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Marlin/Ballard rifle
Bustoff
Member Posts: 85 ✭✭
I have a Marlin/Ballard No.#3 Gallery rifle (J.M.Marlin New Haven,Conn.)in 22 caliber. I am trying to find out which tang sight is correct for this gun. I have two tang sights, a Lyman tang with the letters "WH" on it and a Marbles sight with the letters"WI"on it. The Mounting holes are apprx.2 3/16 center to center on both of these sights.The mounting holes on my rifle are approx.1 1/8. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Comments
I don't see a Lyman WH code, just W,WA,WF,WS, & WM, And they all fit Winchesters too. The only code for a Number 1 Lyman tang sight I see for a Ballard is B.
BertH can probably tell you more.
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,1954.htm
http://www.jeffsoutfitters.com/store.aspx?panel=3&categoryid=67&ProductID=425
Edit: 44 beat me to it while I was looking for links.[:)]
To help you (and anyone else who is interested) in identification of the various types of Lyman tang sights, here is something that I put together several years ago...
Lyman Tang Sight base codes, 1878 - 1955
There seems to be quite an interest in a listing of all the known application base codes for the old original Lyman tang sights. I have looked through many vintage Lyman catalogs, and have compiled the listing that follows. I am fairly certain that it is complete for the time period it covers, but if anyone has any additions or corrections, please feel free to offer them up (I may have inadvertently missed something). Many "special" tang sights were also made to fit rifles of unusual configuration in the tang area, and I will not try to address those. Lyman also made a number of sights to mount on the cocking pieces of various military rifles. These tang sights do not have published application codes as far as I have been able to determine.
These are the variations/types of tang sights that were made, and I have tried to briefly summarize them as follows;
1. No. 1 Combination Tang Sight (First variation) - patented Jan. 28, 1879. This sight has a thick base and a knurled thumbscrew on the right side of the upright pivot. The real early sights did not have the flip-down peep window, but that feature was incorporated before being replaced in 1884 with the Second Variation sight.
2. No. 1 Combination Tang Sight (Second Variation) - patented May 6, 1884. This sight has both the JAN. 28, '79 and MAY 6, '84 patent dates stamped on the base of the elevation upright. The knurled screw was replaced with a hairspring that allowed the elevation stem to be locked in the upright position by a spring loaded detent. It was replaced in 1905 by the No. 1A
3. No. 1A Combination Tang Sight (Third Variation) - patented July 25, 1905. The "A" suffix indicates the addition of the locking lever on the left side of the upright pivot. This sight was in production until 1955.
4. No. 2 Combination Tang Sight - introduced in 1894 and it was intended for Match and Gallery rifles. It is identical to the No. 1 Second Variation except that it has a screw in aperture disk instead of the flip-down peep. Several different aperture disks were available (each with a different diameter peep hole). The larger the outside diameter (OD) of the disk, the smaller the diameter of the peep hole. I believe that seven different sized disks were made (from 3/8" to 1" OD)
5. No. 2A Combination Tang Sight (Second Variation) - introduced simultaneously with the No. 1A, and it is identical to the No. 2 except for the locking lever.
6. No. 15 Windgauge Tang Sight - patented August 23, 1887. This was the first sight that could not be folded down like the No. 1 and No. 2 Tang sights, and because of that fact, it was a poor seller and was discontinued in 1906.
7. No. 29 Windgauge Tang Sight - patented March 6, 1900. This sight has a square stem piece, and could not be folded down like the No. 1 and No. 2 Tang sights. It was discontinued in 1903 due to complaints by shooters of frequent damage to the sight (due to not being able to fold it down).
8. No. 101 and 102 Range Control Tang Sight - patented March 9, 1915 and April 18, 1916. These were the first sights to offer click adjustable elevation. The elevation thimble had ten graduations (marked 0, 2, 4, and 8 with a detent position between each mark). The No. 101 had a flip-down peep, while the No. 102 utilized a screw in aperture disk.
9. No. 103 Windgauge Tang Sight - introduced in 1916. This sight is the cr?me of the crop. It features a micrometer (half-minute per click) elevation and windage adjustment, and uses the screw in aperture disks. It is highly sought after by serious target shooters. It has the same locking lever as the No. 1A and 2A, and was discontinued in 1955.
10. No. 47 Windgauge stem. I do not know when it was introduced, but it was made to replace the standard elevation stem on the No. 1, 1A, 2, and 2A Tang sights. It allowed for very precise windage adjustment by use of a thumbscrew (1/4 turn changed the impact ?" at 100 yards with a 30" sight base), and it uses a screw in aperture disk like the No. 2 or 2A. If a complete sight was ordered with this feature, it was referred to as a No. 52A.
The following list is what I was able to dig up. I hope that it helps to clear up any remaining questions that you may have.
BASE CODE APPLICATIONS
***************************
AT - Remington Autoloading Rifles, Models 8 & 81
B -- Marlin Model '92, .32 caliber, Hopkins & Allen, Ballard
C -- Colt, .22 caliber, Remington No. 6
D -- Winchester Model '94, .32/40, .38/55 calibers, Winchester Model '92
DA - Winchester Model '94, .25/35, .30/30 & .32 Special calibers, Winchester Model 53, .25/20 & .32/20 calibers, Winchester Model 55, .30/30 caliber, Winchester Models 64 & 65
DE - Standard Repeating Rifle
E -- Marlin Model '89, Marlin Model '94, .25/20, .32/20, .38/40 & .44/40 calibers
F -- Stevens Favorite, No. 418 & No. 418 1/2
G -- Stevens Models 65 & 66
H -- Marlin Model '92, .22 caliber, & Marlin Models '97, 39 & 39A
HP - Stevens No. 425
I -- Winchester Model '76
J -- Marlin Model '93, .32/40 & .38/55 calibers
JA - Marlin Model '93, .25/36, .30/30, .32 H.P.S., .32/40 H.P.S. & .38/55 H.P.S. calibers
JB - Marlin Model 27
JM - Marlin Model '95
K -- Marlin Models 18 & 25
KM - Marlin Models 20, 29, 37, 47
L -- Iver Johnson Models X & 2X
N -- Winchester Model '86, all calibers except .33
NI - Winchester Model '86, .33 caliber
NP - Stevens New Model Pocket Rifle
P -- Stevens Ideal, Marksman, No. 414, No. 417 & No. 417 1/2
PC - Stevens Crack Shot
Q -- Quackenbush
R -- Remington No. 3, all calibers except .22
RA - Remington No. 2, Remington No. 3, .22 caliber & Remington No. 5
RP - Stevens Reliable Pocket Rifle
RS - Remington No. 7
R12 - Remington Repeater, Models 12 & 121
R14 - Remington Repeater, Models 14 & 141
R16 - Remington Autoloading Rifle, Model 16, .22 caliber
R24 - Remington Autoloading Rifle, Models 24 & 241, .22 caliber
R25 - Remington Repeater, Model 25
S -- Winchester Single Shot (Model 1885), all calibers except .22 and .30/40
SA - Savage Model '99, .25/35, .30/30, .300, .303, .32/40, .32/40 H.P.S., .22 H.P. & .250/3000 calibers
SB - Winchester Single Shot (Model 1885), .22 & .30/40 calibers
SC - Winchester Model 87 Winder Musket
SE - Savage Model 1905
SH - Savage Model '99, .38/55 & .38/55 H.P.S. calibers
SJ - Savage "Junior"
SL - Winchester Models 1905, 1907 & 1910 Self-Loading Rifles
SM - Savage Models 1903, 1909, 1912, 1914, 25 & 29, Meriden Models 10 & 15, Mossberg Model K & Stevens Model 75
SN - Savage Model 1919 .22 NRA & Savage Sporter, .22 caliber
SS - Savage 1922 Sporter, 1923-A Sporter, .22 caliber
ST - Stevens Repeater No. 80
SV - Stevens Repeater Nos. 70 & 71
U -- Remington No. 4
W -- Winchester Model '73
WA - Winchester Models 1903 & 63
WF - Winchester Model 52
WM - Winchester .22 Musket
WS - Winchester Models 1890, 1906, 62 & 62A
W61 - Winchester Model 61
X -- Express (English)
XA - Winchester Model 1902
XS - Winchester Models 1904, 56, 57, 59 & 60
Y -- Maynard
Whew!! Well, there it is. I am sure many of you will be making copies of this, as it is a very useful list.
WACA Historian & Life Member
http://www.vintageweaponry.com/rifles.htm
By the way, Stroebel identifies the sight shown in the pictures at the above link "not" as the Mid-Range Vernier as advertised, but rather as the "Gallery Peep Sight" which you might be seeking. He also notes that there are no graduations on the leaf.
Check this link out for a Marlin Ballard which shows a .22 cal., with factory mid-range Vernier tang sight:
http://www.vintageweaponry.com/rifles.htm
By the way, Stroebel identifies the sight shown in the pictures at the above link "not" as the Mid-Range Vernier as advertised, but rather as the "Gallery Peep Sight" which you might be seeking. He also notes that there are no graduations on the leaf.
I agree with Nick... the tang sight on that old Ballard is not a true mid-range vernier. A true mid-range vernier tang sight has a vertically mounted "vernier" adjustment screw (used to move the eye-cup up or down), whereas as the Gallery sight does not. Here are a few pictures showing an actual mid-range veriner tang sight...
WACA Historian & Life Member
That surely makes sense to me too, Bert. Just the designation Gallery Peep Sight causes me to think it would be for short range shooting.
Well, most people do consider a rifle chambered for .22 rimfire a "short range" gun.
WACA Historian & Life Member
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