bamaranger
New member
I installed a Williams peep sight (dovetail mount) on my Henry .22. No, it's not a Skinner, but at 1/3 the price, I was good with it. However......
Though I suspected the rifle would not shoot exactly to point of aim with the factory front sight I underestimated how very high the rifle really would shoot. At 25yds, the rifle is now shooting 7" ABOVE point of aim, and there is no way sufficient depression on the Williams. Installing a new front sight was not totally unexpected, what I did not catch was that the front sight and barrel band are ONE PIECE, and one cannot simply drift a new front sight in and out of a dovetail. Nuts!
Skinner Sights will mill the Henry factory barrel band, removing the factory front sight post and cutting a 3/8" new dovetail in the band itself, for a reasonable fee. Skinner does not sell custom front sight heights and apparently does not sell a sight high enough for my needs. My calculations (from the Skinner web site) are that I need an additional .170" additional front sight height. As in .170" from the top of the old factory post. A coarse measurement of the factory front post indicates an appx height of .150". I can add those two measurements and get .320" for the height of the new blade, FROM THE TOP OF THE RAMP FLAT, but as there is no dovetail, I cannot figure total front sight height.
It appears that front sights are measured from their base. So I must include the depth of the dovetail........how much could/would that be? Total front sight height = .170" + .150" + depth of dovetail? Any suggestions on what height front sight for which I should search? I suppose I should get the dovetail cut, upon return, measure from the bottom of same to appx top of ramp flat,and add the two above numbers....that would do it......I think?
Though I suspected the rifle would not shoot exactly to point of aim with the factory front sight I underestimated how very high the rifle really would shoot. At 25yds, the rifle is now shooting 7" ABOVE point of aim, and there is no way sufficient depression on the Williams. Installing a new front sight was not totally unexpected, what I did not catch was that the front sight and barrel band are ONE PIECE, and one cannot simply drift a new front sight in and out of a dovetail. Nuts!
Skinner Sights will mill the Henry factory barrel band, removing the factory front sight post and cutting a 3/8" new dovetail in the band itself, for a reasonable fee. Skinner does not sell custom front sight heights and apparently does not sell a sight high enough for my needs. My calculations (from the Skinner web site) are that I need an additional .170" additional front sight height. As in .170" from the top of the old factory post. A coarse measurement of the factory front post indicates an appx height of .150". I can add those two measurements and get .320" for the height of the new blade, FROM THE TOP OF THE RAMP FLAT, but as there is no dovetail, I cannot figure total front sight height.
It appears that front sights are measured from their base. So I must include the depth of the dovetail........how much could/would that be? Total front sight height = .170" + .150" + depth of dovetail? Any suggestions on what height front sight for which I should search? I suppose I should get the dovetail cut, upon return, measure from the bottom of same to appx top of ramp flat,and add the two above numbers....that would do it......I think?