Skinner Sights

[gman]

Thinking of installing a Skinner Black Gold sight on my Henry BB 45C. Might help these 53 year old eyes. Ian, You get yours yet?

 

[Ian]

Not yet, but very soon. I still need to drift out the rear sight and see if there are any blind holes hiding under the elevator ramp. It doesn't appear that there are any when I pry it up a titch for a peek. Once I determine that I'll make a decision and buy one. Really liking the looks of the one that fits the dovetail but I like the longer sight radius of the screw-mount version.

 

[gman]

That's the one I'm going to get for mine. Receiver mount. I was very pleased with the rifle when I got a chance to shoot it.

 

[9.3X62AL]

I am leaning in this direction for my soon-to-be-paroled Henry in 357 Mag. It will get a good road test with the open irons for certain, but my leverguns tend to get aperture sights sooner rather than later.

 

[Tony]

Do the Henry Big Boy rear sights fold down?

 

[oscarflytyer]

I have receiver mount Skinners on nearly all my levers, and all the Marlins. Love them!

 

[Ian]

The Henry rear sight does not fold. Mine has an adjustable insert with a white diamond painted on it and a too-small, square notch. Evening chores are done so it's off to check for screw holes....

 

[Ian]

No screw holes in mine. It must have been in the dealer's inventory for many years, I think it's a first generation Big Boy.

Anyway, just got through ordering a brass Skinner dovetail rear sight and extra aperture (.096"). The barrel-mount sights come with a .125" aperture but I wanted a slightly smaller one for target work.

 

[gman]

Are you keeping the factory front site or getting the front blade from skinner? Front blade on mine looks tall. I need to order mine so it will get to me about the time I get back home from work.

 

[oscarflytyer]

I have had to go with a taller front on all mine, iirc. Typical for peep tho. I have had to go with a taller front on a Rem Mdl 14 w/ a peep also.

 

[Ian]

No, I didn't order the taller front sight. Probably should have, but with the dovetail mount rear it shouldn't be necessary. I'm already pushing my rear up to the third notch (above halfway) to hit at 50 yards and checked that height vs. photos of the rear peep, it seems about the same.

 

[gman]

Sounds like mine. I had to raise the rear up high to hit center at 30 yards. Skinner website says the new BB's have the same height front sight as their's. One thing for sure though they do shoot accurately.

 

[Ian]

Got mine today, will be installing it after supper.

 

[gman]

Good deal! Mine made it also but I'm still sitting in 800ft of water. Weather permitting I'll leave here in the morning.

 

[Ian]

Ta DA!




I didn't like the rough, belt-sanded sides of the sight so I spent a couple hours dressing and polishing the sides and the globe. Left the rear and top rough as it came to reduce glare. Also, I soot-blacked the inside of the aperture, sure wish they'd bead-blasted the inside before bluing it because it's way too reflective as it comes.

Before taking off the old sight I got a rough measurement of the center of elevation for a 50-yard zero and was able to replicate that with the aperture. Hopefully there's enough elevation remaining (one turn maximum) to maintain a six-o'clock hold on a 3-4 MOA bull out to 100 yards or so, but I'll just have to shoot and see.

Do heed the instructions if you do the dovetail version on a Henry: Drift the FACTORY sight out from LEFT to RIGHT, install the Skinner sight RIGHT to LEFT.

 

[gman]

That turned out nice. Looks like a neat installation. Hope it shoots for you. Should do my installation tomorrow sometime.

 

[Ian]

It's a really clean-looking and effective setup. I think you're going to be really happy with yours and would love to see some pics when you get it done.

 

[gman]

Will post pictures when I get it installed.

 

[gman]

Why I didn't think to order the piece to fill in the dovetail once the buckhorn sights are removed. Oh well. With the ramp removed it is not in the way of the sight picture.

 

[Ian]

NICE! That looks super-simple to install.

I think Skinner even has a blank that's threaded to store an extra aperture. That looks good and I likely would have gone that route had my receiver already been drilled and tapped, but I really didn't feel like doing that.