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Posted By: balltownbob Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Can someone please tell me which Lyman peep fits the 1920?

Thanks...
Posted By: Loggah Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Lyman #54, some bolts were not drilled for it.
Posted By: gnoahhh Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Is anyone aware of a 1920 fitted with a Lyman cocking knob sight?
Posted By: S99VG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Good question. Was the 54 a factory option for the 1920?
Posted By: JeffG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Originally Posted by gnoahhh
Is anyone aware of a 1920 fitted with a Lyman cocking knob sight?


It's not actually on the cocking knob, it's on the shroud just ahead of the cocking knob...is that your point Gary?

..or are you looking for a 1920 with a Lyman 54 on it?
Posted By: JeffG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Here's a thread with good pictures;
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...s/8330810/Lyman_54_sight_attached_to_a_S
Posted By: gnoahhh Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Actually no, Jeff. I have a 54 on mine. I'm referring to a cocking knob (cocking piece) sight, fitted onto the back end of the cocking knob. Lyman made them for Krags, Springfields, Mausers, etc. I was just wondering if any were made for the 1920.
Posted By: S99VG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Oh yeah. I know what you are talking about. I have never seen one but it does seem like you need enough meat in the knob for the dovetail. Those things put the site damn close to your eye!
Posted By: gnoahhh Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Not any closer than a tang sight on a lever gun. I had one on a Mannlicher-Schoenauer. They work nicely.
Posted By: S99VG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Ive never shot a rifle with cocking piece peep sight, but they always kind of gave me the willeys. But I can see the advantage with maximum sight radius.
Posted By: GeneB Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/22/16
Here is an old article from April 1920 about the sighting issues for the 1920 with mention of an experimental cocking piece sight and the reasons for going to the design used for the 54. It also says the advantage of a cocking piece sight is that it is close to the eye for sighting but moves forward away for the eye on firing - Lyman sights for 1920
Posted By: gnoahhh Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/23/16
Cocking piece sights have been used by the thousands. While it undoubtedly slows lock time a bit, it's not enough to matter in a practical sense. I certainly never noticed it when working with the gun I had with one.

Good article, Gene. Thanks for scaring it up.
Posted By: S99VG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/23/16
Yes, thank you.
Posted By: JeffG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/23/16
It has always struck me that the tolerances in moving bolt parts made for an inconsistent sighting position for bolt-mounted sights.

...good enough for deer at a 100yds, sure, but these sight had 30-40 MOA verticals..., how much variance would each bolt closure make the sighting at longer distances?
Posted By: GeneB Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/23/16
Originally Posted by JeffG
It has always struck me that the tolerances in moving bolt parts made for an inconsistent sighting position for bolt-mounted sights.

...good enough for deer at a 100yds, sure, but these sight had 30-40 MOA verticals..., how much variance would each bolt closure make the sighting at longer distances?
When a bolt is not cocked it can wiggle a lot, but I think when cocked the heavy spring tension will usually put it in the same position every time. Look at externally adjusted target scopes, they usually have both mounts under spring tension with a lot less force than you would get on a cocking piece, some are even made so they can slide to ease recoil forces.
Posted By: gnoahhh Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/23/16
Also, custom builders often cut v-grooves in the sear with corresponding v in the striker so they mated perfectly for shot to shot consistency. By in practice, I was told by a guy who lived and breathed this stuff, late Michael Petrov, that the setup didn't really need so much help to achieve good accuracy. My M1908 M-S with its cocking piece sight was more accurate than I was.
Posted By: 260Remguy Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 11/25/16
Originally Posted by gnoahhh
Cocking piece sights have been used by the thousands. While it undoubtedly slows lock time a bit, it's not enough to matter in a practical sense. I certainly never noticed it when working with the gun I had with one.

Good article, Gene. Thanks for scaring it up.


I have cocking piece peep sights on a First Model Newton, it was a factory option, and a Sedgley Springfield Sporter that is an after-market Lyman unit. As noted previously, I don't think that the cocking piece on the 1920 has enough "meat" to cut the dovetail that the Lyman sight mounts in.
Posted By: JeffG Re: Peep sight for 1920 - 12/03/16
Here's a 1920 set up for cocking piece site;

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3447804/1
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