Williams Foolproof Receiver Sight

JWinAZ

JWinAZ

Well-Known Member
I bought a new Williams Foolproof 94/36 and gave it the once over. The manufacturing quality seems better than on sights from years ago. The matt anodizing is a nice change from the shiny finish. The Up and Right arrows are a nice change too. I measured the adjustment thread pitch, 40 tpi, No. 6-40 thread, left hand. With a 24" sight radius the .025" full turn travel gives ~4" point of aim adjustment. Twenty clicks per revolution gives 3/16" adjustment per click. The apertures have a 7/32-40 thread. Just a bit larger in diameter than the No. 12-40 thread used by Redfield, .216" vs. .219" major diameter. Usually they will interchange as there is quite a bit of overlap in the tolerances, but not always. I occasionally make apertures with 12-40 thread, the dies for which seem more readily available than 7/32-40. The work fine, once snugged up there is no slop.

For target work I use to use a .040" aperture, much too small now. I opened some up to .070 and that works well in bright conditions, sometimes I have to wait until a floater departs the scene. My range box has a selection of apertures so I can adjust to the conditions.

With lens implants I'm now far-sighted so the improved depth of field is a real benefit. With bright light, and looking through a small aperture I can read very small print at a considerable distance, has to be high contrast though. From an optics explanation the de-focus (circle of confusion) is limited to the size of the aperture so smaller gives a sharper image. The tradeoff is the reduced amount of light coming through, just like a camera with smaller f stops. As with the sunny 16 rule. Pin-hole cameras can use apertures of .010" and give amazing images, just takes a while to make an exposure.
 
Awesome post, JW!

Now, if Ruger would just start DT'ing the 94s, 9s and 336s again.


Please, no lectures on the poor, starving capitalists just trying to survive.
 
The side mounted sight is a better setup than the top mounted, that use the rear scope mounting holes. The side mounted sight is more compact and positions the aperture much closer to the top of the receiver. That helps to keep the front sight height to a reasonable level. The top mounted Foolproof works well enough, except it places the aperture right over the hammer spur, awkward at best. That can be taken care of by D&T'ing a third hole on the top of the receiver to move the sight forward. Or making an adapter plate to do the same thing. The best thing about the top mounted sights is that 8-40 screws are used instead of the 6-48s on the side.

I doubt we'll see factory provisions for side mounted sights. It could easily be done by adding 2 spindles to the Zagar or Wisconsin drill heads, or more likely, by adding a few more G Codes and M Codes to the CNC program. No starving capitalists would be harmed.
 
JWinAZ said:
The side mounted sight is a better setup than the top mounted, that use the rear scope mounting holes. The side mounted sight is more compact and positions the aperture much closer to the top of the receiver. That helps to keep the front sight height to a reasonable level. The top mounted Foolproof works well enough, except it places the aperture right over the hammer spur, awkward at best. That can be taken care of by D&T'ing a third hole on the top of the receiver to move the sight forward. Or making an adapter plate to do the same thing. The best thing about the top mounted sights is that 8-40 screws are used instead of the 6-48s on the side.

I doubt we'll see factory provisions for side mounted sights. It could easily be done by adding 2 spindles to the Zagar or Wisconsin drill heads, or more likely, by adding a few more G Codes and M Codes to the CNC program. No starving capitalists would be harmed.
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But who would appreciate the extra holes and buy them? The 47 of us old gaffers that a take a receiver sighted rifle into the woods to hunt with? C'mon man......peeper sights, hunting, eating wild game? Where have you been dude?
As you can easily see, I'm in a mood. I think I'll go knock down some steel with a receiver sighted .22 until said mood passes.
Anybody wanna sell a Lyman 2A tang sight with an "H" stamped on the underside of the base for a Marlin Model 39?
 
If anyone has a burning desire for a Williams Foolproof sight and hammer spur from a 45/70 Cowboy, PM me. Rifle just too heavy for me to shoot offhand now, so it went away.
 
I have the top mounted Foolproof on a couple Marlins, one is on a rifle with side holes. I already had the sight when I got the rifle. I would prefer the side mount but that's what I have. I found a some old Redfield target sights in a box of stuff at an estate sale, one had an altered base so I made a L bracket and mounted it in my 1949 336A and added a Lyman 17A. Someone had the old Marlin D & T'ed before I found it. It is nice to use the adjustments without fiddling with lock screws. I no longer hunt so my rifles are all range toys.

I have an assortment of apertures but mostly use a Merit adjustable. I called Merit and ordered them a couple years back, they are great just adjust to suit light conditions.
 
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