1886/71 rear peep sight questions-Skinner, XS?

[vancelw]

I've tried searching past posts, but the search function ignores numbers, so my results are too broad.

I've got a like new Browning 1886 SRC I bought last spring.
The notch on the rear sight is going to be waaaay to small for me.
I've got Williams and Lyman receiver sights on several rifles, and tang sighst on 2. I'd like to try something different on this carbine.

Has anyone here used the Skinner sight for an 1886 or 71? How about an XS sight?
How hard were they to install?
Can I hear your experiences, good and bad?
I'm leaning towards one of those two already, but wouldn't mind if someone informed me of another I'm not aware of.

Thanks

of course, pictures are always welcome

[M. M. Wright]

I have a Browning SRC too. Mine has a Williams receiver site which I used with a smal aperture to sight it in, then removed the aperture for hunting and site thru the threads. I know you asked for something different but that's what is on that 86. My old long barreled 45-90 has the original buckhorn still on it along with a Marbles tang site. The buckhorn had been filed down to where it is just flat with a shallow vee notch. I site in the barrel site for 100 yards and set the tang for 200. I shoot 300 grain gas checked bullets so this combo is good out to 225 yards which is the limit I've set for myself.
The front site on my SRC is a pretty huge gold bead which I will shange out for a Sourdough post with the gold insert on the 45 degree face. The Sourdough is whai is on front of the old Winchester and l really like it. The flat topped post is much more precise than a bead.

[superchicken]

A friend of mine uses a forward-mounted Skinner peep in the dovetail for a 357 carbine and he likes it. Putting the Skinner or XS on the receiver will require D/T and personally, I would want something a little older than those two options for an 86. If you didn't have a saddle ring carbine I would lean towards a Lyman 21 repro from Providence Tool, but it won't work unless you remove the saddle ring. You could also consider a tang sight. Here's a link to the Lyman 21 repro:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/providence_t ... -4096.aspx

[vancelw]

The front site on my SRC is a pretty huge gold bead which I will change out for a Sourdough post with the gold insert on the 45 degree face. The Sourdough is what is on front of the old Winchester and l really like it. The flat topped post is much more precise than a bead.

I'd love it if you'd share a picture and source for the front sights. Options seem to be limited. I had to fabricate one for my 1895

I've got tang sights on my Chief Crazy Horse and B53. Don't want one on my SRC as I like to shoot stout loads when hunting.
I really like the Pattern 21 sight I put on my 1895, but it's not as precise when changing settings and then trying to get back to an earlier setting.

I like the Williams (and Lyman, etc) receiver sights....I have them on a 71, 94AE, Marlin 336, ( others I can't recall right now) Considering the Skinner and XS for something a little sleeker.
If anyone has used these I'm curious about installation and whether you had to change your front sight or not.

[vancelw]

A friend of mine uses a forward-mounted Skinner peep in the dovetail for a 357 carbine and he likes it. Putting the Skinner or XS on the receiver will require D/T and personally, I would want something a little older than those two options for an 86. If you didn't have a saddle ring carbine I would lean towards a Lyman 21 repro from Providence Tool, but it won't work unless you remove the saddle ring. You could also consider a tang sight. Here's a link to the Lyman 21 repro:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/providence_t ... -4096.aspx

I put the Pattern 21 on my 1895 Browning and was considering it on the SRC....I did forget about the saddle ring, though.
Tang sights are very accurate, but I don't like having to change my grip. I want this SRC to be an instinctive pointer.
Unless I use a rear sight dovetail installation, I'll have to D&T for almost any of my choices. The XS sight seems awful tall to me. Either it or the Skinner will require D&T on top of the receiver, which might be harder for me to do than on the side for a tradition receiver sight.

As far as "I would want something a little older than those two options for an 86." that one reason I'm leaning away from a tried and true Williams FP. Too shiny new.

[Sixgun]

Vance,
Kind of depends on what you want the rifle for. Personally, I've always preferred the tang sight but the receiver sight, which I have several rifles sighted for, is really the best open sight for hunting, plinking, or target shooting. You just have to change the apertures, depending on light or use.

My son has a Browning 1886 SRC to which I d&t ed the tang for a tang sight. Other sights, like the ghost rings are for close range hunting. Not sure of the sights you ask about......I'm pretty much closed minded to everything else but a tang or receiver mounted sight.

Don't concern yourself with d&t ing a Browning. You and I will be long gone before they are collectors items. Those guns are meant to be shot and to that they do very well with about anything you can stuff in them.-------6

[Pete44ru]

The Sourdough is what is on front of the old Winchester and l really like it. The flat topped post is much more precise than a bead.

I'd love it if you'd share a picture and source for the front sights. Options seem to be limited. I had to fabricate one for my 1895

Considering the Skinner and XS for something a little sleeker.

If anyone has used these I'm curious about installation and whether you had to change your front sight or not.

Both Skinner & XS make/sell Sourdough Patridge front sight blades in multiple heights, and for either ramp mounting, or mounting directly in a barel dovetail

XS's front sight is their While Line Sight, which has a vertical white line in the center, and which can be eithe rpartially of wholly blacked out by the buyer.

Skinner's are blued, but any buyer can easily add an orange, white, or gold colored top section, either by themselves, or with Skinner's sight coloring pens.


Skinner: http://www.skinnersights.com/front_sights_5.html


Skinner does not currently make a receiver peep sight for any top-ejection Winchester levergun.

The XS Ghost Ring receiver peep sight, has a threaded aperture option - but because they are top-mounted, will require a front sight blade taller than the issue front sight blades. (The line-of-sight is heigher than the factory sights)



.

[Malamute]

I agree with you that the Williams Foolproofs are too new looking. I feel the Skinners and XS are way more so, and I find them quite unttractive. The tang sights are good for shooting, but I was never comfortable carrying them or handling the gun.

I like the older Lyman 56 sights. They look interesting, and are almost period type sights, coming along at the end of 86 production and lasting until the late 50's. They were factory available on 71's and 64's, and as special order on others. I like the looks of them much more than any later sight, so have scrounged around and found a few here and there. I've never had to change a front sight with a 56.

I took the sling (saddle) ring off, I just dont care for them.



A sourdough type blade in an early type carbine front sight, on a 94 in this case. I took a normal dovertail sight and ground it into a blade to fit the sight base. I like the Sourdoughs, and have been planning on putting one on the 86 carbine, but at this point, I think I'll serate the back of the factory blade and give it a bright orange nail polish paint job.

[vancelw]

Skinner does not currently make a receiver peep sight for any top-ejection Winchester levergun.

Actually, they do.
http://www.skinnersights.com/winchester_26.html
scroll down about 2/3 of the way.

Winchester_86-71_Skinner lg.jpg

I figured someone here had actually used one.

[vancelw]

superchicken mentioned the dovetail-mounted Skinner sight. I wasn't aware of those, so I checked it out.
Then I ordered one.
It may be too far forward for my taste, but I'll give it a try. Once I get it I'll decide if I want to try it on my B92 .44 mag or on the SRC.
Skinner claims you can get by with the original front sight in most cases. On my B92, I painted the front sight red long ago, but don't like it in low light and will probably remove that and paint a white stripe on it.

I may also order the top mounted receiver sight from skinner. D&T-ing a Browning doesn't concern me in the least, other than I don't want to mess up the job. We already know there are no gunsmiths around here I can trust. I'll do it myself. I may have to build a new front sight blade. The only one I have found so far is XS's front sight, but they may be out of stock. XS's rear sight sits way too high for my taste.

[superchicken]

I like the Skinners because you can put different sized apertures in them or pull the aperture out all together. They are well made and not ugly. The barrel mounted peep will be quick.

My dad has XS sights on a Win94 AE in 44 mag. My take is that they are too high for the comb on the Win. The aperture and front sight and front sight are also really big. They seem like they would be a great set of combat sights on a scattergun, but are pretty coarse for my tastes to shoot much beyond 50-75 yards. That said, you will certainly be able to see them compared to the little notch of the SRC rear site. I've looked at a couple of those at the LGS and feel your pain.

The last thing is probably pretty silly, but I don't like DTing the top of the receiver behind the locking lugs. I'm sure it won't affect the strength of the action appreciably, but it just seems wrong.

[vancelw]

How's this for glassy-eyed?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Winchester-1894 ... 462e5c5bfd

Tell me there's not a market for carbine style sight blades. I did find one that was .455 high. If I need to. I'll try it before I try an XS front sight. The really sad thing is...while searching I found many more front sights for 1903s than for Winchester style carbines.

I like the bolt mounted sights on original 71s..... ....don't EVEN want to try to find one of those

[superchicken]

Jeebers, $85? You could cut something like that our of scrap metal for nothing.

[vancelw]

Jeebers, $85? You could cut something like that our of scrap metal for nothing.

That's why I made one for my 1895 out of a coin!

[Pete44ru]

Skinner does not currently make a receiver peep sight for any top-ejection Winchester levergun.

Actually, they do.
http://www.skinnersights.com/winchester_26.html
scroll down about 2/3 of the way.

Winchester_86-71_Skinner lg.jpg

I figured someone here had actually used one.

I knew Skinner had a top-mounted receiver peep sight for the factory D/T'd Winchester Model 94AE's, but was unaware that Skinner was including TE Winchesters in their application, with a "must be D/T'd" caveat - Thanks.

It make good sense, though - I D/T'd the top/rear of my Rossi M92's receiver sidewalls for the Williams 5D-94AE sight.

That Skinner's still going to be needing a taller front sight blade to zero the rifle, since it sits higher than the Williams 5D/FP-94AE.


.

[vancelw]

I knew Skinner had a top-mounted receiver peep sight for the factory D/T'd Winchester Model 94AE's, but was unaware that Skinner was including TE Winchesters in their application, with a "must be D/T'd" caveat - Thanks.

It make good sense, though - I D/T'd the top/rear of my Rossi M92's receiver sidewalls for the Williams 5D-94AE sight.

That Skinner's still going to be needing a taller front sight blade to zero the rifle, since it sits higher than the Williams 5D/FP-94AE.


.

I just found out about that Williams sight for the 94AE last year and immediately ordered one for my trapper. That's why I ask about these things because I know there are lots of things out there I've never seen. I miss having paper catalogs to peruse and discover things. On the interweb, you almost have to know what you're looking for to find it.

I'm going to try that Skinner sight for the dovetail before D&T-ing the top of my receiver for a top-mounted one. I'm not afraid putting holes there...I'm afraid I'll mess up while putting holes there I wish I could get my hands on one before ordering it....sucks to be the pioneer.
At least i can remove the blade on my SRC front sight and fabricate something to go in its place.