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Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:49 pm
by DirtyHarry44
After careful consideration, I have decided on a rear sight setup for my model 81 35Rem.
After contemplating a Williams square bridge shotgun receiver sight, and seeing pictures of it mounted on a model 8 I think I will pass on that option.
The rear sight I have chosen is that center rear of the receiver mounted adjustable Williams sight that mounts via two screws.
One of the problems is I have no idea its name, designation, or serial #. Another problem I fear is being able to actually locate the sight. (Anyone have one for sale? Any idea on used price for these units?)
From a precursory search, the most likely way of getting one seems to be buying a whole rifle with one already installed.
While I'd like another 81 in 300Sav and possibly a 25Rem model 8, I have a different sight setup in mind for them.
This 81 already has a scope mount, tang mount tapped, and several other plugged wholes on the side so two more holes is no biggie. (Although I have wondered, do those Redfield or Lyman central mount receiver sights install on the tang mount hole only?).
Any help or insight into the world of these central mounted receiver sights would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 6:40 am
by 81police
a suggestion would be to keep an eye out on ebay or gunbroker. Aftermarket vintage sights show up on there from time to time!

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:53 am
by kenhwind
The Redfield mounts on the tang sight hole but requires a secondary hole to be drilled on the top of the base.
The Williams also mounts on the tang sight hole but requires that two more holes be drilled.

The box for the Williams is marked: FP 81, with the 81 hand written.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:10 am
by DirtyHarry44
FP-81, should've known it would be something obvious like that.
Gunbroker and eBay, my bread and butter. I usually peruse both for other items on my list, add an FP-81 to that.
So I take it the FP stands for foolproof , meaning it's micrometer adjustable?
Any way to add target knobs, or do they look goofy on this model?
(I'm not entirely sure how Williams target knobs work. Do the knobs just get added to the click adjust screws, or are the screws replaced with other screws with target knobs on them or something? I've never had an adjustable receiver sight, so this is all new to me.)
Anyways thanks for the help guys.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 1:05 pm
by kenhwind
FP- Fool Proof
Micrometer adjustments, and a very nice sight. I don't think the target knobs appropriate for this sight, and probably not available. I got lucky and won one on eBay, nib that I put on an 81 .300. Our 81 .300 like yours had some holes drilled in the side so I wasn't too squeamish about mounting it.

I also won a used Redfield receiver sight. This is slide adjustment but a nice sight too. I put this on the Model 8 .25-35 Remington I bought. This gun had enough wear that I wasn't hurting any value by doing so. I just did the same to the model 8 .30 Rem which had the sight on it but needed the second hole.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:01 pm
by DirtyHarry44
Do the 8's and 81's all come factory tapped for tang sights, or is that done at an individual level?
I know the one I got coming had a Marbles R6 on it. (Owner wanted extra for the sight, so I just opted for the rifle).
So will any tang sight for the springpoles work?
I've been leaning towards a Lyman since it looks like you could lock it in the open position. Don't tang sights usually just stay deployed via spring tension?
I'm kinda thinking a Lyman tang that could be locked open would suffice for now, I can find them easy enough.
But since this will mainly be a "Bummin around the woods gun", I feel the FP-81 would be more robust than a tang sight.
Honestly I would love to use this old gal for whitetail, but I'm in PA and that is still not allowed.
(I could coyote hunt or furtake with the 81, but 35Rem doesn't seem like a great choice for that. 300Sav a little better, but 25Rem seems about perfect. They also have 22 caliber sabots for 300Sav and 35Rem, but I hear the accuracy is not great at all).
Sorry about all the questions, I just like to be well versed on things I have yet to try out for myself.
Thanks again!

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:44 pm
by remi31
kenhwind wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:53 am The Redfield mounts on the tang sight hole but requires a secondary hole to be drilled on the top of the base.
The Williams also mounts on the tang sight hole but requires that two more holes be drilled.

The box for the Williams is marked: FP 81, with the 81 hand written.
hello, as my williams FP-81 has 2 adjustable set screws on the underside of my sight (for stability?) is it vital to have the two upper screws mounted along with the center tang screw? Thanks, remi31.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:17 pm
by kenhwind
The 8 & 81's are drilled and tapped for a tang sight. The receiver sights seem to be an afterthought and probably became popular after WWI.
Unless the seller wanted a lot more with the Lyman tang sight you have went for it, as these sell for around $250.00 on eBay.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:20 pm
by kenhwind
remi31 wrote: Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:44 pm
kenhwind wrote: Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:53 am The Redfield mounts on the tang sight hole but requires a secondary hole to be drilled on the top of the base.
The Williams also mounts on the tang sight hole but requires that two more holes be drilled.

The box for the Williams is marked: FP 81, with the 81 hand written.
hello, as my williams FP-81 has 2 adjustable set screws on the underside of my sight (for stability?) is it vital to have the two upper screws mounted along with the center tang screw? Thanks, remi31.
According to the instructions those two set screws in the underside of the Williams FP-81 base are leveling screws. and yes they are necessary.

Edit: What I should have posted is that the two upper screws are necessary. The leveling screws do help square up the Williams FP-81 with the receiver.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:52 pm
by remi31
ken, thanks so much for the info. mike

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:53 am
by DirtyHarry44
Yeah, the seller still wanted $200 for the Marbles R6 sight, on top of the $750 for the rifle.
I've been paying the rifle off via layaway, and a couple months in I decided a tang sight wouldn't be a bad add-on.
I was too late, he already sold the sight. No big deal, the price wasn't vastly different to what is available now.
After I get the 81 paid off, (end of this month, wahoo!) I already got my next purchase lined up.
An early Savage 99 300Sav with schnabel forearm and a Lyman receiver sight.
Not a bad way to get my feet wet learning to use a peep sight.
The 81 is coming with no rear barrel sight, but has a Weaver k4 on a Weaver detachable side mount.
Picked up a Marbles rear barrel sight and a Williams rear sight blank, but have different thoughts on a rear barrel sight.
Thinking about trying a Williams WGOS adjustable rear sight. The spacing for the mount matches the 81, and the sight contour can be had in 1.000 in.
There are also different sight profiles that can be mounted on the base such as a plain u-notch, fiber optic, ghostring peep, etc.
While I'm of the mind newer sights such as fiber optics are kinda weird, and somewhat blasphemous on a classic rifle.
There will be no permanent modifications, and will work nicely till I find an FP-81 or tang sight.

Re: Williams rear central mount receiver sight serial # or designation?

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 8:25 am
by kenhwind
My brother and I have a Model 8 C that was my Dad's, so we've been familiar with these rifles all our lives. Then we found an 81 in .300 Savage when we went to a gun show one Saturday withy nothing else to do. Then we bought a couple more.

As far as the sights go you have to be diligent and watch the auction sites. I found a Lyman tang sight listed for a BIN and we snagged it, then I managed to get the Williams FP-81 off of eBay, and also a Redfield. The Model 8 .25 I bought had a tang sight on it but I put the Redfield receiver sight on that one and sold the tang sight as I prefer the receiver sight over the tang sight. The .30 I bought had a Redfield receiver sight on it too, so overall I'm okay.

I have a tendency to list whatever parts I'm not using and I think I sold the Remington rear sight I had left over.