Marlin 39a sight thiughts

[7br]

About a month ago, I bought a Henry Classic .22 after deciding I would never be able to afford a 39a. I scoped it with see through rings and put a Skinner barrel mounted peep on it. On the 4th, I put a lowball bid on a 1958 vintage 39a and won the auction. I really like peep sights, so I will be looking to swap out the rear Buckhorn on the Marlin. Here are my questions:

Will the Skinner rear from a 336 work on the 39a? I replaced the Skinner sight on my 336 sight with a Williams so I can shoot a side match at my silhouette club.

Will the Skinner barrel mounted peep work on the Henry fit the 39a? I might just put the Buckhorn back on the Henry.

[Sam Sackett]

Not totally sure, but I think the screw patterns are different. I do know that Williams Gunsite has separate listings.

Sam Sackett

[Mk42gunner]

Will the Skinner rear from a 336 work on the 39a? I replaced the Skinner sight on my 336 sight with a Williams so I can shoot a side match at my silhouette club.

Maybe. It will depend on hole spacing and screw size. Also I'm not sure about the length of a Skinner sight compared to the length of a Model 39a receiver.

Will the Skinner barrel mounted peep work on the Henry fit the 39a? I might just put the Buckhorn back on the Henry.

Again maybe. I'm guessing the barrel mounted sight is meant for a 3/8" dovetail here, so it might work. It will probably need a different height front sight though.

It has been a few decades since I had a fifties version of a Marlin Model 39a, (stolen, I wasn't stupid enough to trade it away) but I seem to recall that it used 6-48 screws for the scope base instead of the relatively huge 8-40 that is used on their center fire models.

Williams did make a FP for the Model 39a. Finding one will be the trick, I don't think they are currently in production.

Robert

[pietro]

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The 39a has a slimmer barrel profile than the 336, and both rifle's issue rear sights are mounted in a 3/8" female barrel dovetail - so any rear sight will fit either gun's dovetail, however if there's a difference in the various sight heights, there may be an issue with zeroing either gun.

FWIW, peep sights work better the closer to the eye - why I prefer tang or receiver peep sights over barrel-mounted peep sights.

The M-39a has a receiver width that's much narrower than CF rifles, so a side-mounted receiver peepsight with a short horizontal bar is needed.

Alternately, a top-mounted peepsight (like the Skinner) also works well - if the sight's hole spacing is different from the 39a's scope mount holes, it may be possible to either drill another hole in the sight base for the offset hole, or get by mounting the Skinner using a single screw & some lock-tite

Both types will most likely a different height (taller than issue) front sight blade to achieve zero - a good time to change to a front sight with different characteristics (like colored fiber-optic) that will make sight acquisition much easier/faster.

If a barrel-mounted rear sight isn't used, the empty dovetail slot is easily filled.





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[jgstrug]

This may not be the answer you are looking for,but a 39A just begs for am all steel receiver sight side mounted in the factory holes. You will not be disappointed with a factory front sight and a steel receiver rear.

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[indian joe]

About a month ago, I bought a Henry Classic .22 after deciding I would never be able to afford a 39a. I scoped it with see through rings and put a Skinner barrel mounted peep on it. On the 4th, I put a lowball bid on a 1958 vintage 39a and won the auction. I really like peep sights, so I will be looking to swap out the rear Buckhorn on the Marlin. Here are my questions:

Will the Skinner rear from a 336 work on the 39a? I replaced the Skinner sight on my 336 sight with a Williams so I can shoot a side match at my silhouette club.

Will the Skinner barrel mounted peep work on the Henry fit the 39a? I might just put the Buckhorn back on the Henry.

check it before you shellout more money
Williams marketed a more expensive version of their 5D specific for the browning model 71 - mine works just fine witth a standard model 94 version.

[flatnose]

A Williams receiver sight with target knobs and a Merit adjustable aperture with a Lyman globe front sight with inserts from Lee Shaver is a combination that is hard to beat. If money is not an issue then a Lee Shaver tang sight with the Lyman globe is awesome. The Merit is something I just cant live without.

[Walks]

I've used the Williams Fool Proof Receiver sights on Lever guns and think highly of them.
On Marlin 39, 336 & 1894. And 2 Winchester 94's.
No complaints at all.

Only experience I have of skinner sights is seeing one at the range where the guy dropped his henry and the peep busted clean off. Dropped my Lever guns, never had one break yet. Or lose zero.

[Bigslug]

I believe the 336 is a very different animal. Skinner makes a 39A sight - just buy one of those.

HOWEVER: I do know there was a production change in the 39A where they added the ability to mount optics. My gut tells me a 1958 model is going to be on the "pre" side of that line, but it's been a while since I looked into it. That may or may not affect how the Skinners attach.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

The 39A takes a different receiver sight than the 336, mounting holes are different on top. I have the Skinner sight for the 39A that mounts on top of the receiver. The 336 top of receiver sight will not fit without modification. Skinner and Ranger Precision make top of receiver sights for the 39A. I have both on 336's, I like the Ranger Precision just a bit better than the Skinner. Willams makes different sights for the 336 and 39 for 'traditional' receiver side mounting. Scope mount bases for the 336 and 39a are also different for top mounting. Earlier 39/39A's may be drilled in the barrel for early side mounts. I think Sears,Roebuck sold some Marlin 39A's set-up with the barrel drilled side mounts and many early 39A's have the side mount receiver side screw setup. Some 39's might have been factory drilled for the tang sights, the Marlin crazies probably know all the specifics. You might just browse the Skinner, Ranger Precision, and Williams GunSight web sites to see what is available.

[stubshaft]

I have Skinners on my 1895's but prefer Williams Fool Proof receiver sight on my 39A.

[7br]

Picked up the 39a yesterday. The scope is pretty cloudy. The scope base had a shim under the rear. I got the calipers out and it looks like it is .02in thicker at the front mounting screw than the rear screw. Not a big deal as I am going to put Skinner sights on it. It has a 24in barrel. Weight wise, it feels like my 336.

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[farmbif]

screw patterns on the receiver of 39a's changed through the years from the 40's to the 80's and many used guns have been customized to accommodate different sights.
the thick barrel is part of the reason why the 39a is usually a very accurate gun right out of the box

[uscra112]

That 39a is just crying for a Weaver J-2.5 or J-4. Longer eye relief than that G series makes for faster target acquisition.

Gulp! If you can find one that's not at a nosebleed price that is. I used to buy them for $30 - $40 but now they're on evilBay for $200 and up!

[W.R.Buchanan]

How about going on Ebay and buying a Proper Rear Sight for the gun. The Standard of Aftermarket Upgrade Sights was the Lyman 66MC.

Like this,,, that I just bought last week for $88 Buy it Now.. $101 OTD with Tax and Shipping.

The 39AS I had came with one, couldn't stand the "boing" from the "Rebounding Hammer" every time I fired it, So It's gone now !

Randy

[7br]

How about going on Ebay and buying a Proper Rear Sight for the gun. The Standard of Aftermarket Upgrade Sights was the Lyman 66LA.

Like this,,, that I just bought last week for $88 Buy it Now.. $101 OTD with Tax and Shipping.

The 39AS I had came with one, couldn't stand the "boing" from the "Rebounding Hammer" every time I fired it, So It's gone now !

Randy

How does the sight mount? I have one rear mounting hole on the top of the receiver. I don't think there are any on the side.

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[W.R.Buchanan]

Most 39A's were drilled on the left side of the receiver 2ea. 6-48 holes .400 apart. It's not a big deal for a "Competent Gunsmith" to drill and tap these two holes if they aren't there. Get the sight first so he has it to confirm hole locations.

Randy

[Bigslug]

Tech tip for those using the newer Weaver scope base: File a groove in the bottom/front for the rear sight elevator to slot into, and use QR rings. Your irons don't appear over the top of the base with the scope removed by a lot, but they appear by enough, and you retain adjustability of your irons.

[7br]

Well, I went with the Skinner rear. Gotta tje range to sight it in. The groups are 5 shots, from a rest at 25 yards. Man, this is a fun rifle.

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[uscra112]

In over a century, no-one's made a better .22 lever. Enjoy!