Front band on Zouave musket will not fit over new front sight

[Terry Schultz, 10057]

First let me state that this musket is not intended to be used at an N-SSA match as it would not be legal there and I already know it.
I would like to put a Lyman globe front sight on my Zouave musket but the front barrel band will not fit over it when I go to take the barrel off for cleaning. I am asking here because there must have been some musket shooter that ran into this problem and solved it. I am a firm believer in not trying to re-invent the wheel so I am looking for someone with experience with this problem. There is too large a space needed so relieving the top of the globe and/or the inside of the band is not an option. I thought of just leaving the ban off or maybe some kind of a large rubber O ring or even a screw on hose clamp but nothing seamed appropriate that would keep the musket looking close to the original design. Got any Ideas?

[williamslaybaugh]

Install the sight with the bands and the barrel as a unit. Slide the bands all the way forward when installing/ removing the barrel. The barrel breech will need to be slid up/down out of the stock with the bands. As opposed to being pulled out without the bands. It?s not a big problem once you get used to the difference.

[Donald Hempel]

First let me state that this musket is not intended to be used at an N-SSA match as it would not be legal there and I already know it.
I would like to put a Lyman globe front sight on my Zouave musket but the front barrel band will not fit over it when I go to take the barrel off for cleaning. I am asking here because there must have been some musket shooter that ran into this problem and solved it. I am a firm believer in not trying to re-invent the wheel so I am looking for someone with experience with this problem. There is too large a space needed so relieving the top of the globe and/or the inside of the band is not an option. I thought of just leaving the ban off or maybe some kind of a large rubber O ring or even a screw on hose clamp but nothing seamed appropriate that would keep the musket looking close to the original design. Got any Ideas?

I have the same issue with the taller front skirmishing sight I installed on a Pedersoli Lorenz rifle. Like the previous poster recommended I slide all three band all the way forward and remove the barrel with the bands on. Slight inconvenience but it can be lived with. I had to deepen the slot slightly on the front band to slide a little further forward on the sight.

[Terry Schultz, 10057]

OP here. I have an idea on how I can solve the problem. I am going to modify the ban so it will come apart into two haves. To do this I will first file a flat spot on the inside top of the band make a small plate that will now fit in the recess of the inside top of the band. Then using a set screw and some JB weld attach a small plate to the one side of the plate and the band. Then put another set screw in the other side of the plate and drill a hole slightly larger then the set screw in the band so it can use this hole as a pilot to keep the band together when on the gun. Then before permanently attaching the small plate to the band using an ultra fine hobby saw cut the band in half at the top and bottom. This way when I slide the band off the stock and remove the screw holding the sling swivel on, the band will come apart and can be removed. And to put it back on I would install the barrel into the stock put the larger band on the gun then put the top band around the barrel link it together insert the swivel with the screw and slide the band back onto the stock. When I have completed the modification I will post a picture of it here, but only if it works. If I have completely destroyed the band and/or it will not stay on the gun I will shamefully slither off into the shadows never to be heard from again.

[Muley Gil]

If I have completely destroyed the band and/or it will not stay on the gun I will shamefully slither off into the shadows never to be heard from again.

Promises, promises! LOL

Good luck with your modifications.

[hawkeye2]

A very simple solution: Turn the band upside down and cut a slot lengthwise in the ramrod channel in the band. Cut it a little wider than your sight blade width. You'll forget that it is there till you need to remove the band. To remove depress the spring, slide the band forward till it hits the sight , turn upside down and slide off with the sight going through the notch There is no need to over think or underthink the issue (notice I did not call it a problem).

[Kevin Tinny]

Hello, on front/top band cutting:

Based on comments from Tom Nixon and musket parts sutlers, it might be wise to first determine if cutting/notching/altering an original band in any way reduces its value. Please avoid this on a MS. Thanks. Edited to clarify. Tx. KT

Very respectfully,
Kevin Tinny

[Terry Schultz, 10057]

A very simple solution: Turn the band upside down and cut a slot lengthwise in the ramrod channel in the band. Cut it a little wider than your sight blade width. You'll forget that it is there till you need to remove the band. To remove depress the spring, slide the band forward till it hits the sight , turn upside down and slide off with the sight going through the notch There is no need to over think or underthink the issue (notice I did not call it a problem).

Thank you for your comment but the front sight I am putting on this musket is not a blade sight it is a globe sight. The notch idea would work on a bladed sight but not when there is a globe sight on the barrel. See picture.

[Terry Schultz, 10057]

OP here. I have completed the Zouave and besides the front globe sight I also added an adjustable rear sight. I solved the front band problem by cutting the band in half and installing a hinge on the top and removed the sling swivel and threaded one side of the bottom of the band and installed a screw. The second band is large enough to slip past the front globe sight if I remove the part that screws in the globe to hold the sighting insert.
Another problem I ran into is that the dovetail I had cut into the barrel to hold the front sight is just slightly larger than it needed to be. When I first took this musket to the range and sighted it in I thought was ready for the next club shoot where I was certain that I was going to take the other shooters to school. But the best laid planes often fall asunder. On my first target it was shooting 5 inches to the right. I adjusted the rear sight several times (8 shots) but I could not get the bullets to move to the left. Finally on the second target the next 5 shots were where they were suppose to be but the last target they were all over the place. When I go home and was cleaning the musket I noticed that the front sight was way to the left (as you look at it from behind the trigger). The darn thing had moved and when I went to tap it back to the center of the dove tail it dropped off the other side. It had apparently been moving all the time I was shooting it and must have finally wedged itself for the second target which allowed my adjusting the rear sight to catch up. To stop it from moving I tried taping the dove tail with a hammer to close up the gap and this helped but did not solve the problem.
I took the sight off and after careful measurements put the sight in my drill press vice upside down and drilled a hole the size of a 1/16 alan wrench threw the base and the globe. Then I drilled the base out to allow me to thread it and I installed a small set screw in the base. Re-installed the sight tightened the set screw and back out to the range. After some test shots I noticed that the rear sight was much too far to the right and left little adjustment for windage. I loosened up the front sight and moved it to the left and after a few more test shots I got the bullet centered and the rear sight closer to the center adjustment location. Did some elevation adjustments and shoot the target I have attached which was shot at 25 yards, off hand. I did not have time to do a 50 yard target but from experience I found that 25 and 50 yard sight pictures vary very little. I am happy with the musket and will be shooting our club match this Sunday with it and this time I honestly hope I will take them to school.