Authentic rifle sights for a Model 1889 rifle

[BUSSMAN69]

I finally ended up with a Model 1889 rifle chambered in .44-40. Been looking for one for several years now and have not been wanting to take out a 2nd mortgage on my house to get one. It is in decent shape but needs some TLC, a good cleaning and a few parts. The serial number dates to an 1890 manufacture. It came with a King rear sight that had the aperture cut off. Just the dovetail mount and the stem of the rear sight. Figure that one out ?? I was able to trace the patent number on the King rear sight to date it to approx. 1910 to 1920 time frame. So the original factory rear sight is long gone. I will probably never find an original Marlin factory rear sight from the 1890's either. So what would be the best option for an original period rear sight for this rifle ? An old, vintage King or Marbles rear sight perhaps ?? Or maybe a Lymen ?? I know that Marlin used some King rifle sights later on in the 1900's on some models of rifles. And used alot of Lymen sights as well. Did they ever use Marbles sights also ? And if I am looking for a specific vintage King or Marbles or Lymen rear sight, any idea what model number of sight I should be looking for ? I am full of questions tonight. Looking on Ebay is just confusing me as there are hundreds and hundreds of old, Vintage King and Marbles and Lymen rifle sights on there to choose from. If I had a specific model number of an early sight, it would narrow my search down quite a bit.
And then the front sight is I think a Marlin factory original. But Bubba filed it down to just a nub. Probably when he cut off the aperture on the rear sight and left the rest of it on the barrel. So would like to replace the front sight as well. That one is more straight forward, as I would be looking for a German Silver Rocky Mountain front sight. Or possibly a Lymen front sight ??
Any feedback is appreciated, Thanks in advance.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

BUSSMAN69;

Refer to page 636 of the Brophy book. At the top, left of the page is a catalog illustration showing the proper rear sight for a Model 1889. The Rocky Mountain Buckhorn is what came on the standard Model 1881, 1889 and many Ballard rifles. Note the base of the sight that has extensions ( I call them "feet" ) on each side of the sight. The front sight was the Rocky Mountain silver blade sight.
Note on page 637 is another illustration of a Rocky Mountain rear sight. This is a later sight most commonly found on the Model 1893 and 1895 in the large size. It could be found on the Model 1889 of later manufacture as a shorter size was used on the Model 1894 and most .22 caliber rifles. Note the difference in the base of the sight. ( no "feet" )
The proper sight elevator is also shown on page 636. These are the "fish hook" style elevator. Any other elevator is incorrect for the Marlin.
Once in a while, these sights will show up on eBay. They can be pricey, but your other choice is to hunt the gun shows in your area or some of the larger shows such as Tulsa. There are a number of dealers that sell sights there. You might check some of the gun selling sites such as Gun Broker or Guns International.
As far as other rear sights, the Lyman #6 folding leaf sight could be found, but again, quite pricey. Marbles sights are later, after 1899.
Good luck............

[BUSSMAN69]

Well I will check out the Brophy Bible and see what he has to say on the pages you referenced. I already have 2 other 1889's in .32-20 and .38-40. But each one has a different rear sight on it and they are not manufacturer marked. I looked at both of them right away as a comparison. I knew that the "Fish hook" elevator was standard for all early Marlin rear sights. Apparently over the years, the rear sights must have been changed out on a lot of old Marlin lever guns. As always, Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with me.

[marlinman93]

You might also give Larry Osborn a call. He supplies all the old style screws for Marlins, and also has a lot of original used parts and reproductions. He was selling the correct "harpoon" shaped elevators, and good chance he has an original rear sight. They aren't cheap as I see them selling for $100-$150, the higher price being complete with elevator.

Larry is in Idaho-208-651-6300

Vall