Early production of 45/70' were tapered contour barrels, with iron sights, and no brakes...most of them i have seen featured a front sight that was soldered in place, without being drilled/tapped up front. Due to the brisk recoil of such light barrels, it was my understanding TC had more than a few warranty claims when those were returned for service, as the barrel dovetail forend lugs pulled out, especially when matched with heavy forends.
I kind of recall that after only a year or so, the new barrels retained the taper contour with soldered front sight, but new tubes featured a brake...i had one of those with the brake, muzzle flip was reduced, but recoil was still enthusiastic.
Later variants of super 16 45/70 went to a bull contour, most of which i saw DID have removable front sights...have seen a couple of those without brakes, but most of the ones i've seen did have the muzzle tamer brakes. I still have a 20" stainless version of that from the TC custom shop.
Also have an early tapered light contour without brake, but a previous owner had the crown recessed & added a brake...and i guess he also had issues with dovetail lugs, as the lugs on mine are soldered in place. I havent shot that barrel in a long time, i need to stick some glass on it, still has the factory sights.
for a couple of years, when they first came out with a 45/70, it was my main go-to woods-loafing & walking around timber gun...with skinny glass & tupperware stocks, it was less than 5lbs.
Recoil was a bit vicious, and i recall learning about that the hard way...had been walking around on a bit of scouting foray, and found a very rusted & beat up old iron skillet in a pasture, & thought how that would make a dandy target, so i went & hung it in a tree about a hundred yards away.
Not being one for off-hand shots if a rest is available, i laid down in the pasture, scrunched up my daypack for a rest, and steadied for the shot...i wanted to see if that 300gr bullet would split the skillet, or punch a hole in it, or just ring it like a gong.
i let fly, and found i had crawled the stock too much when laying down...that scope split my eyebrow open & it was a gusher, i bled like a stuck pig.
And, it felt like somebody whacked me with a ball bat.
I never did go look at that skillet to see what happened.
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