Winchester 1886 Tang Sight/Bolt Interaction Issue

[Cholla]

I recently purchased a genuine Winchester 1886. It came with a tang-mounted peep sight and no longer has the barrel-mounted buckhorn sight. My plan is to use it in long-range rifle caliber rifle matches. The problem is that each time the bolt opens it knocks the peep sight backwards so it has to be reset before shooting. Is this a common issue? I can't see this helping my times if I have to reset the peep sight before each shot. I am guessing I need to restore the barrel buckhorn sight.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Cholla

[Bailey Creek,5759]

Do you know someone who could make an adapter that you could move the tang sight back ?

A piece of steel that would screw into the Tang. Long enuff so the tang sight could be attached to it .

Tang Sight would be back enuff so Bolt wouldn't hit it .

 

[G W Wade]

Have a Marable's Improved tang sight on mine.  The windage adjustment is wasted because the tang sight fits into the notch on the rear of the bolt.     GW

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Might be the wrong base.

Can you post pictures of this setup? 

OLG 

[Sedalia Dave]

Need a picture

[Cholla]

Pictures added. I wonder if I could dis-assemble the sight and turn it around? It will need to be taller. Having never used one like this before I have a bit of a learning curve.

[Hoss]

2 minutes ago, Cholla said:

Pictures added. I wonder if I could dis-assemble the sight and turn it around? It will need to be taller. Having never used one like this before I have a bit of a learning curve.

Does it only contact the eyecup? Maybe a smaller diameter eyecup, or none at all. Just use it without any aperture, just the ghost ring. Works well out to 150 or so. 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Hoss

[Cholla]

It impacts the post.

 

[Sedalia Dave]

43 minutes ago, Cholla said:

Pictures added. I wonder if I could dis-assemble the sight and turn it around? It will need to be taller. Having never used one like this before I have a bit of a learning curve.

 

Sight base is either backwards or the wrong one. The correct Lyman or Marbles sight would sit on the tang such that it would not be hit by the bolt. On my 92 it firs into the notch in the rear of the bolt.

[Sedalia Dave]

9 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Sight base is either backwards or the wrong one. The correct Lyman or Marbles sight would sit on the tang such that it would not be hit by the bolt. On my 92 it firs into the notch in the rear of the bolt.

 

Blew up the picture and I'm betting it is the wrong sight for that rifle.  IIRC disassembling a lyman sight base is not easy and I don't think they can be reversed.

 

Here is a picture of what a correct base on an 86 looks like.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Sedalia Dave

[Cholla]

5 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Blew up the picture and I'm betting it is the wrong sight for that rifle.  IIRC disassembling a lyman sight base is not easy and I don't think they can be reversed.

 

Here is a picture of what a correct base on an 86 looks like.

 

http://images58.fotki.com/v279/photos/2/36012/10301736/P1030209-vi.jpg

I am going to say you are correct. If I turned it around the screw holes would not be correct as one is smaller that the other.

[Sedalia Dave]

Fixed the pictures

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Wrong base

OLG 

[Cholla]

This appears to be what I need:

 

https://www.buffaloarms.com/marbles-tang-sight-for-86-76-mar009801.html

https://www.buffaloarms.com/screw-set-front10-36x-355-rear-mar995019.html

 

While the old sight is a tad boogered up, it seems to have collector value.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Wrong sight.  You need one like on the left.

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Just saying pard but if you are going to get a Marbles sight before you decide which one I have a longer sight post (brand new) that you can have. (just have to find it) Pretty sure most of their tang sights are interchangeable but one of the LR guys could be more definitive.

Regards

   

Gateway Kid

[Cholla]

My goal is to use it at Bordertown at 150 yards using .40-82. From what I have found, that calls for the shortest post (0-250 yards) of the three available. The one listed in the link above doesn't seem to state which post it is.

[Kid Rich]

I have an original 86 and the post is still contacted by the bolt . I have the midrange post and wish I had gotten the long range. Mine has the base Larsen posted and the ends of the bolt just go past the post but do not move it.

kR

[WOODFOX , sass#34179]

23 hours ago, Cholla said:

I recently purchased a genuine Winchester 1886. It came with a tang-mounted peep sight and no longer has the barrel-mounted buckhorn sight. My plan is to use it in long-range rifle caliber rifle matches. The problem is that each time the bolt opens it knocks the peep sight backwards so it has to be reset before shooting. Is this a common issue? I can't see this helping my times if I have to reset the peep sight before each shot. I am guessing I need to restore the barrel buckhorn sight.

Those old sights are stamped under the base as to what they fit

[Bailey Creek,5759]

Take Sight of base.

Turn Base around . See if Sight will work that way . 

In your picture looks like it should work .

[Sedalia Dave]

2 hours ago, Bailey Creek,5759 said:

Take Sight of base.

Turn Base around . See if Sight will work that way . 

In your picture looks like it should work .

AFAIN the detent for the sight is not adjustable. So turning it around is not an option. 
Also it will put the sight too far rearward and make it too short. 
 

[Cholla]

I have a new sight coming from Buffalo Arms that is supposed to be the appropriate height for the 1886 and the cartridges they were built for. The posts are supposedly not interchangeable. 

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

Just for grins. Try shooting the rifle at 150 yards with the iron sights. (barrel sights)

150 yards is really too close for peep sight or vernier sight.

[Seven]

I use an 1886 for long range lever rifle ( rifle caliber ) and as my in close woods deer rifle.  use  26 grains of 5744 and a ball of dryer lint to keep the powder close to the primer.   check your bore diameter.  I tried to use .406 " 265gr bullets for a while,  but found my '86 liked  .408" much better.  As a deer gun it's good out to 200yds.  best of luck with a great gun and a good caliber .   Seven

[Cholla]

On 12/30/2021 at 5:28 PM, Cliff Hanger #3720LR said:

Just for grins. Try shooting the rifle at 150 yards with the iron sights. (barrel sights)

150 yards is really too close for peep sight or vernier sight.

There isn’t a rear barrel mounted sight. It has been removed by a past owner.