Tang sights

[Whiskeylima]

I am considering installing tang mounted sights on both a 336 in 38-55 and a 1894 in 38/357 for silhouette shooting. Couple of questions. Anyone have experience with the MVA sights ? Any downside or issues to drilling the tang ?

[snaketail]

Two thoughts:
A - Get a gunsmith to drill & tap the tang - a "real" gunsmith or a very experienced shade-tree smith.
B - Make sure you get enough elevation clicks to get you out to 200 yards, but low enough to let you sight in on the 40/50 yard targets...with the .357 that's a pretty good spread.
OK, one more thought...
C - You weren't planning to use the same sight on both rifles were you? Don't.
M

[McLintock]

No issues to drilling the tang, unless it's a collectable rifle, like a commemorative or only a few produced. So far as the sight goes, the MVA's are the best, but kind of expensive for a lever gun, even for silhouette shooting. The Marbles sights are very good and a lot less expensive, used them on both single shots and lever guns for years for long range Cowboy Action shooting, out to 500 yards. Lever gun silhouette is usually up to 100 yards for the pistol calibers and 200 for rifle calibers, so a Marbles should do very well. They are totally repeatable for settings if you take the time to develop an accurate load for your rifle and then bench shoot it for the various distances you'll be shooting for your settings. Plus, they're very quick and easy to adjust if off a bit, due to the click adjustments they use. But, it's your gun and money, can't go wrong with the MVA's if you want them.
McLintock

[gnoahhh]

One could also do worse than an older Lyman #2 tang sight.

[KirkD]

I have an MVA tang sight for my Browning Model 1886 SRC. Very pleased with it. I have not yet drilled and tapped the upper screw hole yet, but plan to do so ..... although another fellow told me that he has only used the lower hole and the sight has remained absolutely rigid for a couple years and countless rounds. I just think it looks better to have the upper hole filled with a screw.

[Whiskeylima]

Great advice. Thank you. I actually have a Lyman #2 that I will sell. Just doesn't do it for me, plus no windage. I have been getting by with a Lyman receiver sight but my eyes aren't what they used to be. I will explore the MVA's and Marples.

[NSB]

I have a Win1886 and I have had a Montana Vintage Arms tang sight. I just didn't have the MVA on a lever gun, I had it on a Sharps. Just my opinion but I wouldn't put that sight on that gun. It's more sight than the gun is capable of taking advantage of. The big feature of the MVA is it's precision at mid to long ranges. Mid range is 200 yds out to 600 yds. Not that the gun won't shoot that far but it won't shoot that far as accurate as a Sharps or High Wall will. You'd be better served with a barrel mounted ladder sight or a folding tang sight like a Marbles or something. Just my two cents.

[trapdoor1873]

Dont by the new Marbles tang sight with windage. They are sloppy. MVA makes an exact replica of the old style marbles flexible sight. I mounted my MVA midrange soule sight on my Marlin 1895. It had the serial number on the tang so we ended up using a base for a a Legacy winchester so I didn't have to drill through the serial number.98463

[Whiskeylima]

That is the sight I was looking at. Which base is that ? My serial # is on the side though so I can drill if need be.

[enfield]

I recently bought one of the new Lyman tang sights and it is my first Lyman product I am disappointed with. and like any of that style of sight theres no reference marks or returnabilty to previous settings, you have to sight it back in anytime you move it.

[KirkD]

I should add that I think there are different kinds of MVA sights. Mine is the standard tang sight with no windage adjustment as shown in the photo below. They do make one with windage if I recall correctly. If that is what NSB was thinking, then I would tend to agree. Since I only use mine on my 45-70 SRC out to 200 yards and don't compete with it, I don't have any need for a windage adjustment. I just shim my tang sights if necessary. It just so happened that I was lucky with my MVA on my Browning SRC; it was bang on in windage so I didn't need to do any shimming.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/MVA-Combination-Rear-Sight_zps36189b6b.jpg

[NSB]

KirkD, I didn't know they made one like that. Mine had the windage adjustments on it and was actually a vernier sight. The one pictured would work fine on a lever gun. It looks pretty good on there too.

[bigted]

I should add that I think there are different kinds of MVA sights. Mine is the standard tang sight with no windage adjustment as shown in the photo below. They do make one with windage if I recall correctly. If that is what NSB was thinking, then I would tend to agree. Since I only use mine on my 45-70 SRC out to 200 yards and don't compete with it, I don't have any need for a windage adjustment. I just shim my tang sights if necessary. It just so happened that I was lucky with my MVA on my Browning SRC; it was bang on in windage so I didn't need to do any shimming.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/MVA-Combination-Rear-Sight_zps36189b6b.jpg


Kirk ... did they make this from steel or aluminum? also is it easy to repeat settings for different ranges? I have a couple Marples junk and they just lounge in a drawer with little hope of ever seeing the wrist of any of my rifles again. is the vertical adjustable for a good 90 degree to the barrel? also do they ...[MVA]... make a stem sight like this with some windage adjustment?

that is a good looking sight but I have around 300 dollars setting in that drawer thinking this so I am asking more questions and paying attention to the opinions of others with whatever item I am looking at.

thanks for the added info.

Ted

[trapdoor1873]

That is the sight I was looking at. Which base is that ? My serial # is on the side though so I can drill if need be.

The base is for a Winchester 94 legacy with a tang safety. I used this one to avoid the serial number. They do make a base specifically for Marlin 1885/336. Call them. They were extremely helpful on the phone.

[pietro]

I recently bought one of the new Lyman tang sights and it is my first Lyman product I am disappointed with. and like any of that style of sight theres no reference marks or returnabilty to previous settings, you have to sight it back in anytime you move it.


An unreasonable expectation will come back to bite, every time..........

The Lyman #2 & The Marble's tang peep sights were designed as "set-n-forget" hunting sights, adjustability non-withstanding.

In 50 years, I've never found the need to adjust a rear sight (tang, receiver or bbl) for windage, after the initial zeroing - only elevation.
(And BTW, the Lyman #2 can be adjusted for windage)

FWIW, I always set up my tang-sighted rifles with a folding rear barrel sight, which affords dual zeroes - the open sights are zeroed for a relatively short range, with the tang sights zeroed for a somewhat longer range/distance.
It takes but a moment to fold the bbl sight & raise the tang sight, if/when a long-range shot is presented.


.

[KirkD]

Kirk ... did they make this from steel or aluminum? also is it easy to repeat settings for different ranges? ... is the vertical adjustable for a good 90 degree to the barrel? also do they ...[MVA]... make a stem sight like this with some windage adjustment?
Before I purchased the MVA tang sight (see http://www.montanavintagearms.com/combo_rear.html ), I inquired as to its quality compared to others. They said the quality was tops, with no slop,looseness or wiggle, so I made the purchase. The price is high ($225) but I would much rather pay that price than buy a modern Lyman or Marbles that had some slop (and various fellows had mixed reviews on those two modern companies). It is patterned after the original Marbles. The weight of it suggests it is steel, not aluminum, although you can check with the company to make sure. It is easy to repeat for different ranges; the post is graduated and easy to lock at different settings. I like to fill in the key graduations that I like with White Out liquid paper, which can be easily removed with a finger nail if one so desires. I have not measured whether the erect sight is exactly 90 degrees to the barrel, but it looks like it to me and stays solid and repeatable. I typically move the sight up and down for 100 yards and 200 yards, depending upon which range I am shooting at.

They say the poor pay twice. The first time to get a piece of junk that doesn't work and the second time to get the kind of quality they should have gotten the first time. I've done enough 'paying twice' in my life, so I bypassed the modern Lyman and Marbles sights and went straight for the MVA. There is one other real good tang sight maker out there who makes one with windage adjustments, but I forgot the name of the company. I am extremely pleased with my MVA sight.

[TXGunNut]

Just put a new Marbles sight on my old 92, seems to be quite good but I have little experience with tang sights. Was a breeze to regulate, first round 2" from POA @ 50 yds. Adjustment was very easy and sight seemed to be quite sturdy and well-made. Three different apertures were included. Easily adjustable for windage and elevation.

[Eutectic]

I have both Lyman and Marbles tang sights of recent manufacture and to sum it up in a nutshell..... They are junk! The only 'quality' offered is a high price. Get either make from the 1920's and 'feel' the difference in quality!

While the Marbles adjusts for windage one needs to be very careful. The poor design of the spring retainer that allows the sight to be folded down can actually work like a ratchet wrench! I am glad I learned this before my Canadian elk hunt! I put small dots of fingernail polish on windage adjustments and raising and lowering the sight moved the adjustment! I actually made an insert for my gun case which allowed me to transport my ol' 92 leaving the tang sight up.

It's really too bad with modern CNC machining that someone doesn't replicate the old defunct Lyman 103 tang sight. It adjusted both for windage and elevation in a positive and professional manner... And it was tight, repeatable, and quality throughout. Ol' Townsend Whelen called it "The best sight in the world!" Of course, this was back when optics were still new....

Eutectic

[bigted]

Before I purchased the MVA tang sight (see http://www.montanavintagearms.com/combo_rear.html ), I inquired as to its quality compared to others. They said the quality was tops, with no slop,looseness or wiggle, so I made the purchase. The price is high ($225) but I would much rather pay that price than buy a modern Lyman or Marbles that had some slop (and various fellows had mixed reviews on those two modern companies). It is patterned after the original Marbles. The weight of it suggests it is steel, not aluminum, although you can check with the company to make sure. It is easy to repeat for different ranges; the post is graduated and easy to lock at different settings. I like to fill in the key graduations that I like with White Out liquid paper, which can be easily removed with a finger nail if one so desires. I have not measured whether the erect sight is exactly 90 degrees to the barrel, but it looks like it to me and stays solid and repeatable. I typically move the sight up and down for 100 yards and 200 yards, depending upon which range I am shooting at.

They say the poor pay twice. The first time to get a piece of junk that doesn't work and the second time to get the kind of quality they should have gotten the first time. I've done enough 'paying twice' in my life, so I bypassed the modern Lyman and Marbles sights and went straight for the MVA. There is one other real good tang sight maker out there who makes one with windage adjustments, but I forgot the name of the company. I am extremely pleased with my MVA sight.


that is a glowing report and I thank you for it. I do have a couple questions left tho ...

does the adjustment happen with a screw type adjustment or are they a snap adjustment like a air chuck?
also does the sight lay down forward or to the rear?

again ... thanks and I will take your advice with the phone call when I get ready.

[KirkD]

The vertical adjustment is a screw so you can fine tune it to the degree of precision you wish. Once you have the vertical adjustment done, you then lock it in position with the larger knurled knob which screws up into the other knurled knob, locking everything in place. Mine is rock solid with no wiggle or slop. The tang sight folds backward as shown in the photo below. To raise it to vertical, you press down slightly and then release it and is springs up into position. If you sight it in for 100 yards, and leave it locked there, then the peep eyepiece will be too high to fold down like you see in the photo. It will only fold down until the peep touches the stock. Once you have the 100 yard setting marked, however, you can always screw it down for carrying and then screw it back up for shooting to the same location.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/tang-sight-folded_zpsb7b5712b.jpg

[Whiskeylima]

I ordered an MVA #130 today. They recommended adding bases to other guns and just moving the staff. I am optimistic this cut down on the frustration of making sight adjustments on a gun shared by 3 of us during matches. The Lyman just wasn't cutting it.

[trapdoor1873]

I ordered an MVA #130 today. They recommended adding bases to other guns and just moving the staff. I am optimistic this cut down on the frustration of making sight adjustments on a gun shared by 3 of us during matches. The Lyman just wasn't cutting it.
Being able to move the staff is really nice. I use my MVA midrange on 3 different rifles. Which base did you end up ordering for your 336?

[stubert]

How about a Lyman 66 peep site. I find tang sights to be uncomfortable when holding the rifle in one hand.

[Whiskeylima]

MVA had a base for the 336. I am on the fence about a second base for my 1894.

[Whiskeylima]

I am using a Lyman 66 on the 357 and wonder if I will benefit from the tang sight at 100 and in

[bigted]

I am using a Lyman 66 on the 357 and wonder if I will benefit from the tang sight at 100 and in

no I doubt it ... the receiver sight is just as good FUNCTION WISE as any tang sight AT a base range as in for hunting and certain target games.

I have a Lyman 66A coming in an old steel style to put on my 92 as I do not get along with the wrist mounted tang sights for fast snap shooting as well as I do with the receiver mounted sights. for hunting and packing it the brush ... the receiver mounted sight is king for my taste. never a problem with "what to do with my thumb" when mounting the rifle to my shoulder ... speed is king when the game ...[animals]... are within smelling distance and there is no time to "remember" what type sight im using.

for repeat adjustability on targets that are at longer distance ... AND ... there is plenty of time to mount the rifle in a repeatable fashion for the ultimate accuracy ... the wrist mounted vernier sight is king. not as comfy for my liking but definitely better in the long range game.

so the condition to realize is ... what will be the most use of the rifle? consider this and install the sight of choice fitting the conditions it will be subjected to ... kinda the same thing with the loads used ... different strokes for different styles.

[KirkD]

Just found this target I shot last fall with the MVA Combination Tang sight shown in photos above, mounted on my Browning SRC 45-70.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/Target-at-100_zpsff7cc818.jpg

[bigted]

that's what im talkin about !!! :drinks: ... this type accuracy is the shiz nitz for getting er done. don't matter what kinda sight ...[or scope]... this is accuracy to be sought after. congrats on a great 3 shot group KirkD.

any peep style rear sight that fits with the shooting style AND is of a quality to stay where it is adjusted to ... should turn in great accuracy such as this photo with the rite kinda loads for the particular rifle.