Marlin 1894 Sight Replacment

[PigBoy Crabshaw]

Do I need any special tool to replace the front sight on my Marlin?
Can it come out on either side or need to go left or right?

Thanks -g

[Old Grizz]

Nope, just a hammer and a drift brass or heavy plastic. Although the site will go left and right, you should always remove it and reinstall one from right to left as not to "unscrew" the barrel from the action.

[rex6666]

glad you ask this, i may have to replace mine fo the Lyman 66la peep.

[brianscott12]

I just bought a Pedersoli front peep to go with my Marble tang sights on my Cowboy. May try it myself but I dont know if I trust myself to do the drill and tap in the tang for the other screw for  the Marbles.

[rex6666]

I thought they made soom kind of adapter for marlins, so you didn't have to drill.

[Rangr44]

The "Marlin adaptor", for tang peep sights (actually a sub-base), is so the serial number (stamped into the top tang on most later models) isn't defaced ( a Federal crime) by drilling/tapping through it - not so the tangs don't have to be D/T'd at all for the forward screw.

BTW - Anyone beating on a ramped Marlin front sight blade, while trying to drive it in/out for replacement is in a perfect position to shear off the ramp attachment screws, unless the RAMP (and not just the barrel) is properly supported.

It's MUCH better to use a sight pusher tool - No fuss, no muss, quick.  They're worth every penny, if you either plan on ever changing sights again someday, or shear off a ramp/screws w/o one.

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[brianscott12]

I thought they made soom kind of adapter for marlins, so you didn't have to drill.

One screw replaces the tang screw and the other screw has to be drilled and tapped out. Here is a pic of the one that I'm referring to.



Ranger, my cb is an 03 model and the s.n. is on the lefthand side of the reciever so no problem there.

[Rangr44]

With Cowboy models, since there's no SN on the tang, the sub-base doesn't get used.

BTW: I have two such orphan sub-bases in my scrounge box, if anyone needs one - just PM me your snailmail addy.

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[PigBoy Crabshaw]

Nope, just a hammer and a drift brass or heavy plastic. Although the site will go left and right, you should always remove it and reinstall one from right to left as not to "unscrew" the barrel from the action.

Grizz, when you say right to left do you mean from the shooters end or from the business end?
Thanks for the help guys.
-g

[jlchucker]

Ranger44 is right about his warning concerning beating on a sight that has been inserted into a ramp.  That goes for both Marlins and Winchesters.  The best and easiest method to remove a front sight from a ramp is with a sight pusher, like the one Williams sells.  If for some reason one needs to push a front sight left or right for sight adjustment, one of these will work very well--assuming that the front sight that needs to be moved is in a ramp.  The hammer and drift method should be reserved for those sights that are fitted directly into a dovetail in the barrel.

[Rangr44]

[right to left do you mean from the shooters end or from the business end?]

FWIW, veteran gun tinkerers & 'smiths ALWAYS refer to left/right as seen from the shooting position/rear.

So, dovetail sights should be:

Driven OUT (removed) towards the right from the left (lefty/loosey);
and
Driven IN (installed) towards the left from the right (righty/tighty).

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