What Tang Sight will fit on my 1873 Winchester?

[moonjohn]

What tang sight can I put on my Winchester 1873 32-20 (serial number 400,xxx; manufactured 1892).
The problem is that the sights I have seen talk about 18, 21, and 22 degrees.
Using the barrel as a horizontal reference, I measure my tang angle to be -22 Degrees.
Is that correct for my gun?
I measure the hole spacing on the tang to be 2.15 inches.
I found a sight made by Marbles arms, sty (out of stock), that appears to be a correct fit.
Will that sight work?
What sight(s) will work?

[Coffinmaker]

In all honesty, with all the different manufacturing tolerances you will encounter in the various production runs from ANY manufacture,
the best that can be done for you is a WAG (Military acronym for Wild Ass Guess).  Normally I try not to jump into anyones quest
unless I can contribute something positive.  So, here is my WAG.  Don't have a clue.  Not even close.  We/I (none of us) can give you
a "yes" or "no" answer.  Best we can do is ... "huh?"

Here is the ticket.  Buy or borrow a sight that looks promising.  If it doesn't work, give/send it back and get another.  Eventually, you'll
hit the one that fits/works.  I forgot, depending on what parts were available at any given workbench, when the build order came through,
would determine what your gun gets made from.  Your numbers may not necessarily correspond to a given production run.

Good Luck in your quest.

Coffinmaker 

[Blackpowder Burn]

I have 2 '73 Winchesters from the late 1880's.  The Marble sight fits them perfectly, including the screws that come with the sights.  It took me less than 5 minutes to install the sights.

[Pettifogger]

Where are you seeing references to different tang sights for the 73?  I have never seen such references.

[moonjohn]

Where are you seeing references to different tang sights for the 73?  I have never seen such references.

I know very little about the 1873 Winchester.
I know even less about tang sights.
I thought it would be no problem finding a tang sight for my gun.
The problem apparently lies with there being about 6 different clones of the 1873.
And, it's not clear if or what clones followed the specifications of the original 1873 to the letter.

When I went to say - Brownells to find the sight, the sight they listed under Winchester 1873 was specifically for one of the clones.
Looking at several sites, I came across a warning that the sight I selected was for a 22 degree tang and wouldn't work if the tang angle of the gun was different.
Based on this warning, I revised all the sites and found the tang angle for the sights varied from 18 to 22 degrees.
Some sights for the Winchester 1873 did not list the angle.
Further perplexing me was that apparently the tang angle for an original 1873 is 18 degrees.
But I measure the tang angle of my 1873 to be 22 degrees.
The spacing between the screws is not important because Marble used a slot to allow for differences.

The problem is the tang angle:
Mine appears to be 22 degrees when Marble says their sight for the 1866/1873 is 18 degrees.

It is apparent that the sight post is supposed to be perpendicular the the rifle bore.
If it is 4 degrees off, you will be looking either above or below the front sight when looking through the peep sight hole.

[mehavey]

THIS:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/231087/lyman-2-tang-peep-sight-uberti-1873-winchester-steel-blue
I've got one on both of my `73's

Like a rock...    .

[Pettifogger]

There aren't six different clones.  Up until Winchester starting making theirs there was Uberti.  (A long time ago there was Euroarms but you never see parts references for those).  Go to Marlbles and they only have one part number.  I have put them on original 73s and never had a problem.  I think your are overthinking the matter.  Winchester only made one tang angle for the 73.

http://www.marblearms.com/improved-peep-tang-specifications.html

[Cliff Fendley]

I've got an MVA sight for an original 73 on one of my Ubertis. angle and everything seems right. Just takes a little time because the rifle has to be drilled and tapped since the Uberti 73's don't come drilled for the tang sight. I just measured the holes and placement on an original and drilled and tapped the Uberti to match.

[moonjohn]

THIS:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/231087/lyman-2-tang-peep-sight-uberti-1873-winchester-steel-blue
I've got one on both of my `73's
Like a rock...    .

Question regarding your Lyman sight.
Does the post click into the vertical up position or do you set the vertical post position by eye and then tighten the locking nut.
That is, can it be adjusted to any angle you choose?

I understand the Lyman sight(s) doesn't adjust for windage.
Therefore, I prefer the Marble sight(s) that do apparently adjust for windage.

.......................................................................................

Here's part of my confusion.
The Midway site you reference has identified the tang sight is for the Uberti 1873.
The Midway site takes me to a different tang sight when I go through their menu for the Winchester 1873.

Additionally:
The marble site shows different model numbers for the Original and their Uberti 1873 tang sights.

It seems that Marble thinks that there is a difference between the original and the Uberti 1873 as far as their tang site(s) is concerned.

[Mike]

Both Lyman and Marbles do a sights for Origanal and Uberti 73 Mod, the difference is the screws as the threads are different. The sight is the same.
I have fitted both, I have fitted new and old  Lyman and Marbles to both. If it says it is for a 73 modle.

Dont over complicate it.

To fit the Lyman so the sight shoots to point at different ranges you may have to hand fit the base to the tang as they are not always lined with the bore. The Marbles you can use the windage. I would still fit it correctly if needed.

If you can work this out stick with the buck horn sight.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

If the front sight can be drifted, a windage zero is simple. If you have a fixed frontight as on a carbine, the Lyman can be a problem if windage is off.

I have found a fairly simple fix. I pick up a pistol casing from the trash and cut shims from the case walls. As the case walls are tapered, the shims will aslo be tapered. Drill screw clearance holes and trim to suit.

Orienting the shims with the thick edge on the left will tip the tangsight staff towards the right, and Vikkie Verky. On two carbines this trick has brought the groups to center. If you need less adjustment use something like a .38 Spl case as it has less internal taper. If you need more, pick something like a 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP.

[mehavey]

Ordinary coke cans are 0.005" aluminum.
Cut any number of full base-length shims with an ordinary pair of scissors right there at the range and tailor fit whatever thicknesses you need along one side of the screws/under the base as you sight in.
You'll literally be done in 15 minutes, max.

[moonjohn]

I went to the question section of the Marble web site and asked them what tang sight model would fit my original 1873 lever action.
The site stated: they will respond within 3 days.
Its been over a week and I haven't received a reply.
I bit the bullet and bought the "correct" Marble tang sight (9809) for the original 1873 as listed on the Marble web site.
The sight mounted on my rifle without issue.

I understand that Winchester made 720,609 1873 rifles.
This tang sight may be correct for 720,608 of those rifles, but it is not correct for my rifle.
Why?
Because the standard tang sights are designed for a 18 degree tang.
But, as I have stated before, my tang angle is 22 degrees.
Therefore, when my rifle is pointed at the target, I am looking up at the sky when looking through the peep sight.
4 degrees is not that much, but it is enough to cause a shadow in the peep sight that interferes with seeing a clear image.
So, is there a tang sight that will fit correctly on my original 1873?
Maybe the tang sight for the Japanese made Winchester 1873 which has a 22 degree tang will fit.

To get the angle correct using the Marble 18 degree tang sight, I would have to jack up the rear of the sight 0.15 inches.
As a temporary solution, I inserted 2 washers at the rear of the sight to jack the sight up 0.1 inch.
The mounting screw is too short to accommodate the full 0.15 inches needed to get the sight post perpendicular to the barrel.
And then I would still probably lose 100 yards of range because the sight, as a whole, will still sit lower.

My 1873 was manufactured in 1892 with a 22 degree tang.
It wasn't that someone beat on the tang to change the 18 degrees to 22 degrees.
The 22 degree tang alines perfectly with the rest of the receiver.

[Mike]

I think you need to up load a picture of you 73, something is not right some were.
I have 5 73's and the same tang sight will swop from gun to gun repro to origanal with screw swop.

Question I am asking.
Has the gun got the orignal stock
Has the gun been altered
If the tang is a different angle why.

[moonjohn]

This is 9 pictures of my rifle.

http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/moonjohn/library/Winchester?sort=3&page=1

[Mike]

Will get mine out today and do some measuring.

[moonjohn]

My measurement of the tang angle was straight forward.
I took a large corrugated plastic political sign and drew 6 parallel horizontal lines about 1 inch apart.
I then alined the barrel along the top line (correcting for the barrel taper).
I then cut an 18 and a 22 degree template out of cardboard.
Then I slide the templates down to the tang.
18 degrees wasn't even close.
22 degrees was right on.
...................................................................
An oddity:
The sights appear original.
But the front sight is too short.
The rifle shoots 6 inches high at 50 yards at the lowest site setting.
But it is dead on at 100 yards.

[Mike]

Ok
used the top of the frame as my base line and the tang runs at  22°  below the base line on all my 73's and 18° on my 92's
Tang sights from Lyman and Marbles fit and work well once fitted to the tang.

[Cliff Fendley]

The same tang sight will fit a Uberti or original Winchester 73 provided the Uberti is tapped like the original 73's. I use MVA sights on mine.

If the angle is wrong it sounds like you got a sight for a 92 or 94 Winchester.

[Mike]

Cliff.
looks like it to me.
As you say, Uberti 73 are not drilled from factory (dont no why) you just need the correct threaded screws.