Gents,

I'm shortly going to be in the market for a peep sight for a heavy-calibre Mauser 98 custom rifle. As my eyes can no longer handle express sights the way they used to do and I don't want to scope the rifle, a peep sight is the way to go, I reckon.

The Rigby style mounted on the cocking piece is my first choice - I know Prechtl makes them and I will start correspondence with them in due course. As Plan B, I will also look at the Williams (have one on one of my other rifles and it works just fine) and Lyman models, even though they are not mounted on the cocking piece. Not sure whether they are made from steel, though, and I wouldn't want to go with anything made from another material at this stage.

My question, however, is what else is available out there in semi-finished (for lack of a better term) form that can be mounted with a minimum of fuss and is also sturdy enough to take a few knocks and bumps. I've already had a look at the NECG website but the peep they make for inter alia the M98 doesn't look at that great to me - it may just be the small photo on their website that doesn't do the sight justice, however.

Any suggestions would be welcome. I'm currently in the stage where I'm looking at components - always a fun thing to do!

US made and very good quality and just the thing on my 7x57.
Rob Zimmerman email rusty42marlin@yahoo.com
I used a Williams on my 404 but had to make a new base get get it to a height the suited to the heavier profile of my 404 barrel and banded front sight.


Von Gruff.

XS Sights makes one. Not elegant or pretty but their stuff is hell for stout.

FYI here is the NECG peep on my 9.3x62. Yes it is tall but the angle of the photograph makes it look even taller.



Here is the XS sight on my 7x57. It is reversed so that the bolt handle will clear and only mildly obstructs the loading port.



As previously stated, the XS sight is as tough as nails. The NECG sight has the most built in 'adjustability'.

Both work fine. The NECG is better for target work. The XS is more of a ghost sight and I use it in BGRC comps including fast reloading events.

quote:

Originally posted by thirdbite:
Von Gruff - Is that the Williams Guide on your 404?

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...r-w-1-2-hole-spacing

All steel base now though.

Von Gruff.

Oops...just re-read you post so my recommendation does not fit your desire. Sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:

quote:

Originally posted by thirdbite:
Von Gruff - Is that the Williams Guide on your 404?

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...r-w-1-2-hole-spacing

All steel base now though.

Von Gruff.

That is a very nice option if one desires a permanent installation; fully adjustable windage and elevation.

I too recommend Rob Zimmermans Rigby style. I have one on a single square bridge 375H&H. Only thing it requires is a carbide mill for the cocking piece. Available from Brownell's. Only thing I would have done differently is to have had it case hardened. I think it would look better.

I believe that Rob can supply the long cocking piece already dovetail cut for the sight. I had my cocking piece turned down and a sleeve made to sit the sight lower than centre.

Von Gruff.

Lyman makes a good receiver sight for the 98 Mauser. You may also check eBay for an older Redfield sight. I wish they still made those.

Dear Jvw375:

Since you say that the peep sight will be used for a heavy caliber Mauser actioned rifle, you might want to reconsider a cocking piece mounted sight. Will it be too close to your eye on an up hill shot? With a hard kicking rifle how soon will it be out of adjustment?

Those are some considerations.

Building upon Reverend Recoil's post, I suggest you try E-bay, Gunbroker, the classified here and the old sight sellers, and look for the following: An old Lyman 48 M (for Mauser) (they are all steel, unlike the current production Lyman 57 SME) either in second generation with the larger mounting block and 125 minute slide or the third generation Lyman 48 M with the 60 minute slide and shorter mounting block.

I own a number of these aperture sights, and am mounting them on African style rifles that I'm building, using 1908 Brazilian and 1909 Argentine Mauser actions.

Another option is the old Redfield Model 102 M, which looks like a really tough sight.

A third option is the Model 70 and Model 80 Redfield receiver peep sights with click micrometer adjustments. I've looked at a number of them, they were well made, but I liked the Lymans a little better.

Again, you can use the possible sources marked above.

If you have any questions, just PM me.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Prechtl's Rigby style sight can be had from NECG, as well as Prechtls Mauser actions.

I have been using for some time with great satisfaction a Swedish made Hellquist rear peep sight that satisfies all your requirements. Send me a PM with your email address and I will send pics (unable to post pics here).

quote:

Hellquist peep sight

Do you mean this ?

http://www.worthpoint.com/wort...ght-swedish-77472992

If I were to have a peep sight for hunting it would certainly be a ghost ring .They are faster and more accurate than most shooters think !

I have found my Rigby type sight to be totally reliable. It's on a 375H&H and I don't understand the reference to up hill shooting being any more dangerous to my eye. I put the tang sight on for nostalgic reasons as I thought it appropiate. I would have preferred it to have been IN the square bridge. My Whitworth 458 has an old Williams on it which I find to be a smooth reciever sight with no protruding knobs. It is dead accurate and totally reliable and coupled with a red fiber optic front is a quick acquisition sight. It is an aluminum sight but I don't consider this in any way a drawback to it's sturdiness.

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
I have found my Rigby type sight to be totally reliable. It's on a 375H&H and I don't understand the reference to up hill shooting being any more dangerous to my eye.

This is an old wives tale started when a TANG sight caused eye damage because someone crawled the stock on an uphill shot. The tang sight folds backward and are fixed in position so are suficiently close to the eye to do the damage, if the shooter sets their face further forward on an uphill shot. Somehow this concern has been wrongly applied to the cocking piece sight that has mooved back into its origional fired position before the rifle can recoil, so the falacy that it can cause eye damage is just that,-- a falacy. They extend the sighting plane by about 3 inches over a bridge mounted sight.
Von Gruff.

Von Gruff -- If a 404 and a 7x57 are all a man needs would a 416 Rigby and a 7x57 come close as thats all I have and they performed superbly on an elephant and several kudu and other plains game my last hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
Von Gruff -- If a 404 and a 7x57 are all a man needs would a 416 Rigby and a 7x57 come close as thats all I have and they performed superbly on an elephant and several kudu and other plains game my last hunt.

What a man needs and what he has sometimes overlap nicely.

Von Gruff.

XS Makes a sight for a Mauser that is much more compact than the one shown on a Weaver base. It's just a little block with a ghost ring aperture but it is fully adjustable. You just can't have a scope base beneath it. I use NECGs on a couple of my guns but I always have to drill out the aperture and then mill out the sight body so that the view through the enlarged aperture isn't blocked. Never had this problem with the XS.

I forgot I DO have a 450/400 No1 so guess I am OK.

Those cocking piece sights are really classy (and classic)...great machining and ingenuity...When I've shot with one, it always gave me a strange sensatrion to have the peep jump away upon firing..and it usually bounces off to one side.

I'd rather have it locked down solidly such as the one Steve Button made that's featured on another thread.

With the added mass on the firing pin, lock time suffers...but on the other hand the added mass means REALLY positive ignition.

I wouldn't throw one away, but I would not particularily recommend it either. My complaint is the darn thing sticking up there like a fence post waiting to get broken off.

Thank you very much for all the replies! Looks like I have a bit of research o do!

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
I have found my Rigby type sight to be totally reliable. It's on a 375H&H and I don't understand the reference to up hill shooting being any more dangerous to my eye.

This is an old wives tale started when a TANG sight caused eye damage because someone crawled the stock on an uphill shot. The tang sight folds backward and are fixed in position so are suficiently close to the eye to do the damage, if the shooter sets their face further forward on an uphill shot. Somehow this concern has been wrongly applied to the cocking piece sight that has mooved back into its origional fired position before the rifle can recoil, so the falacy that it can cause eye damage is just that,-- a falacy. They extend the sighting plane by about 3 inches over a bridge mounted sight.
Von Gruff.

Dear Von Gruff:

I stand corrected.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
XS Makes a sight for a Mauser

The XS is an odd duck that should be allowed to die a silent death.

Even the guys at XS don't seem to be too hot on their Mauser sight.