Frustration; Lever gun sights

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:18 pm

Last year I bought myself a Marlin 1894 Cowboy Comp in .45 Colt. Beautiful rifle.
It came with the Marbles sights which I don't like, but what the heck, I figured I'd use them till I could get it D&T'd for a receiver sight.

Ordered the Lyman 66LA, the fancy dovetail filler blank, and decided to wait till that was mounted so I'd have a better idea how tall of a front sight I'd need.

OK, the first range trip showed me the front sight was WAY too tall. Marlin in their efforts to impress the cowboy shooters put a .5" tall sight on it that had a 3/32" bead. Way too tall and big.

I also found out that the tension on the rear sight was so strong I had to use a screwdriver to raise it up to move the elevator. And moving the sight to adjust the windage was all but impossible.

I managed to put the rear sight in the center of the elevator and shoot some groups at 25 yds. Then when I got home I used a front sight height calculating program to determine that I needed a .360" tall front sight.
I also worked myself into a sweat removing that rear sight. Once it was off the gun I could see the arch in the spring arm part was incredible. I bent and bent and bent that thing till I could put the sight in and adjust the elevation by hand. What a PITA!

Then I ordered a new front sight from Midway. Only Lyman makes one this height with a small bead.

When the sight came and I got it put on I noticed the bead part was actually tilted on the top of the post. That drove me nuts so I carefully tweeked it to be straight.

Next time I went to the range the tinsy gold bead fell out. I super glued it back in but it didn't hold and fell out again.

So I took that sight out and tried to install one that Marlin had sent me when I discussed the sights with them.
That one got stuck in the dovetail and I managed to severely bugger up the left side of it getting it out. It's now in, and centered as best as I can tell with my nekid eyes, but that buggered up spot just p.o.'s me to no end.

NEVER, in all my years of shooting lever guns have I ever had this kind of trouble with my sights.
WHY in the heck did the idiots at Marlin quit drilling and tapping these guns for side mount sights? STUPID choice on their parts.

So, why am I complaining and complaining? Because I don't have a gunsmith I trust handy to drill and tap that thing for the Lyman sight I have waiting.
And I sure as heck ain't gonna do it myself. God only knows how bad I'd botch the job.

AND I WANT THIS GUN RIGHT!

Sorry, just needed to rant a bit and get this off my shoulders. I know there isn't much you guys can do.

Joe

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:36 pm

Send it to Marlin, they will D&T it and replace the front for you and have it back to you in short order.
I have 4 Marlin 1894 cowboys and have installed Williams FP on all of them. One (my .357) has the side mounted FP , the others have the top mounted FP sight and the .500 front works great on all of them. None of mine are the Cowboy COMP. and have 1/8" beads on the front. That is larger than I like but I select a target that appears the same size as the bead at the range I am shooting and use a 6:00 hold. Works great for me!

Post by **Hobie** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:07 pm

I think I read/heard that Marlin will D&T for the side mounts. You should call!

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:29 pm

The only problem with sending it to Marlin is that it costs a fortune to do so.

Joe

JDL · Post by **JDL** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:51 pm

A light, low power scope works real well.

-JDL

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:41 pm

A light, low power scope works real well. Smile -JDL

Not a chance

.

This rifle isn't even drilled and tapped for scope mounts. If it weren't for the CB safety you'd think it was an original.

Joe

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:04 pm

Arent they D&D'd for a tang sight Joe?

I had the same problem with a lyman replacement front years ago. Wish I'da knew, I coulda sent you one already minus the bead for free.

It was bent too when I got it. Its very thin just under the bead.

Pisgah · Post by **Pisgah** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:32 pm

J Miller wrote:The only problem with sending it to Marlin is that it costs a fortune to do so.

Joe

No, it won't. You can legally ship a long gun back to Marlin via US Postal Service. If you're nervous about doing it yourself, many FFL holders will do it for you at reasonable cost.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:25 pm

Sorry to hear about this Joe. Little is more frustrating than plopping down good money on a good gun that has just one problem you can't seem to make right. Burns me up no end when that happens!!!

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:35 am

Well I don't understand plopping down good money for a gun, but I do understand frustration.

You should call Marlin and ask. If it's an 800 number you're only gonna be out your time.

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:15 am

Put a scope on it!

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:50 am

When I get things organized and get some funds ahead I'll get it D&T'd for a side mount sight. As I said I already have a Lyman 66LA here and waiting for it.
I have an idea

for a front sight too. I may just make one myself. I did make one for my No4 Mk1 some years ago so I can do it again. Just an idea I'm working on.

Put a scope on it!

NO, NO, NO, NO ......... A THOUSAND TIMES NO! I WILL NOT PUT a scope on a lever gun. I HATE scopes in the first place, and in the second place putting a scope on a lever gun just flat RUINS the entire package.

NO!

Joe

BruceB · Post by **BruceB** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:56 pm

Scopes are why it's not D&T'd for a receiver sight. The youngin's of today don't think a rifle is complete without a scope on it!

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:59 pm

BruceB wrote:Scopes are why it's not D&T'd for a receiver sight. The youngin's of today don't think a rifle is complete without a scope on it!

Its not D&T for a scope neither. IMNSHO they sure shoulda tapped the sides if they werent gonna do the top. I love Marlins but think loseing them holes on the side was just dumb.

Bruce Scott · Post by **Bruce Scott** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:51 pm

J Miller wrote:I have an idea for a front sight too. I may just make one myself. I did make one for my No4 Mk1 some years ago so I can do it again. Just an idea I'm working on.

Joe

This topic got me thinking about a bunch of Lee Enfield front sights I have - all in different heights. The dovetail is well under 3/8" but there must be a way of mounting them in a block on a 3/8 dovetail. They are really fine blade sights....

jhrosier · Post by **jhrosier** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:07 pm

I know where you're coming from Joe.
Usta be every town had a reasonably competent gunsmith that could do these kind of small jobs without a problem. The feds have put most of them out of business and you just don't know who to trust with your gun, becausse the nearest gunsmith may be two states away. The shipping companies charge a lot extra to ensure that their employees don't steal your gun and there has got to be something wrong with that.
I'm thinking that the answer may be to spend a few bucks and buy a small milling machine and just do the work yourself.

Jack

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:44 pm

Bruce,

his topic got me thinking about a bunch of Lee Enfield front sights I have - all in different heights. The dovetail is well under 3/8" but there must be a way of mounting them in a block on a 3/8 dovetail. They are really fine blade sights.... Question

I'm quite familiar with the small dovetail on the Enfield sights. I have several extras. Not enough extras, but several.
To make one of them fit you'd have to make a 3/8" dovetail filler and then cut that for the Enfield size dovetail. A doable project for an experienced machinist I would think.
The reason I made one for my No4 Mk1 was that it shot way to high with the tallest front sight I could find at the time. So I said; nuts-I'll just make one.
I did. That was quite a few years ago and I still haven't gotten the fine tuning done on it.
I need to find a 200 yard range so I can actually fine tune it using the adjustable sight set at the 200 yard setting.

jhrosier,
I don't know know about a milling machine, but I've been really thinking of a drill press and the appropriate vices. If I had something like that I'd would have had those holes drilled and tapped long ago.

Joe

RGS · Post by **RGS** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:32 am

You say it is drilled and tapped for a scope right? Why not put one of these on?

http://www.skinnersights.com/

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:06 am

RGS,

First let me welcome you to the forum.

Then let me suggest you go back to the top and read what's been posted.

Joe

RGS · Post by **RGS** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:11 pm

Carry on.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:34 pm

RGS,

This Marlin is one of the few models I guess that Marlin just didn't D&T for anything. Like I mentioned above if weren't for the CB safety you could easily mistake for a late 1800s vintage rifle.

Matter of fact with the pic of that rear sight that Griff posted, and the front sight Marlinman93 told me about I'm just about ready to skip having it D&T'd and just make it look more period.

Just about, but not totally .......

Joe