Options for Marlin 336 sights? (Marble semi-buckhorn?)

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MatthewVanitas

MatthewVanitas

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I'm about to go trade my Calico for a Marlin 336 (plus some other gear).

The Marlin I'm looking at is in solid but used shape (probably 1960s). Needs a new buttplate, and the front sight is busted up where the bead used to be.

I'm thinking to get a new front sight, and a new rear while I'm at it.

Currently, I'm looking at getting a front sight (gold bead) and rear sight (semi-buckhorn) from Marble. www.marbleoutdoors.com

Besides tang sights, Williams receiver sights, and the XS sights, are there any other options out there?

Tangs look cool but interfere with my grip, and are expensive and fragile. Williams look kind of unstable with that crane-arm. The XS are expensive. We have Marble sights (with full-buckhorn) on our donated Henry rifle at the UT Range, and they seem pretty slick.

Opinions?

-MV
 
Receiver sights are quite stable. Depending on how you plan to use the rifle you can change out the aperture. The small hole aperture for target shooting and larger hole ones for hunting. Just make sure your receiver is drilled and tapped for the sight or a trip to the gunsmith is necessary. Also unless it's purely for target shooting using various loads the model with the target knobs aren't necessary.
Tang and receiver sights allow a more precise aim compared to the open sights. Most shooters don't have their hands far enough forward to get the web of the thumb on the rifle's tang so tang sights don't bother the grip. I use both tang and receiver sights on several rifles.
 
Please tell me the Calico is a .22 and NOT a 9mm.....
Click to expand...

Calico is a .22LR, but he wouldn't take it in trade because "Well, we don't like to deal in _those_ kind of guns, if you follow..."

On the plus side, I got a much better deal by paying cash. Got it for $175. Needs a $10 buttplate, and the front sight was actually okay once I filed down a ding. Made in 1961 and looks mechanically new, just has minor cosmetic damage from poor handling. Little bit of freckling which polished out with Flitz. Lever is a little stiff and trigger is kinda heavy, guess it hadn't been used much in the two decades before I was born.

Okay, I see the "Economy" Williams 5D sight retails for $35 or so. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/st...ENJAMIN+-+MOSSBERG+5D+ECONOMY+RECEIVER+SIGHTS Like a Foolproof, but without the micro knobs, which I don't need anyway. I am partial to apertures due to M16 training, and the extra sight radius would be nice.


Most shooters don't have their hands far enough forward to get the web of the thumb on the rifle's tang so tang sights don't bother the grip.
Click to expand...

Apparently, I'm not most shooters, because it bothers me *grin*. It's too bad, they look really classy.

I'll get mine broken down and cleaned up. Might see about polishing the full-cock notch with Flitz and a rough cloth and see if that helps the trigger a little. I'm too klutzy to file or dremel anything anywhere near a trigger.

-MV
 
What front sight goes best with a Williams aperture sight? I do think that I want to replace the front sight, perhaps with gold or red bead. Maybe even a fiber-optic?

-MV
 
well, I wasn't a fan of my buckhorn so I did the WGRS on the back and I'm happy I did. The original front sight and the Williams is on my 336 and I have an XS setup on my 1894c. I like the williams better because it is more capable of accuracy in my humble opinion - seems more fine-tunable. the XS sights seem more for plinking and quick target aquisition.

I don't have any good reason for what I purchased other than I can't hit crap with semi-buckhorns. :)
 
Looking at Midway, they have the WGRS (Williams) matched with FireSight for $41. Seems pretty reasonable.

Mine is tapped on the side for side mounts, but also has the holes in the top for scope. I believe the WGRS mounts on the scope holes; is that correct?

-MV
 
Hi Matt...

If you're going to actually use the gun I would recommend Williams' receiver aperture sights - hands down. They are very good to use and are not fragile at all. They are surely much less fragile than any other iron sights you can mount on it.
I am pretty sure you will find the buckhorn and semi-buckhorn type rear sights obscure enough of your vision delay target acquisition and thus to be a disappointing choice on a "using gun".
Would also suggest a white bead front sight instead of gold. Gold and silver are much more difficult to see well in poor light (early morning and late afternoon)than white and also are very susceptible to different light angles, meaning they can cause the shooter to shoot left or right depending on the direction of the light hitting the bead.

My 2 cents wurff... :)
 
UPDATE: just ordered my sights from Midway USA.

WGRS rear sight with Williams FireSight front: $41

Williams cutaway front-sight hood: $9

$10 for shipping.

Will be added to a pawnshop $175 Marlin 336RC, 1961 vintage.

Now off to Numrich to buy buttplate ($10), endcap spacer ($5), and also the new mainspring/setscrew for my S&W Victory.

Just wish the previous owner(s) had put more rounds through this Marlin; it still isn't quite broken in yet. Will get some Flitz and some graphite and see what I can do.

I realize that it's traditional for guys my age (26) to buy a heavy-barreled bolt action rifle in 7mm Mag, with 9x scope, for hunting pigs in Texas brush. But I'm not much of a traditionalist.

Oh, and I'm also annoyed that it came with the stock in great shape. I wanted one with a junky stock so that I can pound some brass tacks into it (in the pattern of the Southern Cross constellation, symbol of 1stMarDiv), but this one is too nice to decorate.

-MV
 
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