I’ve always liked the flat-top sights on pre-64, ‘94 Winchesters. Coupled with a fine bead, I shoot them better than any other iron sight. So I decided to modify the Rossi’s OEM rear sight with three goals in mind-
1. Simulate the Winchester sight picture
2. Lower the sighting plane substantially
3. Field unobtrusive sights, with no sharp edges.
Armed with a belt sander, files and a Dremel tool, I was a force to be reckoned with! I lowered the rear sight enough that it was necessary to cut a new notch with a cutoff wheel. After little dehorning and baptism in cold blue, it looks like this:
I had a spare Marbles 450W with the 1/16” white bead, which fits Rossi’s oddball dovetail and is infinitely sturdier (and .200 shorter) than the factory offering.
The end result (alignment notwithstanding) looks something like this.
These sights were essentially ‘on’ where I centered them and using the 140 XTP 357 load, anything you put the bead on at 100 meters grows a 35 caliber hole through it. Low-effort, rested 3 shot groups hovered at two inches, a half inch better than I was doing with the OEM sights. Shooting unsupported at 25 paces, two of my 125 grain RNFP 38 loads made that many holes in an empty 12 gauge hull. This is a substantial improvement and I didn't have to Send Money to anybody.
