Henry Rifle Forums

I am looking at both type of sights from skinner and was wondering if anyone has replace the barrel mounted blade sight with the skinner ring type sight. And if so, do you also need to replace the front sight if doing so. I know that using the receiver mounted sight will give you a better sight radius but will also require the front to be replaced also. Most of my shots will be at closer ranges so I am not worried about long distance shots.
I would like to her from others that have used the barrel mounted skinner sight.

I have used Skinner barrel mount peep sights. They are a good option on a gun that cannot take a receiver peep sight. However, barrel mount peeps necessarily have to use a wider aperture for the sake of field of view and adequate brightness, since they sit farther from your eye. The barrel mount peep does provide one of of the main benefits of a peep, namely taking the rear sight out of the sight picture, assuming you train yourself to look though it and forget it, rather than try to center the front sight in the aperture. This takes a little practice, but it can be done. It is the proper way to use any peep since the eye automatically seeks the brightest point in the aperture and this is the very center. The vast majority of guns I've fitted with a barrel mount peep did not require a change of the front sight, but there have been a few exceptions. Another advantage is that barrel mount peeps leave the receiver clean for the sake of carrying.

What barrel mount peeps don't provide is one of the other advantages of a peep sight, namely the potential sharpening of the front sight. For that you need a peep sight closer to the eye so that you can use a small enough aperture to stop down the available light. Peeps close to the eye give you the same or better field of view using a smaller aperture. This enhances accuracy, plus they are easier and quicker to use. Skinner receiver peeps do sit higher on the receiver so they often do require a taller front sight, but not always. Given that changing out a front sight is usually not a big deal, I do prefer a receiver mounted peep when possible.

As always, this is a personal preference. Some folks do prefer the barrel mount peep even when they can use a receiver peep.

Here is a another option you may want to consider - Skinner Low-Pro on the rear with a Lyman Globe on the front:

Thank you both for the input, I do believe I will go with the barrel sight option just for the sake of carrying, gives me some things to think about. Barrel mount is cheaper so I may go that route first and if I don't like it I will just have to try another set up.

Glad you heard from NCG, our resident expert, and TractorTad, another experienced and helpful voice about this and I want to welcome you to the forum from CT. There are lots of very knowledgeable folks here, as you can see, and you'll enjoy the company.

vicrider66 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 07, 2019 4:57 pm

Thank you both for the input, I do believe I will go with the barrel sight option just for the sake of carrying, gives me some things to think about. Barrel mount is cheaper so I may go that route first and if I don't like it I will just have to try another set up.

I have both styles, Express on 45/70 and barrel mount on 22 cal. Like them both.