
A Fancy Sight That Is Strong 
So much has been said about fancy revolver 
sights in the February and March numbers 
that I feel as if something should be said in 
defense of the so-called fancy sights. The 
sights I prefer are known as the Patridge sights. 
They are preferred by Mr. E. E. Patridge, of 
Boston, Mass., one of the finest revolver shots 
in the United States. The work Mr. Patridge 
has done with them is sufficient to prove their 
merit, as target sights. They are especially 
adapted to the .38 Smith & Wesson Special, 
and can be obtained from the Smith & Wesson 
Company. 
These sights are far ahead of the ordinary 
factory sights, under all conditions, where any 
kind of a sight is needed. Now, with regard 
to the fear, expressed by some, that target 
sights would be knocked out of alignment by 
carrying the revolver on the hip, or by other 
rough usage, I can say, safely, that they will 
stand as much abuse as the factory sight. The 
front sight is very coarse; thicker and stronger 
than the factory sights turned out by the Colts 
Company. Mr. Patridge recommends a thick- 
ness of 8-100 of an inch, and never less than 
47-100. This is considerably thicker than a 
5-cent piece. For all-around use this sight 
should be tipped with a coarse ivory head, as 
much better work can be done with an ivory 
sight in a poor light. This sight is as thick on 
top as it is at the bottom, and the top is left 
: square instead of being rounded, as in other 
sights. The rear sight consists of a steel 
block, with a deep, square notch cut in it. 
This notch should be slightly wider than the 
front sight, so that a narrow line of light will 
appear on each side of the front sight in taking 
-aim. The top of the front sight is held level with 
the top of the rear sight; the appearance of 
_ this sight when aiming is that of a straight bar, 
with two narrow lines of light running up to 
the target. 
The accompanying diagram gives a good 
idea of the appearance of these sights. Most 
shooters will find them a great improvement 
over factory sights. 
In answer to the rather peculiar question 
asked by Mr. T. M. Houdlette as to what a 
man would do if the mainspring of his double- 
ee ee re 

action revolver broke at the critical moment, 
I know what I would do. I would have an 
engagement elsewhere, and lose no time in 
trying to fulfil it. Furthermore, a single-action 
revolver with a broken mainspring would be 
no better than a double-action; they would 
both be out of business. The working parts of 
a Colt or a Smith & Wesson double-action 
are few and strong, and no more liable to break 
1 2 38 
au , a 
23 *s 4 
/ 

DIAGRAMS OF THE PATRIDGE SIGHTS 
than a single-action. This applies to repeating 
and single-shot rifles as well, except that a 
Winchester Repeater will handle a swelled 
cartridge much better than any single-shot 
rifle. I speak from experience, as more than 
once I have had the various single-shot rifles 
hopelessly jammed with a tight shell that an 
’86 model Winchester would have extracted 
easily. J. C. ANDERSON. 
Sacramento, Cal. 

Would Reload the .405 
Will the owners of .405 calibre rifles, readers 
of RECREATION, who wish to reload their 
cartridges, order, all together, from the Ideal 
Manufacturing Company, moulds for a bullet 
with a copper gas check, like the ones for the 
.30 calibre, .32-40, .38-55, etc. ? 
The shape of the Ideal bullet, No. 412,263, 
could hardly be improved on. It is only short 
the gas check. 
With the cast bullet, and clean shells, 28 
grains of Dupont No. 1 gives excellent results 
for mid-range, and the recoil is scarcely notice- 
able. Seventeen grains of sharpshooter, which 
can be loaded into dirty shells, gives equally 
good results in shooting, but is rather liable to 
leave lead in the barrel. 
The bullets I use“are of a mixture of 5 parts 
lead to 1 part Magnolia metal (babbitt); 10 
per cent. tin, ro per cent. antimony and 80 per 
a . 
