1894 Century Limited, fiber optic front sight???

[lentuk]

My Marlin 1894 Century Limited, not everyone's cup of tea but I have owned more lever guns than I can remember and this one is still my favorite, this is the rifle that finally got me to start loading the fantastic .44-40 and it shoots great.
Well, my eyes have started to go and I cant see the original brass bead front sight anymore so I put on a green fiber optic front sight and wow, I sure can see it now.
Only problem is, it has kinda taken away from the traditional look of the rifle for me, what do ya think?
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n358/longbowman/20160609_064241-1_zps5hpnwmpq.jpg (http://s336.photobucket.com/user/longbowman/media/20160609_064241-1_zps5hpnwmpq.jpg.html)

[pietro]

.

"Pretty" is, as "pretty" does - Function is IMHO more important than looks.


I've long utilized FO sights on ALL my iron-sighted rifles, and can attest to their usefulness.

(VERY nice rifle, BTW :) )


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[6pt-sika]

I'm not a fan of fiber optic sights .

[MostlyLeverGuns]

An ugly rifle that hits is more useful than a pretty rifle that just looks good. Both is best of course. Is you rifle for shooting or would you rather just hold it and look at it?

[Skooterr]

Yeah, what good is form, if you can't aim it??
Whose FO sight did you use?

[lentuk]

Its a Marbles sight.

[Skooterr]

Didn't look them up, yet, don't they come in several different diameters?
I know the ones I looked at a while ago seemed fat, sort of like a shotgun site.

[lentuk]

Its 3/32 at the largest

[Skooterr]

Again Thanks. I'm thinking of getting one for my 1894C.
BTW, nice wood on your 1894CL.

[pietro]

Didn't look them up, yet, don't they come in several different diameters?
I know the ones I looked at a while ago seemed fat, sort of like a shotgun site.

Besides being available (from different makers) in various heights & colors (green, red, amber, etc, etc - to allow for different user's color perception), all FO front sight blades are also made in the same two diameters (1/16"-fine & 3/32"-coarse) as the gold, ivory & brass bead sights made by several different gunsight makers.

Some of the FO makers are Williams (Firesight), HIVIZ, TRUGLO, Marbles, T/C, Trijicon, New England Custom Gun (NECG), et al.


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[northmn]

Looking at "traditional" can be an issue to some. I built a 25cal flintlock squirrel rifle. Sights that work best with older eyes do kind of look out of place on a flintlock. One of the ways a person can address the issue is to use an Express rear sight. They do not have a u or v notch but are one big shallow V. For a front sight I use a large bead and place the bead in the bottom of the V. For the long barrel of the flintlock I use a 1/8" brass front sight but for a shorter rifle the 3/32 is fine. These do not stand out like the fiber optic or receiver sights.
As for your situation I have green fiber optic sights on my Marlin 38-55 Cowboy, my 30-30 Waffle top and my Marlin CL 32-20. I don't get too shook up about it. Took the rear sights off my 92 Rossi and put a reciever sight on it. I also have an old waffle top Marlin that is scoped. May "look wrong" to some but I like to hit what I shoot at.

DP

[.45colt]

I put a fiber optic on one of my levers for awhile. I was amazed how much better I could see the sight picture in low light. If I was worried about the look on that Marlin, I would take a fine line black marker and paint the green sides of that front sight to black it out. I bet you could still see the green. I'm sending You a P.M.

[John Barleycorn]

Put on of Slick McClade's sure hit sights on. It's a brass sleeve that will slide over your original sight. I have them on all my CAS rifles.

[KCSO]

Been there done that and I hate it but... I've been a VERY traditional muzzleloader all my life, flinters, buckskins, and I build historical replicas. But last few years I have been losing the sight in my right eye and have not been able to focus on rifle sights. I have switched to shooting lefty and am relearning after over 60 years. I have fire sights on all my modern guns and can shoot them OK but even left handed traditional sights are getting to be a hard go. I am boxed into a corner and if I want to shoot irons anymore I may have to put fire sights on my, on my. on...MY FLINTER! I hate it but if I have to do it to keep shooting I will suffer in...BS... I will complain ever time I can, but I'll do it to keep shooting.

Mans gotta do...

[Geezer in NH]

It is not a historical flint lock. Trust me 99% of folks will not notice or care. :smile: