Modification of Marbles Tang Sight
Aug 11, 2021 10:56:32 GMT -5
bud16057, buzz, and 1 more like this
Post by davet on Aug 11, 2021 10:56:32 GMT -5
I installed a new Marbles on my Winchester 1892 that has a tang safety. Well, Marbles tang sights have the windage adjustment "screw" (more of a thimble than a screw) located on the right side of the tang sight. That initially may not seem to be an issue.....and it's not on lever actions without a tang safety......but on one's like mine, it's a PITA. That BIG thimble makes accessing the safety more difficult. And who needs more difficult when it comes to accessing the safety?
Now, we could go on and on about safety's on lever rifles.....but it's there and no matter how many times I wish it away.....it's there. Removal can be done, but a professional will charge $500 and up. For me, leave the safety alone.
So, if that thimble were on the left side.....it would be way better!! So, I looked at how to disassemble the tang sight. Wasn't all that difficult....just be careful of the spring loaded ball bearings.
Now, before I started this I measured the parts on the site. The windage screw measured like .190 on the thimble side, and .150 on the other side. Oh....at first I thought swapping it around will not work. So, then I measured the large hole on each side of the base, and those holes were exactly the same size!! Ok....Marbles tolerances don't need to be that great.....so swapping it around should be doable.
So.....here was my process: I took a pencil "transfer" using just a lead pencil and tape. (painter's tape) I cut out the center hole in order to make lining up the transfer on the other side easier.
Then I lined up the transfer tape on the side I wanted to drill, placed the piece in the drill press vice and initially using a center drill (center drills won't "walk" on the piece being drilled.) I thought of using a punch to dimple the hole start....but that seemed like a lot of unnecessary pounding on the little piece. Now, I measured the factory holes (the little ones the ball bearings click into) at .040. Well, my local hardware did not have any .040 drill bits, so I settled on using a 1/16" or .0625. Then I went "around the circle" initial with the center drill, and then again with the .0625 drill and getting a good guess at the depth.
Once "drilled" I removed the tape and cleaned up any little burrs. The piece is mild steel so drilling was not difficult.
So, with the drilling and clean up done, it was time to put the sight back together.
And Wha-LA!! I reassembled the sight with the windage thimble now on the left hand side of the sight. The thimble is attached via a small allen head set screw. It wasn't difficult to take out, but when I "held everything together" to tighten up the set screw, I first put some wicking grade Loctite on the little screw. If that screw comes loose, your gonna be calling Marbles for tiny ball bearings 'n springs 'n stuff. (And yes....I did drop a ball bearing on the floor during reassembly. Lots of choice words and ten minutes of flashlight time and I was lucky enough to find it.
So, here is the completed swap, along with a few pics of it mounted on the rife. And I will say getting to the safety is now easier (not as clumsy) as it was before. I would recommend anyone with any kind of mechanical skill to attempt it. But...your results may vary. I would not try this will a hand held drill.....unless you're young, have great eyesight, and a very steady hand.
Now, we could go on and on about safety's on lever rifles.....but it's there and no matter how many times I wish it away.....it's there. Removal can be done, but a professional will charge $500 and up. For me, leave the safety alone.
So, if that thimble were on the left side.....it would be way better!! So, I looked at how to disassemble the tang sight. Wasn't all that difficult....just be careful of the spring loaded ball bearings.
Now, before I started this I measured the parts on the site. The windage screw measured like .190 on the thimble side, and .150 on the other side. Oh....at first I thought swapping it around will not work. So, then I measured the large hole on each side of the base, and those holes were exactly the same size!! Ok....Marbles tolerances don't need to be that great.....so swapping it around should be doable.
So.....here was my process: I took a pencil "transfer" using just a lead pencil and tape. (painter's tape) I cut out the center hole in order to make lining up the transfer on the other side easier.
Then I lined up the transfer tape on the side I wanted to drill, placed the piece in the drill press vice and initially using a center drill (center drills won't "walk" on the piece being drilled.) I thought of using a punch to dimple the hole start....but that seemed like a lot of unnecessary pounding on the little piece. Now, I measured the factory holes (the little ones the ball bearings click into) at .040. Well, my local hardware did not have any .040 drill bits, so I settled on using a 1/16" or .0625. Then I went "around the circle" initial with the center drill, and then again with the .0625 drill and getting a good guess at the depth.
Once "drilled" I removed the tape and cleaned up any little burrs. The piece is mild steel so drilling was not difficult.
So, with the drilling and clean up done, it was time to put the sight back together.
And Wha-LA!! I reassembled the sight with the windage thimble now on the left hand side of the sight. The thimble is attached via a small allen head set screw. It wasn't difficult to take out, but when I "held everything together" to tighten up the set screw, I first put some wicking grade Loctite on the little screw. If that screw comes loose, your gonna be calling Marbles for tiny ball bearings 'n springs 'n stuff. (And yes....I did drop a ball bearing on the floor during reassembly. Lots of choice words and ten minutes of flashlight time and I was lucky enough to find it.
So, here is the completed swap, along with a few pics of it mounted on the rife. And I will say getting to the safety is now easier (not as clumsy) as it was before. I would recommend anyone with any kind of mechanical skill to attempt it. But...your results may vary. I would not try this will a hand held drill.....unless you're young, have great eyesight, and a very steady hand.
