Question for MLV

Howard Haworth · Post by **Howard Haworth** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:30 pm

Mike, In your new book Shooting Buffalo Guns of the Old West page 238, you show a rifle you used in Africa with a marbles tang sight. Was this a new sight or was it and old sight that you had installed on that rifle? I have my #3 sporter 50-90 that I entend on using for hunting and would like to have a sight like this for that gun. I have one of the new Marbels tang sight on a Marlin 45-70 and do not like it very well. Thanks Howard

MLV · Post by **MLV** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 6:03 pm

Howard: That's an original Marble's sight. I haven't seen any of the new ones. It was meant for a M1894 Winchester (If memory serves me correctly.) The screw spacing is not correct for a Sharps sight holes, but they do match the regular stock screw holes. I had a gunsmith make me special longer screws to fit the sight and the stock screw holes. I still have that sight and plan to put it on my new Shiloh Military Rifle when it arrives in the near future. I hope this helps.

Howard Haworth · Post by **Howard Haworth** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 12:37 am

Thanks Mike that is what I was looking for. I think I will try the new Lyman made tang sight and see if that will do the same thing.

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 9:00 pm

HOward, I bet you will like the Lyman even less. If that's the style of sight you want, check out ebay for an original or www.montanavintagearms.com for a very good new one.

Brent

Howard Haworth · Post by **Howard Haworth** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 11:00 pm

Brent,
What don't you like about the new Lyman tang sight?

aka-slim · Post by **aka-slim** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 7:20 am

Howard,

I'm not Brent. But I can probably answer it for him, at least I can for myself. The "New Lyman" sight are not made that good and the ones I have seen, or put on peoples rifles are loose. In other words thy wiggly to much. The old Lyman's if in good condition are great. But the ones that I perfer are the old Marbles. If you get one, you can do what Mike did with the screws, or make a adapture block for it. I have made lots of these blocks for people, that want to have old orginal sights put on old orginal guns that don't match. I don't like to modifie either one.

Keep your powder dry.

Slim

fjjensen · Post by **fjjensen** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 8:59 am

New style Marble tang sights are available from Buffalo Arms to fit sharps
rifles.You will be much happier with this sight than the Lyman.which is
a pile of ^%$#&^. A big plus,It has windage.I have this sight{marble} on a winchester lever gun and it has served me well.

Frank

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 1:07 pm

I agree with others, the new Lyman Tang Sights are not worth a dam. To much "slop" in them, thay move all over and do not have windage. I have old original Lymans, 1A Combination and 2A Combination sights that are good sights but still do not have windage in them. I have several Marbles old sights that are also good. The new Marbles Tang Sights are very good sights and they have windage in them. I have the new Marbles Tang sights on several High Walls, Low Walls and Rolling Blocks and they work very well.
Frank Costa

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 1:12 pm

Take a look at eBay, they have a auction site that always has old Marbles and Lyman Tang sights for sale. I have bought several old hard to find sights from eBay and the price was not bad for something you can not find in a store.
Frank Costa

Howard Haworth · Post by **Howard Haworth** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 10:39 pm

Frank and fjjenson,
My main obrection to the new marbles tang sight is that it has no elivation indicators on the staff or on the windage. And then the one I have for my Marlin 1895 is set on top of a large squre block of steel. That is OK for a new Marlin but not for a Shiloh. The old Lyman's that I have have elivation marking on the staff, so I thought the new lymans might have them also. But with bouth of you telling me what junk they are I will not even wast my time and money on the new ones. I will go to Ebay and keep an eye out for a good old Lyman or Marbles and if I don't find one in the not to distant future I think I might go with the Montana Vintage Arms Lyman type sight. Thank you very much for all the input Guys. Howard

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:04 pm

I recently put a Marbles tang sight on my new model Winchester 1886. As far as I know, this is the only tang sight that will not interfere with Winchester's dang new type tang safety. The sight does have solid elevation and windage adjustments, but no vernior or any other type of scale. Each click of elevation moves your point of impact .4 inches at 100 yards. While this is not the precision target sight that you guys are acustomed to, it's performance impressed me enough that I plan to replace the factory front sight with an Axtell globe.

Marbles is a small company located just East of Escanaba, Michigan. (Heaven is North of the Bridge) I bought my sight at their factory store. They have a web site, www.marblesoutdoors.com.

My favorite load for this rifle is 63 gr. GOEX Cartridge under a Lyman 405 gr. FN bullet that actually weighs 415 gr when cast with a 30-1 alloy. Muzzle velocity in the 22 inch barrel is around 1125 fps.

Jim Kidwell · Post by **Jim Kidwell** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:02 pm

Several years ago, I obtained a Marlin '94 in 38-55. I wanted a decent sight for an accurate caliber, but the Lyman and Marble sights just didn't meet my expectations. After some searching, I purchashed a Lee Shaver Schuetzen Soule sight. This sight was about $20.00 more than a Marbles (about $ 150.00) , and the sight settings were repeatable. Lee made a base for the Marlin so the bolt would not touch it at full throw. FWIW.......Jim

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 7:47 pm

Lee Shaver makes a good sight, I had him make me a Soule sight that I have on a Remington Rolling Block. Just for information if anyone is looking for a Marbles Tang Peep Sight you can buy all models for $91.85.

Frank Costa