Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors front sight for a tang sight

Last week I picked up a 1899B that doesn't have a front of rear sight. I like it so much I want to hunt with it for deer season in a few weeks. I'm planning on either an old Marbles or Lyman tang sight ( haven't decided which one I want to use yet ). My question is about what front sight should I use. I need one I can order online, or buy from a member here, and have it here soon. Since I'm short on time, I'm hoping one of you gentlemen has some information on what front sight is going to work with this setup. The peep sights on my non-99s all required taller front sights that the factory but I'm not sure that is the case with 99s.

Thanks.

I have a Lyman on my 1937 99EG. I removed the front sight and installed a target front sight which will accept different inserts. The Lyman is similar to the Redfield sight with vernier adjustment. I'm not sure that is correct for an older rifle like yours, if you care about such things. With these sights, front sight height is not an issue. They have lots of adjustment. I'm no expert, but I assume the front sight height for use with a peep sight is no different from the normal front sight height. There are guys here who are real experts on such things. Maybe they will chime in.

As a time saving expedient you might look at the sights carried by muzzle loader suppliers. (Track of the Wolf comes to mind.) They all offer brass front sights for muzzle loader builders that have tall blades that look similar to the Rocky Mountain front sight indigenous to 1899B's. Select one that matches your dovetail, of a height plenty tall enough to withstand a little filing down if needs be. Such a sight will get you through hunting season anyway, then scout up an original sight over the winter when you should be out shoveling snow or somesuch nonsense (and you might like it well enough to leave it on).

I'm not going for the correct sight right now, just one that will works. Found one at Track of the Wolf that should do the trick. Thanks!

Numrich has a number of the Marble's type adjustable front sights, kind of ugly but you could use one to find the correct height.
This one is shown marked MARBLE - products/1396580
this one is an O.S.E products/533730

This say's it's O.S.E. but pictures shows it marked MARBLE products/707190
They have 5 different of the O.S.E., different heights and brass or white beads, the others are 533710, 533740 & 533720.

That adjustable front sight looks like a great tool for determining front sight height. I may buy one of each and keep them around for purposes such as this. I seem to need to figure out front sight height a couple times a year on rifles that I pick up.

Thanks Gene! I didn't know those existed.

In a sight company catalog, I forget which one, they tell you to twist a piece of soft wire around the barrel near the dovetail to use as a sight and then keep cutting it down until you have the height you want & then measure to the bottom of the dovetail or just send them the wire

Somewhere I have what I think is an O.S.E. set, its been a few years since I have seen it and it's not where I thought it would be. It's for a 22 and is a fixed rear peep with one of the adjustable fronts. I'm not even sure what the rear looks like now. Just another one of the many practically worthless oddball things I seem to have trouble not buying.

ADDED - found the sight set, it's not O.S.E. and it's a little different, it has a round bead and does not need to be set only at full turns.

Thanks for digging that out and sharing. I think I would have to buy a .22 rifle just to put that on.

Never know what you will learn at the CampFire over a morning cup of coffee.

A couple days ago I finally received one of each of the sights you mentioned from Numrich, both are in O.S.E. packaging. These things are golden for figuring out front sight height. Thank you so much for bringing these to my attention.

Thanks for that GeneB. This is just what I needed for my Krag when I put on the peep sight. Ended up with a small handful of front sights till I found the one that worked. Going to get one for next time.