Hi all,

I have a new (I think "old" as in hanging around the dealer's a while) .44mag 1894 no suffix, s/n 99xxx, 20"bbl, bbl bands, checked stock, straight grip.... can't verify bbl dia cuz Midway is out of Meister slug kits, but-

I installed the lowest front bead at .250" on the front screw-on base, under the front hood, and have the stock "flip down" rear sight ramped ALL the way up. With 240gr rnfp or lswc hc lead at ~1500fps (according to gmdr tables, no chrony) I can barely get the poi to sit on the top of the front bead at 100yd zero...I don't dare try the 300grainers yet...

...I figure winter shooting velocity is ~100fps slow, but maybe it's slower? Temp range 15-28 degrees before wind chill, and most always have SOME wind chill! But hunting's not much warmer...

...any tricks or products that you know of to "get the rear sight down"? I'd like to keep opens sights, use is pretty rough, so no peeps or tangs to get whacked out of adjustment or hung up on scabbard or stuff...

Thanks,

1x2

(what's with this 1x1 stuff? I ain't THAT skinny...)

...btw, thanks again for the new "home".... :)

What you describe sound a little strange, have you checked the muzzle for nicks or dents? That can throw you off quite a bit,& you said it was older so you may need to have it recrowned.

...thanks, Butch. I should clarify.

I have looked at the muzzle crown, it seems ok.

I bought the rifle new, recently, but it's one that may have been new in stock at the dealer for some time, because I haven't seen the "plain" 1894 on Marlin's website for at least a couple years. I was hoping to get a new one that was old enough to have been bored to .429" instead of the new standard .431".

It shoots low, not to left or right (when I'm doing MY part). The original front sight was higher, so it shot 8 inches lower than it does now, after installing the .25" front bead. The thing seems to have been set up at the factory for heavy, hypervelocity loads.

I can't find a front sight lower than .25" to mount on it.

Thanks,

1x2

I've heard of this happening to some of the Marlin GG's. The remedy of course was to call Marlin explaining the situation and they will send you a new taller REAR sight. I had to do this with my GG but haven't heard anyone having this problem with any of the 94's. You will need to tell them the range, the front sight height and possibly the load you are using so they will send you the correct rear sight blade. All they asked me was the range and the poi after the rear sight is all the way up the ramp. It's worth a try anyway. I got my rear sight blade 3 days after the call and all is fixed now.

Thanks Carwi, he had me stumped. ( not too great a feat.) LOL

Don't know if this will help or not but I have had to play with my 1894 quite a bit to try and improve it's grouping. While doing this I removed the forearm and magazine and shot it to see if they had an effect as the barrel warmed, as Mike on this board had suggested. Well, the thing shot about 2 feet lower than with the rifle put together. It does not seem to be the screw tentions but more the forarm fit to the reciever, possibly. I have not had time to persue it further. If I do I will let you know but giving that a try may alow you to see if elevation will be effected with yours.

Thanks, people.

...yeah, some of these things are baffling, how people decide what sights to put on rifles- I'm starting in the hole on this model because of the screw-on front sight base, gives me "automatic" front sight height and concurrent muzzle drop, there's no dovetail in front on these hooded front sight models... in contrast, my puma came from the factory shooting so high, to get the rear sight situated about midway down the elevator, I had to remove the elevator and file down the elevator base to almost nothing and reblue it- but she sits nice and right in the middle, now, so I have some room to play with loads and bullets...not so with this Marlin...and no trouble with this load in 240gr or 300gr with factory sights out of the cowboy, and IT has the 24" bbl dragging the velocity down...go figure...

...what a chore, Chief, I was hoping after getting my elevation right to start grouping well enough not to have to mess with the bands and the forearm fit, cuz to get the band off, in the past I'd remove the hood, knock out the front bead insert, unscrew the front sight base, and slide the bands off- but you're right, the fit is important, mostly whether the forearm stresses against the receiver- if it pulls or pushes, it's no good; the forearms screw should pull the forearm straight up to the barrel, screw s/b 90 degrees to the barrel- it's funny how we never seem to get around to doing it...BUT- I think if I just unscrew the magazine mounting screw, loosen the bands, maybe I can just wrap some tape around 'em so they don't scrape up the bbl and just let 'em "hang" off the barrel- shouldn't "warp" the outcome, and I can do my testing...

...thanks, Carwi, I'll give them a call- it's been a couple years since I asked them to do that....

Later,

1x2

...just got off the phone with Marlin- she took the information on rifle model, age of rifle, how low it was shooting at what distance, and said they would send out a new rear leaf- just that quick.

Not too shabby for quick customer service....

We'll see what shows in the mail, if it's the same one that was installed, or a higher rear sight....

...thanks to Carwi for reminding me of this. :)

1x2

Carwi, I saw Jerry Lester post on 24hour campfire...

Received the sight in the mail, no charge- thanks, Marlin!

It was a "snap" to install, and yes, it is taller than the original- but oops- I had changed the front sight to a shorter one and now, with the new, taller rear sight, I'm shooting high, with the rear sight at the bottom of the elevator!

I'll see if I can get it to shoot at zero, but I'm thinking that as the ambient temperature goes up (spring, summer, autumn) that I'll need to reinstall the factory front sight...

...oh, well, happy problems- the rifle groups fine!

1x2

Received the sight in the mail, no charge- thanks, Marlin!

It was a "snap" to install, and yes, it is taller than the original- but oops- I had changed the front sight to a shorter one and now, with the new, taller rear sight, I'm shooting high, with the rear sight at the bottom of the elevator!

I'll see if I can get it to shoot at zero, but I'm thinking that as the ambient temperature goes up (spring, summer, autumn) that I'll need to reinstall the factory front sight...

...oh, well, happy problems- the rifle groups fine!

1x2

Oh well, I was afraid that might happen! You'll likely need to put the factory front sight back on or order one like you want but it'll need to be the same height as the original. Hope it all works out for you!