Anyone ever used the Lyman tang sight?

[docone31]

Before I get one, has anyone used the Lyman Tang sight?
I have an 1895 Marlin, and I have large hands. I could use the Skinner peep sight, but I have always liked the Lyman sight?
Does it interfere with normal use?

[cwtebay]

Before I get one, has anyone used the Lyman Tang sight?
I have an 1895 Marlin, and I have large hands. I could use the Skinner peep sight, but I have always liked the Lyman sight?
Does it interfere with normal use?I have one on a model 8 Remington, one on a 1907 Winchester, and had one on an 1892. The lever action knocked it back with every cycle of the action, but never seemed to knock it out of alignment. I took it off finally because I didn't want to mar either the sight or the bolt. They do work remarkably well though!

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[Nueces]

I'm a tang sight aficionado, but I don't like the way they change the handling qualities of a lever action rifle, as I like to firmly wrap my trigger hand around the tang/wrist. If you're OK with placing your trigger hand thumb along side the tang base, it works.

[nagantguy]

I have one on a late 1930s win 94 in 30-30, I use it for buck on the move in heavy cover in northern MI cedar swamps and river bottoms and I like it very much. It's set back far enough that the bolt has never hit the sight and it's fast on target. I also have the open sights set to my cast load,the down side of the tang is that it's not good at first and last light . All in all though I like its function and think it looks classy.

[VA Jim]

For a hunting rifle I prefer the Skinner. I use a tang sight on my 93 Marlin which is primarily for target work. It is a little awkward getting use to placing your thumb along side of the sight rather than over the wrist.

[FromTheWoods]

Easy to use. Quick to get accurately on target. No settling of the front bead into a slot as is necessary with a rear-barrel sight. Raise your rifle, eyes on target, ignore the tang sight hole, front sight is already aligned with no thought/effort. Squeeze the trigger.

Tang sights are excellent for those of us with old eyes. When the Buckhorn barrel sight gets too vague and blurred, the tang sight will offer many more years of accurate shooting.

Yes, in dim light, you'll likely want a folding up/down rear-barrel sight.

[Guesser]

I have one on a 94 Winchester; it is the modern Lyman Tang sight #2. It is not adjustable for windage. I adjusted my windage by cutting very narrow strips of feeler gauge and inserting under which ever side I needed to change and then tightening the screws and test firing. Took a while and a few rounds, but it works well.
I have a Lyman # 30 1/2 on my 99 Savage. I found it old stock brand new at a gun show, cost me 175$ but it is a fabulous sight, fully adjustable for windage and elevation. The Savage is a 1936 vintage and the sight dates to the late 20's, that's 1920's.

[FergusonTO35]

I had one for my Marlins before I switched to receiver sights. They work well but I don't think they are ideal for hunting use.

[cwtebay]

I'm a tang sight aficionado, but I don't like the way they change the handling qualities of a lever action rifle, as I like to firmly wrap my trigger hand around the tang/wrist. If you're OK with placing your trigger hand thumb along side the tang base, it works.Nueces - short of pinching some sort of wedge of spacer under one side or the other of a Lyman tang sight, how do you adjust for windage? Or are you supposed to only move the front sight?

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[oscarflytyer]

Have Skinners on all my lever guns. perfect for hunting, as other say. I just recently got a custom Rolling Block 45-70 with a Tang Vernier. Shot it one range session. Not what I would want to hunt with, again, as others have said. I consider it a target sight. As I have shot a lot of target rifle (some competitive) my entire life, I really like the Tang vernier. It is much like the rear mount peep. On my custom rifle, which weighs ~13 lbs, I can put my eye on the sight cup and the recoil is minimal and sight rolls with the recoil. And recoil is so minimal with the rifle weight that it does not bite my thumb when I wrap it over the stock. I love it.

[rintinglen]

If you are going to the Tang Sight, I'd strongly recommend the Marbles over the Lyman. Marbles has windage adjustment that Lyman lacks. Either will allow you to shoot tighter groups than you can get with the stock buckhorn sights.

[Dan Cash]

I have a Marlin 1893 with a late 1890 mfg Lyman tang sight on it. It is a good hunting sight if you are not bothered by having to place your thumb along the wrist of the stock. I have used this sight for target work in lever action matches but as noted, it does not have deflection correction capability and is very difficult to repeat elevation settings. I had to devise a dial indicator set up to get repeatable settings and am replacing the Lyman with a Hoke tang sight for this season.

With a hunting sight, I have never had to adjust the windage after zeroing the rifle and with high velocity cartridges, have never needed to correct or change elevation after zeroing. With that in mind, my primary hunting rifle, an 1895 Winchester .30-40, is equipped with a Peabody copy of the old Lyman #23 aperture sight.

[Nueces]

Nueces - short of pinching some sort of wedge of spacer under one side or the other of a Lyman tang sight, how do you adjust for windage? Or are you supposed to only move the front sight?

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Sight base shimming is what Lyman advised many years ago. Moving the front sight is much easier, and works well, as long as it remains near center. I was buying tang sights 50 years ago, when few cared about them, so I have some originals with windage adjustment - by far, that's the best way to go. Such originals are now collector's items, but the modern Marbles also have windage stems. They look too spindly to my eyes, but I have them on modern single shots like the Brownchester 1885s.

[gnoahhh]

I like tang sights on my lever guns (primarily Savages) and wouldn't change for anything. They put the aperture right in front of your eye where it's supposed to be for optimal optical efficiency.

If you can swing it, stick with older vintage Lyman/Marble's tang sights. The new flimsy models pale in comparison.

To compensate for low light situations, merely switch to a larger aperture. Carrying spare apertures in your hunting pants pocket may or may not be a viable solution, and if not then acquire a Merit Adjustable Iris aperture- a bit spendy but really worth it.

[pietro]

.

Once the Lyman tang sight is zeroed for windage via shimming the base, faghettaboutit having to further adjust for windage; and when more elevation is required (as for a long shot) the tang sight stem is easily adjusted up/down as req'd in a few seconds.

If you can live with the tang sight base inteferring with your trigger hand's grip on the wrist of the buttstock, I would suggest setting up your rifle with dual zeroes (short/long range) via swapping out the rear barrel open/iron sight for a folder.

The barrel sights are then zeroed for a relatively close range (say, 75yds); the tang sight zeroed for a longer distance (say, 150yds).

In practical hunting use, the barrel rear sight is "up" and the tang sight folded "down" in case of suddenly-presented game shots, best taken with the barrel sights.

If/when game is spotted at a longer distance, there's usually ample time (with practice) to simultaneously lower the rear barrel sight & raise the tanger for the shot.


.

[gnoahhh]

Or just use a Savage 99 .22 High Power- with such high velocity that you can sight in at 100 yards and be dead flat right on anywhere from there out to 600 yards. After that it drops a couple inches. You're welcome.

[Deadeye Bly]

Tang sights generally work well on Winchester lever actions but not so well on Marlins. The bolt comes back farther on the Marlin 1893/336/1895 series and it places the sight in an awkward place for me. I much prefer a receiver sight on a Marlin lever action rifle. That's my opinion, yours may differ.

[indian joe]

I'm a tang sight aficionado, but I don't like the way they change the handling qualities of a lever action rifle, as I like to firmly wrap my trigger hand around the tang/wrist. If you're OK with placing your trigger hand thumb along side the tang base, it works.

Me too !! was just looking at my 1876 with its marbles sight ...dont want to drill more holes in the tang but there is room there to move the base an inch further forward (I have already reversed the base to gain some room) that next inch would let me get a proper grip over the wrist .....................................

[indian joe]

Or just use a Savage 99 .22 High Power- with such high velocity that you can sight in at 100 yards and be dead flat right on anywhere from there out to 600 yards. After that it drops a couple inches. You're welcome.

Mate a savage hi power zeroed at 100 yards is gonna drop something like 5 feet at 600 yards - you musta had your short shoes on that day -

[gnoahhh]

Mate a savage hi power zeroed at 100 yards is gonna drop something like 5 feet at 600 yards - you musta had your short shoes on that day -


A little bombastic literary license, if you will.

[CamoWhamo]

I have both Lyman and Marble Arms peep sights that i use on my rifles where they are not drilled and tapped. My preference is for Skinner sights on my hunting rifles (all 94AE's) and a Williams with target knobs on my 38-55 Silhouette rifle.

I don't own any Marlins so my experiences may be different to others.

I have used tangs sights on Winchester 1873, 1992 and pre AE 94's.

The Marbles are reasonably good units and the windage adjustment is great to have but the 3 Marbles sights i have here all have square edges which bite the hand during recoil if you're not conscious of where you put your hand.

On the other hand, my Lyman sights are nicely rounded and don't bite my hand at all. On the model 94 at least, the post is further forward which makes for more room behind the sight to grip the rifle normally.
The lack of windage adjustment makes zeroing a bit of a process but i would still choose the Lyman over the Marbles on the rifles that i have to use a tang sight on.

I recently tried the Skinner Barrel Mounted Peep on my 1873 and once i found the right combination of front sight and rear peep i am really liking how it works, so much so that i'll probably put the same sight on my 92.

[glaciers]

I find the tang sights are in the way for me and problematic with the handling of the rifle. I have removed them from any shooter I use. Collector arms I don't mess with sights or anything else, they need to remain in original form.. The tang sight, for sight picture is about as good as it gets. But, I don't like the distraction with my grip. I go with Lyman receiver sights or a Lyman 21 long receiver side sight which is my personal choice. One more "but", the Lyman sight is pricey when you do find them.
I found on the Buffalo Arms web site that they sell a reproduction of the Lyman model 21 by Providence Tool Co. LLC, cost about $150. I bought one for a Marlin 336 35Rem, the sight looks good, but it's not installed yet. They do not list the Marlin 1895, so I would call Buffalo or Providence Tool. I think the one that fits the Win 94 would fit the Marlin 1895.
I used to collect Winchester takedowns and Hi Wall 1885 single shot rifles, lots came with tang sights, I just personal don't like tang sights.
John

[glaciers]

Also a tang sight on a rifle with heavier recoil is definitely problematic.
John

[Nueces]

In one of Keith's books, he told a story of helping guide a fellow and his wife on a mountain hunt. Lady was using a lever gun with tang sight and took a high shot that brought the sight too close to her eye, which she lost upon firing.

That's what you're cautioning about, right, glaciers?

[glaciers]

Nueces,
No I was just refering to being able to grip the rifle properly. Your point is certianly another factor.
John

[Drm50]

Tangs no good for shooting moving game. I have them for several classic rifles but after getting one jammed under my eyebrow I'm done hunting with them.

[cwtebay]

I attended a gun show today and spoke with an older gentleman who was peddling sights for predominantly antique firearms. He had a Lyman tang sight from the 1890's in the original box. The installation instructions said (paraphrased) "it is advised to not install this sight on rifles with significant recoil as injury may occur". This salesman also spoke about the pros and cons of using a tang versus receiver mounted versus a traditional rear sight. The true advantage of any sounds like what is being said here - boils down to circumstance and personal ability. It was an hour well spent, and of course *sigh * he sold me another sight.

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[Duckiller]

Several years ago I switched a Marlin 1894 from scope to tang sight. Smith recommended a Marble sight over the Lyman . Marble is adjustable for both windage and elevation, Lyman is/was only adjustable for elevation. No regrets with the Marble.

[docone31]

Well, I got one, got out my Handy Dandy fixem up tools, proceeded to center punch the top stock strap, then drill. I used two drills, one to start it with, and the other to fit the tap.
The first drill went in centered, the second went in a few degrees to the left. When I tighten down the screw, the sight is off by a click. No way to do the clicking. I have no idea how to redrill the hole so it is centered, then I noticed the rear sights were installed tipped to the right, and the top strap holes were off to the right a tad. I am not going to use just the rear machine screw, with Locktite holding down the sight base also. The body of the sight is centered with the bolt.
Soon the range, then I find out.

[kaiser]

I have a Marble tang sight mounted on a Savage 1899 that's in 30/30 Win. I have the tang sighted for 200 yards and the regular "irons" POA at 100 yards. I took the aperture out for hunting and it didn't seem to effect my target "grouping". I like the increase in "sight radius" the tang provides; and I changed the front sight to a more visible bead for "pick up". When folded, the tang sight makes me change my normal hand hold, but it is a minor annoyance; and it looks good on that rifle.

[MFGordon]

I agree, one of my lever guns, a Winchester 1894 ELW takedown rifle came with a Lyman 21 sight. It is without a doubt the best iron sight there is for a lever gun. It's out of the way and doesn't spoil the function of the gun, nor its ascetics. It also has a choice between a large and a small arpeture.216538