I am planning for a new rifle, based on a Mauser 98 system (Steyr 1912 Chile rifle). Caliber will be 9.3x62, with a 23 or 24 inch heavy sporter barrel. Stock fit and balance shall be similar to my favorite shotgun, maybe with a little bit more weight in the barrel.

The rear sight shall be an aperture sight, like the Lyman No. 57 or the Williams Foolproof. But these are available only with an aluminum body. I have no doubt that they would be fine but I would prefer steel.

Brownells had an all-steel Wichita/Lyman No. 57 receiver sight in their 96/97 catalog, but that is not available anymore.

Has anybody such a sight for sale, or can you advise any other source for receiver sights?

Many thanks,
Martin

Lyman got cheap & started using Aluminum for the body of their receiver sights. I look for the older ones at the gun shows.

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NRA Life member

Try www.mojosights.com.

They make screw adjustable rear aperture sights for Mausers. I have one on my 96, and like it quite well. They are steel. Interestingly, they had aluminum sights for a while, at a lower cost, but discontinued them because people had problems with the aluminum ones.

From time to time, steel Lyman peeps turn up on the auction boards like gunbroker and ebay. Fortunately, the mauser models are one of the most common...

The Wichita was a special run because the aluminum wouldn't hold up to the hand cannon type recoil- they should have gotten the hint.

I'd hold out for steel. Don't comprimise.

DBee,
On the contrary, aluminum had nothing to do with the Wichataw sight, it came about as a beefed up Lyman, the new steel ones would not hold zero, they jumped laterially, in the slide.

The Williams is a proven sight, aluminum or not, it has been working for years...The old Lymans and Redfields are also good sights..The Talley that works off the rear scope base is a dandy and a gunsmith can make a peep sight for Redfield type bases that work well or even an L shaped non adjustable will work very well and is the most trustworthy of them all once zeroed and thats not much of a problem...The receiver sight is one of my favorites, and is as good as a scope for up to 20 yards and mabe more.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Of course Ray meant 200 yards, not 20 yards. I agree with him on this issue, though not everything else he says. What was that phrase he uses sometimes about "old spot" or "ol' spot" or something like that?

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Rifles And Bullets r us: RAB

Thanks for the information!
Gunshows in Europe will probably not help much, but I will check ebay etc. If that fails, I'll get an aluminum sight.

Mr. Atkinson,

The Williams Foolproof looks more compact, and has no obstructions on top of the "L" piece. Will the micrometer adjustment stand the recoil of a 9.3, r should I get the 5D economy version without micrometer?

Martin

Martin,
I'd spend the little difference and get the good one with the micrometer adjustments, but both work fine...

Having the adjustments where some tracker, camp staff, a sick humored friend, your kids, or whoever, can't give them a twist and ruin a good hunt is a class idea and only Williams has that feature...I have one thats been on a gun for 35 years and never been touched since the day it was sighted in, as best I can remember.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

FWIW I have a couple of Alan Warner's aperture sights I use for Highpower competition. They have aluminum bodies and between the two probably have seen 15,000 rounds of .308. No loss of accuracy or durability problems...ever.

Thanks for all advice!
If I cannot find an old steel receiver sight, I will go with the Williams Foolproof.

Martin

I am a huge fan of reciever sights, I have them on 4 rifles now another is in the works. I use the Williams Foolproof exclusively, no knobs or things to catch on brush or car seats. Good luck and good hunting.

A good friend found a Lyman 48M for me, he says this is pre WWII workmanship and the best that Lyman ever made. Indeed, it's VERY nice!

Martin

Still, get the FP, even if for another gun. Don�t buy 5D or that small site sittin� on top: they use "gib" ?? lockings, which means friction only. How much do you trust a plastic�parts friction ???

Buy Williams peeps with that brass ring. Try .093, .125, .150 and I think they have .190 now, too.

For front sights, if you don�t like those firesights, ask Marble�s if they still have some in inventory or go to

http://www.lpasights.com/

http://www.shooterstore.com/acb/webpage.cfm?&DID=105&WebPage_ID=326

Have fun and keep us posted! Hermann

Hermann,

there is no other rifle in planning, especially with open sights, so I think there will be no need for another peep sight. And really, the old Lyman sight is splendid, I'm afraid I wouldn't like a new Williams in comparison.

Spare apertures is an issue. The sight came with a rather smallish aperture, I expect too small for hunting use (of course,I always can remove the aperture, and then I have a "ghost ring" sight).
Brownells have a good choice of apertures. But I wanted to order a sight and a trigger there recently, and they explained that for all shipments abroad they now require an import license or an official confirmation that no import license is needed. I think this is nonsense, and will do no further orders at Brownells.
Do you know any European dealer that has Lyman or Williams sights, and spare parts??

Front sights: I will visit my gunsmith today, to see what Recknagel etc. offer. I'm thinking of a sight base where I can exchange different front sights.

Regards,
Martin

Jim Brockman is makeing a bolt peep ala Rigby for Mausers and M-70 also I think. Now thats sexy...and thoes puppies work btw.

And what of the Ashley Outdoors sights? They're steel, and supposed to have them with "ears/wings" protectors now. I have their catalog, and they make them for Mausers. ~~~Suluuq