Pics and/or advice wanted

[Win9410]

I just put a Winchester/Miroku 1892 32-20 Takedown DLX on lay-away at a local gun shop. The gun has a 24" tube and octagon barrel. I bought it to hopefully shoot cowboy silhouette. I'd like to add sights, either a tang or receiver to it so I can make sight adjustments for the various yardages. Has anyone put a tang or receiver sight on an 1892 repro? The gun is not cheap, and I'm sure drilling it will affect the value, but I don't honestly know if the value of the gun will ever really increase anyway. I'd appreciate anyone's photos, suggestions, and thoughts on the gun and a suitable sighting arrangement. Does the Marble's tang sight for the tang safety 92s require the tang to be drilled? Thank you. Any silhouette shooters who can offer advice on a similar arrangement they have would be most welcome.

[J Miller]

It's a modern manufactured tool. It's not vintage, collectable, or rare.
Drill it as you need to and use it. Let someone else down the road worry about how much it's worth.

Marbles makes tang sites that are specifically for the Mirokuchesters with the tang safety. I think that's the route you'll need to take for CAS.

Joe

[Streetstar]

It's a modern manufactured tool. It's not vintage, collectable, or rare.
Joe

My opinion of the rifle is not quite as dry as Joe's is, --- the new Winchesters are darn nice rifles and priced accordingly

The downside for a lot of levergunners is the tang safety, i would think that installing the tang sight would increase the value (at least by the price of the tang sight and installation) rather than detract from the value , as long as the job is not butchered or anything

My take is that the new Winchesters, (with the exception of the tang safety and hammer) is similar to the Browning 1892's and 1895's from the mid 80's --- their value has roughly kept up with inflation, but they have not really risen in price much over and above that --- unless it is an unfired NIB gun or something

I think the new Winchesters will take the same path, and unless you are in your twenties now, you may not live long enough to see the value rise appreciably above the rate of inflation. --- but you wont lose any money on it unless you abuse it somehow

I know that sounded like a downer, but the rifle has a huge upside, they are nice to look at, usually have great wood, finish and detailing, plus its a takedown in a cool caliber -- and , last but not least -- its a Winchester (a lot of guys will fuss about this and call them Japchesters, Mirokuchesters, etc, -- but its as much a Winchester as a Browning is a Browning (even if the Browning not made in Belgium)


The rifle sounds cool post a pic when it comes in !

[KCSO]

You will need to remove the tang safety and have the tang drilled and tapped. If it is as level as most you will also need to shim the sight to get the staff level. The last one I did I tig welded in the safety hole and leveled the tang and reblued the tang.

[Win9410]

I really appreciate the suggestions. I was hoping the Marbles tang sight for the tang safetied guns could be put on without drilling and tapping. I have receiver sights on my other silhouette guns with the exception of an original 1892 32-20 that I don't want to deface by having the receiver drilled. I'm also considering a Redfield Series 70 Receiver sight for the gun (If I can locate one), and then drilling the receiver. I know that it wouldn't look as good as a tang sight, but I like the receiver sights on my Winchester 9422 and Legacy in .357. I like to hold in the middle of each target, and both my .22 and .357 drop too much not to move the sights for each yardage. I'm really anxious to get the gun and send some rounds downrange. I had looked at the Browning 53s, but I am a Winchester guy and prefer that name on the gun rather than Browning, even if they're as much Browning as Winchester. This gun is also very heavy and has a longer tube. I think it will hold nicely.

[Shasta]

The Marble's tang sight designed for Winchesters with tang safety are excellent quality, but do require drilling and tapping a small screw hole just in front of the existing tang screw hole. The screws come with the sight. I use a drill press to drill and tap the holes (turning the chuck by hand for the tapping operation).

Here is a sight I mounted on a Winchester 92:






SHASTA

[Chuck 100 yd]

I drilled and tapped my Browning 53 and put a Marbles on it.
Once it is fired the collector value is gone anyway. All of mine get fired!!

[Old Savage]

It would definitely decrease the value in my eyes.

[jnyork]

My friend bought this very same rifle last spring for shooting silhouettes, he mounted the CORRECT Marbles tang sight with no problems whatsoever, D&T one hole IIRC. Looks just like the one posted by SHASTA. Browells was out of the sights at the time, took about 3 weeks to get one. He also added the Lyman 17 front sight.

Nice shooting rig, he shoots AAA scores most of the time. Only drawback I can see is the ejector is VERY VERY positive, throws the cases over the moon! Kind of annoying.

If I chanced upon one of these rifles used I would probably buy it. If it had the tang sight installed I would expect to pay more, and it would be worth more.

[Old Savage]

I have an 94 30-30 that was drilled and tapped for a tang safety and traded a used Hornady 366 for it. The 94 is in very nice shape except for the tang.

[Grizzly Adams]

I drilled and tapped my Browning 53 and put a Marbles on it.
Once it is fired the collector value is gone anyway. All of mine get fired!!

Personally, that would not decrease it's value for me. I would consider that a big PLUS! I think every levergun should come from the factory tapped for a tang sight - just like they did back in the day.

[Leverdude]

I'd drill & tap the side in a heartbeat for a williams or Lyman aperure sight. In a perfect world they would come that way. I had it done on my Rossi without issue & imagine a Japchester would be no problem either.

[Leverdude]

It's a modern manufactured tool. It's not vintage, collectable, or rare.
Joe

I know that sounded like a downer, but the rifle has a huge upside, they are nice to look at, usually have great wood, finish and detailing, plus its a takedown in a cool caliber -- and , last but not least -- its a Winchester (a lot of guys will fuss about this and call them Japchesters, Mirokuchesters, etc, -- but its as much a Winchester as a Browning is a Browning (even if the Browning not made in Belgium)


The rifle sounds cool post a pic when it comes in !

Well, not really. Browning ALWAYS had other people manufacture his guns, Winchester always made their own guns. But that aside the Miroku guns are head & shoulders above anything Winchester has made here in many years.

[JBledsoe]

The Marble's tang sight designed for Winchesters with tang safety are excellent quality, but do require drilling and tapping a small screw hole just in front of the existing tang screw hole. The screws come with the sight. I use a drill press to drill and tap the holes (turning the chuck by hand for the tapping operation).

Here is a sight I mounted on a Winchester 92:






SHASTA

I am another one with the same exact setup on a '92 32-20. The tang sight does not interfere with the safety at all. The sight sits behind the tang safety.

.

[Win9410]

My friend bought this very same rifle last spring for shooting silhouettes, he mounted the CORRECT Marbles tang sight with no problems whatsoever, D&T one hole IIRC. Looks just like the one posted by SHASTA. Browells was out of the sights at the time, took about 3 weeks to get one. He also added the Lyman 17 front sight.

Nice shooting rig, he shoots AAA scores most of the time. Only drawback I can see is the ejector is VERY VERY positive, throws the cases over the moon! Kind of annoying.

If I chanced upon one of these rifles used I would probably buy it. If it had the tang sight installed I would expect to pay more, and it would be worth more.

jnyork, does your friend change sight settings for the various yardages, or is he holding off? I suppose it's possible to develop a load that does not appreciably change from 40 to 100 meters. A poster on a different website suggested a way to mark the tang sight for different yardages, but I'm do accustomed to a receiver sight and have good luck with the setup. I guess I'm still unsure of what to do about the gun. Tang is probably the best looking.

[longarm4146]

how about a smith enterprise ladder sight for rear dovetail on barrel. Once you get windage right then you have all the elevation adjustment you need, and no damage to your rifle.....just a thought.

[Win9410]

Any pics or a website where I can see one? A big concern I have is the shortened sight radius. I'd like to take a look at one though. Matt

[longarm4146]

you can googke smith enterprise sights.....Dillon usd to carry them. Also just saw one of the new Miroku Winchesters and it came with a replica of the ladder sights that winchester used and prolly already milled for a metric dovetail.

[Malamute]

If you don't want the tang safety, you can use the tang sights made for the older, pre-tang safety guns, and drill the front mounting hole in the front of the slot for the safety slider. It covers it up nicely then. I'm planning on doing that on my gold inlayed 92 limited edition.

[Charles]

I own about a dozen Marlin and Winchester leverguns and they all wear a receiver mounted peep sight. I have a Model 92 in 25-20 with such a sight as well as several 94s. If I owned your Japchester 92, the first thing I would do is drill and tap it for a receiver sight. I would hunt up a vintage all steel Lyman or Redfield and pay whatever the going rate is for the sight. I really don't like tang sights!

[Griff]

With the troops leaving Iraq, maybe before they get busy somewhere else, Smith can find the time to make up some more of their fabulous reproduction sights.