peep sight for 1860?

[will52100]

What would be a good peep sight?  Tang mounted, or?  I don't intend to try 1000 meter shoots, but every now and then 3-400 yard targest for fun, most shooting under a 100.  The henry is my main match, deer getter and all around plinking gun.  I like peep sights also.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,

[will52100]

how about this sight? anybody have experiance with it?

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=145246

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I have the same sight (with a different base, of course) on my 1892 Winchester repro.  It works for me!  They were on sale @ $99.95 'til 31 Dec. (Midway) - too bad you didn't get one then.

I've heard that the Marbles sight is much better than the Lyman sight, unless all ya do is plink.

[stepnmud]

Well that's new to me. Never saw a marbles peep sight setup for a Henry before! Although I've several of the marbles sights for Marlin rifles and work real well especially for windage.  I'll say one thing for the Marbles outfit, I had a Marbles peep sight for a Uberti Hiwall and wanted one for a Marlin 38-55, Marbles exchanged the bases free of charge.

[Will Ketchum]

I am wondering if that sight isn't for the modern Henry and not what we refer to as a Henry.

I have no idea how historical you like to be but I don't think the Marbles sight would be appropriate for a 1860 Henry.  It is much too late.

Will Ketchum

[will52100]

would it be any worse than a buck horn?  What would be a good one that wouldn't look too out of place?

Thanks

[Will Ketchum]

The buckhorn sights were used on Hawkin rifles and earlier.  The Marbles tang sights were made after the turn of the Century if my memory serves me right.  There were tang sights much like the Marbles earlier but not as early as 1860. A more correct sight would be a vernier type. 

Heck it's your rifle you put on what you like. 

Will Ketchum

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

I. Will may be right about the timeframe, but I believe that the Lyman, which looks very similar, but without the horizontal adjustment knobs, was made in the 1870s.  Just because the rifle came out in 1860, doesn't mean that your portrayal is necessarily 1860.  I have an 1866 Improved Henry, but my portrayal goes thru the late 1880 and it would be totally feasable to have guns that old.  Shoot ... here it is, 2007, and I'm still shooting a Colt-designed-in-1873 pistol and an Iver Johnson Cycle Works topbreak pistol that was designed in the early 1880s and made in the 1890s!  

Besides, those old lever guns look way cool with a tang sight!  Not that looking cool is a requirement for NCOWS and the "Originals" category I'm working (slooooowwwly) toward.    

[litl rooster]

The buckhorn sights were used on Hawkin rifles and earlier.  The Marbles tang sights were made after the turn of the Century if my memory serves me right.  There were tang sights much like the Marbles earlier but not as early as 1860. I more correct sight would be a vernier type. 

Heck it's your rifle you put on what you like. 

Will Ketchum

From your Picture you don't look that old

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

"Way too old" is a state of mind!  I plan on NEVER growing up, even though my boss has to let me go out & play as much as I want (or that my mommie will tolerate!) in only 14 months & counting!

BTW, in my first CAS shoot about 15 years ago, I had an original Marlin 1889 with a Lyman tang sight.  One of the "gamers", (Yes they had 'em then!) challenged my sight & was told to forget about it.  That gamer & I got along quite well, and he was a naturally great shot; - very impressive reactions and laser like eyesight!  I sold the Marlin to a collector because it ALWAYS double-fed, unless i worked the lever very slowly which is hard to do in the heat of action.

[Lone Gunman]

The 'new' Marbles tang sight (Marbles #9825) from the Midway USA link is for the Uberti Henry. Marbles tang sights were first marketed in 1905. The earliest model Winchester the 'old' Marble sights were offered in was the 1873, sight base #W7.

The Lyman tang sight was introduced in 1878. Like the Marble, the earliest Winchester the 'old' Lyman was configured for was the model 1873.

(Old Gunsights, a collectors guide. by Nick Stroebel   ISBN 0-87341-559-0)


The Henry, 1866 and 1873 all have different tang angles (when measured in relation to the top of the receiver) so the sights aren't interchangeable.

On a related note: I've never seen this on the 1866 or 1873 but original Henrys often had the rear sight moved to the receiver.

[Will Ketchum]

On a related note: I've never seen this on the 1866 or 1873 but original Henrys often had the rear sight moved to the receiver.

I believe the early Henrys as well as the Volcanics had the rear sights on the receivers.  Later they ere moved up to the barrel.  I had Vaughn Trueman mill a dovetail on my Henry but the sight was just too close to my old eyes.  You will find many original Henrys with dovetails both on the barrel and the receiver.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy again!

I. Will K., I have the RL Wilson book (Beautiful!) about Winchester rifles and yep, yer right about double dovetails on Henrys - there are several pictured in the book - to include the "Lincoln Presentation" rifle, ser. # 9.  (see: p. 15 in the book)  It has the sight on the receiver, but you can also see where the barrel has an empty dovetail - which surprises me.  NOT that they moved the sight; I'm sure it's an improvment, but I'd have thought a VERY special gun like that would have had a sight blank in the dovetail to "spruce it up."

Will52100, if you do get one of the Marbles sight, one of the sight screws will fit on the receiver tang, but I think you have to do some work on the buttstock to make a spot for the rear sight base screw.