TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 2, 2022 Report Share Posted June 2, 2022 Has anyone on here fitted a complete, WW2 era Lyman 55B leaf assembly on a West Hurley or Kahr made 1927A1 rear sight base? If you have, what obstacles did you face, if any, and how did you overcome them? I am looking for a more affordable way of getting rid of the not so correct looking rear sight without spending $250 on a complete WW2 era Lyman adjustable rear sight. Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyDixon Posted June 2, 2022 Report Share Posted June 2, 2022 should be no problem,, the rivit holes should match up, use correct rivits,,just sayn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2022 Good to hear. I am planning on leaving my rear sight base on my receiver for now so I shouldn't have to remove it and re rivet it back on. The plan is to simply drift the leaf assembly pin out and swap the other leaf assembly in. I guess all that there is left to do is purchase the leaf assembly then. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTimmy Posted June 3, 2022 Report Share Posted June 3, 2022 As the other poster mentioned rivets, he MAY be describing replacing the entire sight assembly, not just the leaf. But i could be wrong. I had considered trying what you are describing, but i never could find out for sure if it would work. Since i knew i was sending mine to Deerslayer for other work, i said the heck with it and i had him replace the whole thing and use GI rivets so it wouldn’t come loose. Let us know how yours turns out. Good luck, Timmy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anticus Posted June 3, 2022 Report Share Posted June 3, 2022 (edited) Lymans will fit, at least they did on my WH and Kahr 27s. Pricey , but they do look great. Edited June 3, 2022 by anticus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2022 If I had excess cash laying around, I would certainly go with a complete original Lyman 55B sight to swap out, but that isn't the case so I gotta scrape and scrounge up parts without it looking like it was cobbled together. Looking at Numrich, I can get a stripped Lyman leaf for $45 and get a complete rear sight elevation slide assembly for $70, so for $115 I have the beneficial aspects of a legit Lyman rear sight without spending the $245-$275 for a complete original example. I also scored a stripped rear sight base from a WH or Kahr 1927A1 for $1.04 on eBay and figure that if this modification works on my 1927A1, then I can replicate this conversion again for that rear sight base with the addition of locating a leaf assembly pin, plunger, and plunger spring for my display gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARIVS Posted June 3, 2022 Report Share Posted June 3, 2022 (edited) I fitted a complete WW2 Lyman rear sight on my 1927A-1 which came off a Thompson lend-leased to the Russians. It was found at the Tulsa, OK gun show a few years back for only $150.00. It's like putting a diamond on a pig, but it needed to be done because the Kahr sight is atrocious. It has hard-riveted on with iron rivets. If you had to just put the Lyman leaf in a Kahr cast steel base, you may have to do some modifying of the base to get it to work. I'm sure it could be done. Edited June 3, 2022 by DARIVS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2022 I wish I could luck up on a complete Lyman rear sight for just that much because I would certainly go that route as it wouldn't cost much more than what I am doing right now. I figure that the WH/Kahr leafs and original Lyman leafs cannot be too far off so I can make it work with enough modifications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melonman Posted June 4, 2022 Report Share Posted June 4, 2022 A Lyman sight ladder will work in a Kahr sight base (at least I’d did in mine) but you have to alter the sight plunger to a point to catch for it to stand in the vertical position. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2022 Thank you very much for the helpful tip Melonman. When you say a make the end on the plunger a point, do you mean make it look like the ridge on a roof or reshape the entire end to be like a conical spike? I assume you mean the first kind, but I just wanted to make sure I am understanding you correctly since I haven't taken my sight apart yet and I'm trying to visualize what the plunger will need to look like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melonman Posted June 4, 2022 Report Share Posted June 4, 2022 More like the ridge on a roof , but if I remember correctly, not quite at the center line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2022 Very interesting. I guess I will just fiddle around with it until I get it to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamellarllc Posted June 5, 2022 Report Share Posted June 5, 2022 Keep in mind, if you add an original Lyman rear sight and keep the original front sight that came with the gun, you will have to shave down the front sight. I had to do that with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2022 Very good point! I had not thought about that at all (I wrongly assumed that the WH/Kahr front sights were the same height as an originals). How far off was your POI with the lyman rear sight and Wah/Kahr front sight before modifying the front sight down? Also, how far down did you bring the top of the front sight down (1/16th, 1/8", etc.)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyDixon Posted June 5, 2022 Report Share Posted June 5, 2022 me thinks your waisting your effort and time screwing around with kahr junk, just replace with an original 28 sight, just sayn . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2022 Well I'd be wasting my time on WH junk but same difference in all reality. I might be able to purchase a complete sight off of a member here that reached out to me and maybe that one will wind up on the gun if I get it...or it might wind up on the display gun for the time being. My main gripe with the 1927A1 rear sights is that the notch is just too small and too close to my eye to be able to focus on proper sight picture while shooting. The cheapest solution is to do nothing and just flip up the rear sight up and use the ring sight for shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy77 Posted June 5, 2022 Report Share Posted June 5, 2022 Take a triangle needle file and open it up. Touch it up with cold blue. Original sights arent any better unless you flip them up.Might not look original but will work better.My only gripe on the original 1928 is its sights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldtrooper Posted June 5, 2022 Report Share Posted June 5, 2022 I have better luck hitting something using the slot on the charging handle as a rear sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 I have better luck hitting something using the slot on the charging handle as a rear sight.That is how I have been doing all of my shooting when not flipping the sight up. It isn't the most precise way of aiming but is good enough for most quick acquisition targets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 Take a triangle needle file and open it up. Touch it up with cold blue. Original sights arent any better unless you flip them up.Might not look original but will work better.My only gripe on the original 1928 is its sights.That's a lot cheaper than purchasing Lyman parts if the notch on the Lyman is no better to use. Time to get the needle files out and make a better notch and try that first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyDixon Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 its been my impression that kahr rear sight parts are either made in china or india or possibly japan,,the look ok but none of the internal parts are realy interchangeable,,i beleve at one time numrich bought thompson rear sights from japan that were intended for airsoft replica guns,, i suggest you search way way back in the archives and read every post about kahr,,your hair will stand on end !, been there done that, just sayn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 Airsoft iron sights on real guns? Yikes! I have heard some people attempt to use airsoft PEQ-15 boxes on their rifles (with poor results) for aiming under night vision instead of purchasing a much more expensive, genuine L3 Harris ATPIAL-C or a used PEQ-15 or LA-5. However, a business putting airsoft iron sights on real rifles from the factory just seems completely wrong. It seems that I have some reading up to do on Kahr and their shenanigans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryboy77 Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 Yea the notch on the lyman with the ladder down is terrible.At least the WW2 1928 ones. When using the ladder up and using the peep is much better but im guessing the numrich is sbout the same except i think tgey dont have windage like the originals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeTaylor95 Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 Correct, no windage on the stock WH rear sight, just a notch when the leaf is down and a peep sight on the leaf when it is up. Too bad a M1917 enfield sight leaf isn't long enough to fit the thompson sight base because it would be perfect with a peep sight in both positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamellarllc Posted July 3, 2022 Report Share Posted July 3, 2022 I did a post on this a while back someone posted the measurements comparing the 1921w/o comp vs a m1/1928 front sight heigh, I cant fint the thread, it might be in the SMG section Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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