Old 39A - would like a peep sight

Another vote here for the Williams Foolproof or the 5D. Both are micrometer adjustable and excellent for the money.

Sorry but I don't care for the Skinner, but I'm old...

Chicharrones, I did not HAVE to change the front site, however I chose to change the front site on one of my 39a’s to a Williams “firesight” front site. This has made it much easier for my old eyes.

Skinner for me:



With aperture storage in dovetail:

shooter1niner said:

Another vote here for the Williams Foolproof or the 5D. Both are micrometer adjustable

Click to expand...

The FoolProof is micrometer adjustable; not the 5D (as mentioned in my earlier post, it's the reason the FoolProof costs so much more).

SwampWolf said:

The FoolProof is micrometer adjustable; not the 5D (as mentioned in my earlier post, it's the reason the FoolProof costs so much more).

Click to expand...

I stand corrected. Thank you SwampWolf. I'll claim I had a brain fart. That's my story and I'm sticking with it... In any case both are good sights.

WARNING.................
The early 40's and 50's Marlin's DID NOT have the top of the receiver drilled and tapped for a scope mount or sight, which is why Marlin mounted a scope on the barrel.
These have either screws on the side of the receiver for a receiver sight, or the barrel was drilled and tapped.

If you look at the top of the receiver on these earlier rifles there's only one hole and that's the screw that retains the upper cartridge guide in the roof of the receiver.
On these older rifles it's not unusual to find the screw and the guide missing because someone thought it was a scope mounting hole, removed the screw, and never noticed when the guide fell out and was lost.

So, if you have a late 40's to early 50's Marlin you can only use a side mount receiver sight..... the Skinner and the other types of Williams that mount on the receiver top CANNOT be used.

dfariswheel said:

On these older rifles it's not unusual to find the screw and the guide missing because someone thought it was a scope mounting hole, removed the screw, and never noticed when the guide fell out and was lost.

Click to expand...

This happened to mine. Cost me darn near thirty bucks to get it fixed. As was said, someone took it out when they mounted the scope rail. You'd think people would read a little before the muck about with fine rifles.

Mac

nebraska_farmer said:

I ended up changing my mind and order the Williams FP with adjustment knobs (first image). The product video shows the attachment screw is on the side (second image); dfariswheel, do you believe what I ordered will not mount to my rifle with the factory holes on the receiver?

View attachment 961431
View attachment 961432

Click to expand...

Please read dfariswheel's post again. The older rifle's don't have drilled receiver tops "These have either screws on the side of the receiver for a receiver sight, or the barrel was drilled and tapped"

Sure looks to me like your gun has the side screws. And note that your posted image says "attachment screws", as in the plural. Should be fine.

The Williams 5D, Foolproof, or Lyman will be an easy fit on your Marlin.

Loosen the gib screw on the side of the base and slide the elevation assembly up off the sight base and there will be two screws under it.
Remove the two filler screws from the rear left side of the Marlin and the sight base will bolt right on.
Then just reattach the elevation and aperture assembly and sight it in.

I'm not sure about the newer Williams sights but the old ones had a long limiting screw on the top-left of the sight. That serves as a stop so once the rifle is sighted in, you can remove the aperture assembly and replace it to the same zero.
Once sighted in you could turn in the limiting screw until it bottomed on the sight base. Then you could remove the sight and replace it and the limiting stop screw would return the sight to it's zero.
This is so you can mount a scope without interference with the aperture sight.

Your Williams may not have this limiting stop screw.

Marbles is what you want. Tang sight is to be preferred.

I have a Marlin 39A that I got new in 1963. I mounted a Redfield receiver sight on it and have seen no reason to change it. 15 years ago I found a very nice Mountie, made in ’69, and used very little. The Redfield sight is long gone, so I mounted a Williams FP. It works well, but I also have a Winchester 9422. It isn’t drilled and tapped for a receiver sight, but a Skinner Sight fits very nicely on the grooved receiver. I think I may like it the best of the bunch.

I also don’t care for a bead front sight. I think it covers too much of the target. I have mounted black, serrated ramp front sights on most of my iron sighted rifles.