Lyman and MVA offer target globe front sight assemblies, and I will need to buy one for use on a mountain hunting rifle. Since I have located a custom insert maker who creates built-to-order sight inserts for both brands, my sole criterion to decide pertains to the base and hood "male" that secures each sight's insert.

Which base-hood assembly is more likely to withstand being banged up - that is, rifle dropped muzzle first or muzzle inadvertently swung into a rock.

While having a sight assembly that has experienced such a catastrophe is not necessary for a reply, it would be useful to have experience with either sight assembly.

Kelly Sights and Lee Shaver also make sights that are compatable with Lyman inserts, but to answer your question, use one that secures the inserts by screwing in the round portion on the end, such as the Lyman or Kelly. If they use an MVA sight, many (most?) silhouette and long range target shooters have a rubberband wrapped around the little lever that holds the inserts in the MVA sights. The levers tend to either get moved or broken and would be especially suceptable to getting hung by brush. I have used both types of sights and from experience now use the Lyman type and will not use the MVA type.

The larger Lyman sight (20MJT) is a good bit tougher than the small one (17A). The large one also uses larger Anschutz inserts.

The fine thread of the small Lyman is subject to cross threading so be careful if you use that sight.

Just remember, if you use a target type globe front sight, and you whack it on a rock, you will likely never unscrew the locking ring to change the insert. These inserts are thin sheet metal, so a twig will bend them, if it gets inside the hood. I would look at hunting style front sights, with sturdy hoods, and gold bead type sight. Brownells has assorted hunting hooded sights.

Many thanks for this information, guys. My reason for specifying a globe front is that I discovered, when I owned a Lyman GPR with #17 sight mounted, that mounting a blade insert upside down allowed me to see my target/quarry more easily and hold on/over target without obscuring it. View of target is significantly easier and clearer than any blade/post/pin/other front sight I've used. And thicker blade is no liability when viewing.

The only problem was learning to drop down on my target rather than lift up. This took less than a single range session.

I disliked the feeling of holding "pressed beer can lids and bent paper clips" I had when using my GPR, so I'm having rifles built to order. While I have experience with Lyman's #17, there are several other globe sight assemblies. In for a dime, in for a dollar. I may as well obtain the best globe sight assembly for my purpose. Apparently, the #17 [and possibly 20MJT??] may be what I need?

Redfield made a globe front sight similar to the Lyman 17 but all steel construction and slightly larger in diameter. I nave bought three of them at gunshows over the last year or so for use on NRA Lever Action Shilouette rifles so they are around. Tough as nails and you can put a little touque on the securing ring with out fear of stripping the threads. Worth looking for.

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In for a dime, in for a dollar. I may as well obtain the best globe sight assembly for my purpose.

You might look at the Anschutz sights that are mounted using screw attached bases - I am sure the quality is acceptable if the configuration is usable.

Plus 1 on the Anshutz globe sight. Made of steel and lots of options as to inserts. If still available from Champions Choice, one insert is a horizontal bar, lower half semi circle with post in middle. Find it to be good for taking either center of mass or 6 o'clock hold w/ bottom of semi cirlce matchng curvature of the bullseye. They are threaded on both ends and for me w/ failing eyes, use a magnifier on the end closest to the shooter, whatever you see then is magnified to the same degree. Just a thought.

I second the Anschutz idea. Their front globes are MUCH larger in diameter than those wretched little Lyman #17s. Plus they have many times as many different inserts available for them; a full range of inserts in both steel and clear plexiglass construction. For hunting, the plexiglass ones are the choice of many as they also allow better vision of what is going on around the animal sought.

There is a reason Anschutz front globes were long the "world standard" for folks shooting iron sights competitively at distances from 300 to 1,200 yards. They are better made, MUCH easier to locate, see, and aim at the target(s) through, and are super sturdy.

Several million shooters here and world-wide weren't wrong to buy them before scope shooting became all the rage.