DukeInFlorida
07-07-2010, 10:09 AM
Oh, what a frustrating week.
My recent purchase of a used Marlin 1894 in 44 mag (1973 manufacture, with octagon barrel!) came with standard factory sights. The gun shoots great, and is sighted in perfectly. But in a hunting situation, you want to be able to find the sights quickly, and get on target. So, I decided to yank the factory sights, and go the fiber optic route.
I have a Cabelas store close by, and so I checked on line and see that they only have one TruGlo model with the right dovetails. The reviews I read all complain about that TruGlo model for the Marlins and Winchesters. Turns out that the primary issue is the height (or lack there of) of the front sight.
My frustration is that most of the fiber sight manufacturers have done a very POOR job of recommending which sight to use for which gun. Most of them don't have a sight set that they offer for the 1894 models. WHAT? It's a popular gun, from several manufacturers, and I' think that they'd do well if they offered something specifically for this model.
I had to do quite a bit of digging to come up with the following:
The rear sight is easy. Any of the fiber optic rear sight makers, who offer a 3/8" dovetail sight will work. Most of the time, the issue is color of the optic tubes. I've tried the orange, red, and green, and find that the green is the best choice for my eyes.
Hi-Viz makes a pretty good rear sight, and it seems to install just the way I would want it to. And, it comes with green tubes. Model UNI2006 is the number:
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/images/ssi/medium/36829.jpg
Then, there's the front sight to deal with. Adjusting the rear sight successfully has a LOT to do with the proper height of the front sight. And, that's where the one model at Cabelas fell so short with others who tried it.
I didn't find many places on line (manufacturers sites) which had the info I needed to choose a front sight. Even Hi-Viz buried their tidbit of knowledge in the back of their on-line catalog. The trick is to match up the height of the front sight to what you have already on the gun. And, the height they they are looking for is from the bottom of the dovetail to the very top of the sight. That is, the overall height of the sight, as removed from the gun.
Measuring my factory front sight, I see that it's a tad over .500" in total height. Hi-Viz makes the 3/8" dovetail front sights in four heights, .315", .380", .420", and .500" The .500" version is part number DOVM-500.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31cInWJJI6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
So, off I went, looking for a deal on a Hi-Viz rear sight, and their .500" front sight.
I start seeing LOTS of eBay listings for DOVM front sights, but no detail as to the height. Two of the sellers that I communicated with came back saying that the sights were the .315" height models. Heck! No wonder everyone has such a hard time getting them to work!
I couldn't find any DOVM-500's on eBay, so I had to order that at Midway.
The UNI2006 was located on eBay, and the vendor was shipping for free, so I went that route.
So, when the pieces come in, they should line up perfectly with the factory sights, be somewhat easy to install and adjust, and be both the bright green tubes that I prefer.
The Hi-Viz front sight is steel construction, so rugged enough for the hunting experience. The rear right is fiber composite, but should be fine for hunting.
I hope that this helps others find the right sights for their lever action gun.
In most cases, just the cheapo off-the-shelf version isn't going to work for you.
Summary: The rear sight is almost standard. Choose wisely to get the color you want. The front sight depends on getting one that matches your current sight height, and measured by the overall height of the sight, from the bottom of the dovetail to the very top of the sight.
My recent purchase of a used Marlin 1894 in 44 mag (1973 manufacture, with octagon barrel!) came with standard factory sights. The gun shoots great, and is sighted in perfectly. But in a hunting situation, you want to be able to find the sights quickly, and get on target. So, I decided to yank the factory sights, and go the fiber optic route.
I have a Cabelas store close by, and so I checked on line and see that they only have one TruGlo model with the right dovetails. The reviews I read all complain about that TruGlo model for the Marlins and Winchesters. Turns out that the primary issue is the height (or lack there of) of the front sight.
My frustration is that most of the fiber sight manufacturers have done a very POOR job of recommending which sight to use for which gun. Most of them don't have a sight set that they offer for the 1894 models. WHAT? It's a popular gun, from several manufacturers, and I' think that they'd do well if they offered something specifically for this model.
I had to do quite a bit of digging to come up with the following:
The rear sight is easy. Any of the fiber optic rear sight makers, who offer a 3/8" dovetail sight will work. Most of the time, the issue is color of the optic tubes. I've tried the orange, red, and green, and find that the green is the best choice for my eyes.
Hi-Viz makes a pretty good rear sight, and it seems to install just the way I would want it to. And, it comes with green tubes. Model UNI2006 is the number:
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/images/ssi/medium/36829.jpg
Then, there's the front sight to deal with. Adjusting the rear sight successfully has a LOT to do with the proper height of the front sight. And, that's where the one model at Cabelas fell so short with others who tried it.
I didn't find many places on line (manufacturers sites) which had the info I needed to choose a front sight. Even Hi-Viz buried their tidbit of knowledge in the back of their on-line catalog. The trick is to match up the height of the front sight to what you have already on the gun. And, the height they they are looking for is from the bottom of the dovetail to the very top of the sight. That is, the overall height of the sight, as removed from the gun.
Measuring my factory front sight, I see that it's a tad over .500" in total height. Hi-Viz makes the 3/8" dovetail front sights in four heights, .315", .380", .420", and .500" The .500" version is part number DOVM-500.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31cInWJJI6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
So, off I went, looking for a deal on a Hi-Viz rear sight, and their .500" front sight.
I start seeing LOTS of eBay listings for DOVM front sights, but no detail as to the height. Two of the sellers that I communicated with came back saying that the sights were the .315" height models. Heck! No wonder everyone has such a hard time getting them to work!
I couldn't find any DOVM-500's on eBay, so I had to order that at Midway.
The UNI2006 was located on eBay, and the vendor was shipping for free, so I went that route.
So, when the pieces come in, they should line up perfectly with the factory sights, be somewhat easy to install and adjust, and be both the bright green tubes that I prefer.
The Hi-Viz front sight is steel construction, so rugged enough for the hunting experience. The rear right is fiber composite, but should be fine for hunting.
I hope that this helps others find the right sights for their lever action gun.
In most cases, just the cheapo off-the-shelf version isn't going to work for you.
Summary: The rear sight is almost standard. Choose wisely to get the color you want. The front sight depends on getting one that matches your current sight height, and measured by the overall height of the sight, from the bottom of the dovetail to the very top of the sight.