Browning '86 front sight?

abcollector · Post by **abcollector** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:51 am

I've got a Browning '86 that is shooting low with a receiver sight and Remington factory ammo in 405gr bullets. Now, I know that in order to "zero" the carbine, the rear sight needs to come up and/or the front sight needs to come down. Here is my problem. It's still shooting LOW with the rear sight raised 3/8" above the receiver and if you know a Browning '86 or '92 for that matter, you can't really "lower" or "raise" the front sight as the base is soldered(?) to the barrel.
I don't really want the rear sight much higher in height because of being semi fragile the higher it gets. So, that means I have to do something (lower) the front sight somehow. Are my only options 1) file the blade down "a bit", 2) replace the blade with a lower one 3) have a standard sight dovetail cut or what? What I'm worried about with either of those ideas is "running into" the sight base that holds the blade or the thinness of the barrel. And Browning blades aren't very tall to start with.

What would you do?

Thanks guys... sorry it's so long.

ps- I like the heavier gr bullets in the 45-70. It just ain't right shooting a bullet less than 400grs.

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:52 pm

Check around & see if there are lower reciever sights?.. Go to a tang sight?

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 2:04 pm

abcollector,

Not that it matters in this instance, but what brand of receiver sight are you using? Was the rifle D&T'd at the factory or by a gunsmith?

Now, your using a common ammo, so the final sight adjustment will be good for as long as you stick with that type of ammo.

Here is what I would do and have done:

I'd drop the rear sight down to as low as it will go and then run it up 10 clicks.
I don't like to run my sights all the way down. Just a personal thing, I like to have a little bit of leeway for fine tuning.

Then I'd bench that rifle at 100 yards and file that front blade down to where the bullet holes were where I wanted them.

If I read your text correctly the front sight blade is pinned into the base. If so it's a simple matter to make a new blade and have it pinned in if needed.
If it is not, it's a reasonably easy matter to mill the existing blade off and cut a grove in the base then fit a pinned in blade. That would look better to me than grinding it all off and cutting a dovetail in the barrel.

Once the rifle is sighted in to where you want it, you can if needed lower the sides of the front sight base, if the blade had to be filed too low.
Touch up bluing after that.

Joe

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:31 pm

Joe.. I don't think he has enough front base to work with on a carbine.. He needs to come down 3/8ths''... That's why I suggested looking at another reciever sight or going to a tang sight.. Sounds to me like the holes for the receiver are too high...

I know that Lyman receiver sights require D&T for the 1886..

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:00 pm

Ben,

Nuther words, something isn't matching up somewhere. OK, I understand your post now.

Joe

abcollector · Post by **abcollector** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:02 pm

Thanks for the posts guys.

J Miller, the receiver sight is a Lyman 66 model and I drilled & tapped it. The base is such that the contour of the top of the base matches the top corner of the receiver. Do you think it's possible a Williams FP would make a difference? I don't know myself one way or the other so I'd hate to buy one to try and it not work any better. If you do know that it may work, I'd try it.

Yes, the sight blade is pinned to the base on the front.

I think I may first try a different sight picture (hold) and see what I can come up with. I was using a six o'clock hold and it was impacting five inches low. If a different sight picture doesn't work, then I'll try some of the things that's been suggested here.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:07 pm

abcollector,

The Lymans and Williams sit about the same on the receiver. I don't think switching them out would make enough difference.

If the contour of the sight base matches the top edge of the receiver you've got it about as right as you can.

At this point we're back to the front sight.

Joe

abcollector · Post by **abcollector** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:08 pm

Ben,

I had thought about a tang sight too but for me the recoil is enough that I would have to readjust my thumb placement and I'm not comfortable with my thumb along side the sight. I have a tang on a 45LC and I can shoot it okay with regular factory loads or light handloads without changing placement of the thumb, but any more recoil and the thumb/web would get "bit" by the sight.

It's not a total no go but I'd like to get the receiver sight to work.

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:13 pm

5" low wont require but about 35 thou taken off the top of the front sight if you've got 24" between the sights.. about 7 thou per inch @ 100.. You can wack the front sight down twice that, but your rear sight will still be pretty close to 3/8ths" anyway..

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:42 am

[a Lyman 66 model and I drilled & tapped it. The base is such that the contour of the top of the base matches the top corner of the receiver.]

Uh, oh - It sounds like you've installed the peep too high on the receiver.

I would respectfully sugest to eyeball the peep's cross-staff, with it adjusted down as far as it will go.

If it's not touching the top of the bolt, then note the amount of clearance between it and the bolt top, and grind the same off the top edge of the peep sight base & reblue/reblack it.

That should put the peep in the correct plane with the front sight.

Post by **Hobie** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:59 am

My Williams FP on my Browning SRC works great with the 300s and 405s. Both shoot to NEARLY the same point of aim at 100 yards. Now every gun is different and I have some room to lower my rear sight on my Browning so I feel I'm good to go. Have you tried the 300s? Do you not want to use them? Do you reload? I must have missed it but how much lower at 100 yards do they strike (from point of aim)?

abcollector · Post by **abcollector** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:25 pm

Pete44ru,

The Lyman base will only mount at the same height as it has an angle on the top edge that matches the angle on the receiver corner, and with the cross staff adjusted down as far as it can go will make contact with the twin lugs.

Hobie,

I like the 405 and heavier bullets, but no, I haven't tried the 300grainers. I do reload but want to stick to 405 plus grain bullets. What I was shooting that day was factory Remington 405 gr JSP.
The bullet is impacting five inches low at 100 yds.

My first two things to recheck on the next range session are my sight picture and then maybe modify it to adjust the impact, ie some Kentucky elevation to see if that would work okay. I normally don't like to do something like this as I may forget in a moment shooting at game. We'll see.