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Best Tang Peep Sight for 1860 Henry


Augustus Goodnight

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I'm looking to add a better rear sight to my 1860 Henry and am wondering what is the best tang mounted peep sight for said application?

 

Someone told me "Marble Arms" was the way to go but I'd like to hear from a broader group of long range pistol caliber shooters.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

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...the 1860 Henry had a rear ladder sight mounted on the octagon barrel as I recall...

 

...for a tang sight, any short range sight will w**k, it comes down to the $$$ you want to pay...

 

...I use Baldwin sights, http://www.baldwin-sights.com/Short_Range.htm which are really good. They come in short, medium, and long range...

 

...and then I'd ask about your front sight.... ...I'd use Lee Shaver myownself... http://stores.leeshavergunsmithing.com/17-series/

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AG -

 

Marbles is a mid-range-quality peep, and it has windage adjustment on it. Lyman is slightly lower quality and has no windage adjustment, only elevation.

 

Either generally will work for main match, but most folks no longer use a tang sight, relying on the standard (flat-top) open rear sight. If applying it to "long-range", Marbles would be my choice between the two. Haven't had a strong enough urge to shoot long distances with a toggle gun to try the high end tang sights.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Howdy

 

Well, it must be possible to mount a peep sight on the tang of a Henry, because Gus did it in Lonesome Dove. However I just checked my Henry. It is not drilled for a tang sight. Neither is my Uberti 1873. In order to mount a tang mounted peep sight, you will need a longer screw instead of the standard screw that goes through the stock from the top tang, and you will need to drill and tap a second hole for the front of the sight.

 

I didn't like the stock ladder sight that came on my Henry so I mounted this buckhorn sight on it instead.

 

trackofthewolfrearsight02.jpg

 

 

 

Bought it from Track of the Wolf.

 

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/882/1/RS-PM-1

 

Not a super quality sight, but it works pretty good.

 

I would have preferred a Marbles rear sight, but the dovetail is too near the frame for any of the rear sights from Marbles. Some guys mount one backwards, but I didn't like that idea.

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Thanks for the input Gents.

 

Just to clarify, I don't use the Henry for Main Match (other than in an emergency), only long range pistol caliber side matches.

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The Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis has a Civil War museum. This museum has a number of real Henrys that are very cool. There are several with peep sights mounted on the receiver, above the hammer. This would not eb allowed by SASS but it is historically correct and looks very cool.

 

Dixiegunworks carries a Lyman peep sight designed for the 1866 and 1873 that is $99. My guess is that you would have to have the tang drilled and tapped (probably another $75 or so).

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So if you want to put a tang sight on it, you will need a longer screw for the one that is there, and you will need to drill and tap a hole for the front of the sight.

 

For what it's worth, GJ has it right as usual. No windage adjustment on the Lyman tang sight, the Marbles tang sight has windage adjustment.

 

When I was just starting out in CAS I was shooting an original Winchester Model 1892. One of the matches I shot at a lot often featured a big steel bear target set out at 100 yards. So I had a gunsmith mount this Lyman tang sight on the rifle. As I said, he needed to put in a longer rear screw, and to tell you the truth I don't remember whether or not he had to drill and tap for the front screw or if the tapped hole was already there. I kept the tang sight set for 100 yards for the bear.

 

tangsight_zps3b066224.jpg

 

 

 

I mounted this folding leaf Lyman sight in the barrel dovetail. The idea was, when shooting at the bear I would fold down the leaf sight, otherwise it was in my field of view. For regular CAS targets I used the folding barrel sight.

foldingsight_zps283798bf.jpg

 

 

Don't shoot that '92 much these days. They don't put the bear out any more, so I haven't used the tang sight in years.

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There's three choices that I've found and because my previous choice was so much more expensive I've switched to my new model. In order of cost.

1) cheapest is a Lyman copy from jeffs outfitters my old choice. I actually liked it for two reasons cost and size of the insert hole. Drawbacks were no windage adjustment.

 

2) Lyman no 2 tang sight from Brownells. It is only a few more dollars than the copy from jeffs outfitters. But it has a smarter hole size for the inserts, I don't think it comes with windage either.

 

And the most exspensive is

3) marvels tang sight from Brownells more than the Lyman but has windage adjustment.

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Using the Marble Arms website I located (at Brownells) all of the parts to build a sight specifically for the Uberti Henry.

 

Thanks once again for all of your feedback.

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Using the Marble Arms website I located (at Brownells) all of the parts to build a sight specifically for the Uberti Henry.

 

Thanks once again for all of your feedback.

If it is the same as the '73 sight, mine came with the extended tang screw to replace stock one.

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I'm looking to add a better rear sight to my 1860 Henry and am wondering what is the best tang mounted peep sight for said application?

 

Someone told me "Marble Arms" was the way to go but I'd like to hear from a broader group of long range pistol caliber shooters.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

 

You will have to drill and tap a 10-32 hole for the front screw and locate a longer stock screw. VTI should be able to help you with the screws.

But, you will want to go with the windage adjustable Marbles because your front sight is fixed.

There are options but it's still a fixed sight.

DSCN0193.jpg

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Howdy,

This tang sight thing comes around from time to time.

A good while back I had Rusty Marlin work over my marlin.

The new hole was probably going to hit the serial number.

Defacing a serial number is a federal no-no.

So,,, he shipped the receiver to Marlin and they stamped a second identical

number on the receiver. When everything lined up the hole actually missed

the number by a whisker. The factory stamped number eliminates doubt.

 

Also some folks were getting the longer stock screw and using glue to

hold the sight in place of drilling the second hole.

I never heard if the pards trying the glue eventually drilled the tang.

Seems like rubber cement was the glue of choice...

Best

CR

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Oh! Augustus Goodnight. I just got the reference. Duh.

ROFLMAO!!!

 

McCrae was taken long ago so I took my favorite fictional character and one of my favorite real western heroes and put them together.

 

BTW, the rear sight on Gus' Henry in Lonesome Dove is on the barrel. BUT, in the last scene you see him with the Henry by the creek after he takes the arrows in the leg, there is no rear sight at all. Only the dovetail notch the rear sight slides into. There are several really good pictures of it here..... http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Lonesome_Dove

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