Broke the rear sight on my Marlin 1894P

[Bookworm]

I acquired a Marlin 1894P (the ported Trapper-length) a while back (well, longer than awhile, but I'm embarrassed to say how long) and have never fired it. Work is somewhat slow for me right now, so I decided to get it out of the safe, clean it, and walk down to the range behind the barn and shoot the dang thing (finally).

Spent some time cleaning it, I hadn't really gone over it after coming into possession of it. The action was somewhat cruddy, but it cleaned right up.

- speaking of action, working the lever on this pig is like cycling rocks. Chunk-chunk-chunk.... sheesh. I'm going to have to do something about that...-

Anyway, I finished up, leaned the rifle against the table to clear everything up. Of course, the rifle fell over - I don't know what I was thinking leaning it up there, I know better - and stuff started flying off of it.
There was a thumb-cocking extension - the kind you put on to access the hammer from underneath a scope - that broke off the hammer. No big deal, no scope on it anyway.
But, the rear sight broke. The ramp-style sight, with the cross-piece that forms the "ears" of the rear sight. That broke. I haven't another.

Can't shoot the thing this way, at least not and expect to hit anything.

I'm going to have to order something to go there. I think I'll get a peep sight.

Blast it. I was all ready to shoot this thing. Maybe I'll break out the Ruger .44 Carbine. Haven't fired it yet either....

[missionary5155]

Greetings
If your rifle has those handy small size holes on the left side of the receiver get yourself a receiver sight. Much faster to sight with and just as accurate. Several of my Marlins where these.
If your receiver has holes on the receiver top for mounting a scope look into the Skinner Receiver sight. Have a couple on Marlins also.
Personally I would not bother with an original late model barrel mounted Marlin rear sight.
Mike in Peru

[ammohead]

+1 on abandoning the rear sight and mounting a receiver sight. Much faster to acquire a sight picture than with the original.

[Bookworm]

My rifle has holes on both the left side , and the top of the receiver. I went over to Skinners' site and looked around. He has some very nice products. He also has a dovetail plug, to cover the spot where the factory "buckhorn" ramp sight was. Thanks for the tip fellas.

I believe I may have to look in the kitty and see if I have enough to cover the price.

Meanwhile, back in the safe goes the 1894P

[pietro]

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FWIW, if/when you peep it, it'll need a new front sight blade that's taller then the issue front sight, if you expect to get it zeroed.

You can fashion a dovetail slot filler blank from the male dovetail portion of your broken rear sight, for only a little elbow grease - just cut the longleaf portion of the sight from the dovetail portion, leaving enough material to file the profile to match the profile of the forward edge.


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[Bookworm]

Pietro - that's a good idea. What I may do is order the Skinner sight, and leave the factory piece there for now. Once I get the Skinner on, and figure out what size front I need, I'll decide what to do with the rear sight.
The rifle is good looking, nice wood and very few marks on it. It would be a shame to have some hacked up rear sight left on it. I may try to mod the sight to a plug, if I don't like it I'll order the one from Skinner.

[historicfirearms]

If you want to keep an original sight on it, I have a spare I will send you. I took it off mine when I put a receiver sight on and don't ever plan on using it anymore. PM me if you want it.

[Fishman]

You'll like it, especially with full bore loads. The ports actually push the barrel down under recoil. I put a leupold 2.5 ultralight scope on mine and it is fine.

[pietro]

Pietro - that's a good idea. What I may do is order the Skinner sight, and leave the factory piece there for now. Once I get the Skinner on, and figure out what size front I need, I'll decide what to do with the rear sight.
The rifle is good looking, nice wood and very few marks on it. It would be a shame to have some hacked up rear sight left on it. I may try to mod the sight to a plug, if I don't like it I'll order the one from Skinner.


Skinner can/will supply an overly-tall plastic front sight that a customer can cut/try while zeroing the rifle - once the correct zero height is determined with the plastic/fantastic sight, just measure it's height from the bottom of it's male dovetail to the new top, so the correct height front sight for your rifle can be ordered.

Here's how to do the dovetail slot filler:

http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r431/pwawryk/DSCN0461.jpg

http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r431/pwawryk/DSCN0466.jpg


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[Bookworm]

Pietro, that looks much better than what I had envisioned. Something like a decorative badge.

[Bookworm]

If you want to keep an original sight on it, I have a spare I will send you. I took it off mine when I put a receiver sight on and don't ever plan on using it anymore. PM me if you want it.

I believe I'll take you up on that very generous offer. PM inbound.

[dubber123]

Those 1894P's go for very good money on Gunbroker. I paid $400 new for mine, and wish I had bought more. Mine has a 2.5X Leupold on it. Very good shooting little rifle, and super handy size.

[Bookworm]

I really don't know what it's worth. The current plan is to find out at my estate sale, at which point I won't care.
It's a match for my Super Blackhawks - hog and deer whackers.

[pietro]

I really don't know what it's worth. The current plan is to find out at my estate sale, at which point I won't care.
It's a match for my Super Blackhawks - hog and deer whackers.



FWIW, I had two pristine samples, and sold one online, pretty quickly, for $750 (almost 3 years ago).


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[dubber123]

FWIW, I had two pristine samples, and sold one online, pretty quickly, for $750 (almost 3 years ago).


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I saw a used, but excellent one go for $1,000 last year. Mine won't go anywhere soon, but I'm not making it into a truck gun either. :)

[Bookworm]

$750 three years ago ? $1000 last year ?
Mercy !!!!

I paid $450 for this very nice one, several years ago, and paid more than I wanted to. However, I almost always pay more than I want to for a firearm. If I were offered a pristine Python in exchange for a box of Tall Kitchen garbage bags and a pack of JuicyFruit, I would want to chew a stick of gum from the pack.

It is a very nice 1894p, though. And now, thanks to "historicfirearms" I have a factory sight to put back on it.

[pietro]

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IMHO, the M-1894P is worth every penny, since it was made for only 2 years (around Y2K), the only modern .44 M-1894 with a 16" bbl, and they're VERY handy shootin' irons.



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