About the Website

Whew, trying to put this site back together after losing it and not having a backup. A lesson you only need to learn once. Sad to lose some of the content I spent quite a bit of time on regarding firearms preservation, but I will attempt to rebuild those posts in time.

About the Name

Open Irons refers to the sights on a firearm. “Iron sights” are the traditional manner of aiming firearms, preceding the use of optical sights. “Open” iron sights are those that do not employ an aperture or peep sight, but use the simpler alignment markers such as a post for a front sight and a v-notch for the rear sight. The Partridge site, illustrated as this website’s favicon (the icon in your browser tab), looks a bit like castle crenellations when properly aligned.

While aperture sights and optics represent great improvements in the ability to aim a firearm, “open irons” are still frequently found on big game rifles and almost all modern handguns. Most shooters learn the basics of hitting what they aim at using open iron sites. Open iron sights are found on the majority of collectible firearms predating the 20th century.

About the Site’s Banner Image

The banner image at the top of the site is a drawing from Harper’s Weekly in 1862, based on a photo of private Truman Head, a.k.a. “California Joe”, of the famous 1st U.S. Sharpshooters under Col. Berdan during the Civil War. He carried a Sharps rifle, with which he is depicted here. I believe it was a Sharps New Model 1859.

About the Content

This website is probably focused most on collectible firearms and the history surrounding them. The site is in no way limited to old firearms – nor to rifles with open iron sights…. ironically. 😀

Generally, the website is a project to document things I learn while exploring firearms history and use. I figure others may be interested in reading along as I do research and interact with older firearms, and some newer firearms I get to play with.

About Me

Please do not consider me an authority on firearms history – I cite many experts, but I’m just learning right along with you. I will get things wrong and ask dumb questions along the way. For me, collecting firearms might be an excuse to learn about our history and heritage. Or my love of history and heritage might be an excuse for me to collect firearms. Some days, I really am not sure which is the chicken and which the egg. Holding a piece of history – a substantial, hand-fitted and ingenious contraption made of walnut and steel that may have been present at the moments we read about, held by another person’s hands in another time – is magical. It leads you down paths of learning that you may never have anticipated – the rabbit trails are endless and the mental map can be overwhelmingly awesome.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy the site!