer, w/o slicing off a thumb.

Pacecars, Have you pulled that sight yet? I'm getting thirsty!

Here is a MVA 107 LR that cane on my Shiloh ten years ago it's the same as the mid range just shorter. If you look at the top of the staff it has sharp corners but the ones you get now the top is rounded. Also the screw on the base holding the staff is screwed in from the left. I think that sight is a later sight then from before 2000.

Kurt, I can't get your pictures enlarged.

So, I went down to the safe and pulled my Sharps out with it's MVA midrange vernier. I can't see any differences except finish. Every detail I look at appears to be the same. Even the number of rows of stipling on the elevator knob is the same. So are the corners of the staff and the staff mounting screw.

I've been tempted to refinish mine because it is too glossy black, so I'm not surprised if someone else has refinished theirs.

Years ago, I had an Axtell long range vernier and I don't recall it was so nearly identical to the MVA.

I'm running out of scotch ale now...

Sorry for the delay. I pulled the sight and on the bottom is an A in a shield. After wiping the oil off the staff looks blued but the base still appears case colored.

Looks like Chris is the winner.




Ronnie

Well, DAMN! But Chris is too secretive to collect.

After all that I think it will stay. Folded forward I can see through the shaft to use the barrel sights. I need to call Shiloh for the front sight

Brent,
I will be in DeSoto at my sons next weekend or the week after
that and I don't drink.....because it makes me fall down!
It is too bad that the Axtell Rifle Company went out of business.
They really did have some quality rifles/sights.


Ronnie,
A great looking Shiloh and a top quality sight. Just a little refined for hunting. The MVA # 131 works great in the field.http://www.montanavintagearms.com/131_windgauge.html It will make a good hunting rifle. I looked at it on Buffalo Arms sight myself.

It was everything I was looking for. The only change I would have done if I was ordering it would be the 1/2 round barrel just because I like the way they look. I would hate to mess up the way this one balances though

Desoto, eh? Well if traveling by Story City, I'm just a few hundred yds off the interstate. Give me a holler, you are welcome anytime.

While AXtell sights were pretty nice, their rifles were just pretty? Do you have one? I do, and it took an immense amount of time, $$$ and skilled friends to get it running right. Every year, a number of us Axtell owners get together at matches and swap sob stories.

Shiloh is due out with their own 77 made with some help (little I bet) from the fixtures they bought from Axtell.

Brent

click on the thumbnails

Saw this exact same sight at Cabelas bargain cave yesterday priced at $165 "As is"...almost bought it for my Sharps except after looking it was quite evident the ladder had been bent and previously straightened.The veneer scale was identical to the one in this pic but could not find any markings for a manufacturer.I figure it was probably dropped and the gun traded.Showed the clerk but of course got a WTF look just hope someone doesn't take it home.