N/A Williams Peep Sight Modification & other Peep Sight options

[Bear-of-Grayling]

This topic has been talked about in different posts but I thought it needed it’s own post and should be discussed at further length. I like these little Williams diopter/peep sights. Never cared for the looks of the the earlier models when Williams made them in a gloss finish. Didn’t compliment the rifle. Now they are made in a nice matte black finish and look nice on the gun. On Springers they work great. Fit mostly all different configurations of rails. They keep the guns weight and balance as it was designed, while making a monumental improvement to the original iron sights. The one issue the sight has it does have a tendency to slide rearward without some type of an added stop. On a Weihrauch airgun I always add a BRASS stop screw to the mount. The brass will not disfigure the hole in the receiver over time as a steel one might. The placement of the screw on the sight is very important to function of the safety button on a Weihrauch. Here is a picture of the sight and the screw I installed. When using the most rearward hole in the receiver (which is optimal) the sight base gets very close to the safety button. Picture is not the best on my HW 30 but can be seen. I usually mount the screw on the sight base closer to the slot (you can see in the base) to bring the sight another 1/8 to 3/16 further forward and away from the safety. I did this screw at center (between the front edge of base and slot) before I remembered to get very close to the slot (the little yellow square is the best placement), but it still functions fine but a bit more roomy if it had the extra distance. It’s a quick fix and it’s how the Weihrauch Diopter is designed. Also a picture (compliments of MDriskill) of an extension to the sight allowing for a smaller aperture. This really does add to accuracy. I plan to make an extension and will post the results. Also other members have some great peep sight options. So please post your success stories here.

 

[Northwoods22]

I mounted one on my Diana chaser. Being C02 there's no need for a recoil stop pin or screw. Works well and the bolt handle clears
with no problem.

I'm also working on a mount to fit one on my Diana Oktoberfest gallery gun. Should look like this.

 

[MDriskill]

That's an inspired mod! I've never been too impressed by the scrawny mount on the Williams "AG" and "GR" sights.

To amplify the point about how it attaches, here's an HW rifle with their traditional "thumbwheel" diopter sight. Those three holes on top of the receiver are often used for scope stops of course, but they were really designed to give three solid, slip-free mounting positions for the sight. Adding this function to a Williams sight would be a great addition for any Weihrauch rifle.

I really wish someone would make a set of different-length eyepiece extenders for these sights - i.e., just simple tubes with a male 7/32-40 thread on one end, and female on the other. Getting the aperture disk closer to your eye would make the sight quite a bit more useful.

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

That's an inspired mod! I've never been too impressed by the scrawny mount on the Williams "AG" and "GR" sights.

To amplify the point about how it attaches, here's an HW rifle with their traditional "thumbwheel" diopter sight. Those three holes on top of the receiver are often used for scope stops of course, but they were really designed to give three solid, slip-free mounting positions for the sight. Adding this function to a Williams sight would be a great addition for any Weihrauch rifle.

I really wish someone would make a set of different-length eyepiece extenders for these sights - i.e., just simple tubes with a male 7/32-40 thread on one end, and female on the other. Getting the aperture disk closer to your eye would make the sight quite a bit more useful.

View attachment 384180

My next project. With the popularity of the diopter/peep sight, I think I’ll go to work on taking the Williams all the way for a Weihrauch airgun. Add the stop and the extension. Would make brass inserts to apply to the factory aperture for different sizes. Not to make a profit but for the good folks here on AGN. Been over 100 degrees here for quite a spell and my shop AC is having trouble keeping me cool. So, when whether breaks. Thank you Mike for the heads up on the thread size. Need to put my thinking cap on now.

 

[MDriskill]

That would be AWESOME - absolutely put me at the front of the line to buy a set! But let me toss out a minor technical challenge.

On paper: US-made Williams, Redfield, and Lyman sights; and the legendary British Parker-Hale ones; all use the 7/32-40 thread. BUT...they do NOT interchange, as various technical standards of thread pitch angles, etc., varied over time and across the Atlantic. And Williams is the odd duck in my experience - my Lyman and PH eyepieces will interchange, but Williams refuses to cooperate with either.

The people who have figured this out are the guys who made the US-to-German adapter, as seen in your first post. That perfectly fits ALL my Williams, Lyman, and PH sights. That's the thread to copy.

And here's why that's important: Parker-Hale sights are exquisite, and they made an incredible variety of eyepieces - everything from tiny "ghost ring" sport apertures, to elaborate adjustable irises with colored filters and milled steel eyeshade, with many stops in between. And they do turn up pretty regularly on fleabay and other sources of old-gun goodies.

A Williams sight that could both vary eye relief, and take PH accessories, would be world-class stuff...!

 

[Woodsmoke]

My next project. With the popularity of the diopter/peep sight, I think I’ll go to work on taking the Williams all the way for a Weihrauch airgun. Add the stop and the extension. Would make brass inserts to apply to the factory aperture for different sizes. Not to make a profit but for the good folks here on AGN. Been over 100 degrees here for quite a spell and my shop AC is having trouble keeping me cool. So, when whether breaks. Thank you Mike for the heads up on the thread size. Need to put my thinking cap on now.

I like your project. I wish it was available last week. Do you happen to know the outside diameter of the anschutz diopter?

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

I like your project. I wish it was available last week. Do you happen to know the outside diameter of the anschutz diopter?

If you are asking what the diameter of the aperture is, it’s just shy of an inch. Most all of the German eyeshades are standard. I may have an extra one if that is what you’re looking for. Just pm me.

 

[MDriskill]

I like your project. I wish it was available last week. Do you happen to know the outside diameter of the anschutz diopter?

I'm not sure which part of an Anschutz sight you mean?

All German eyepieces use a standardized 9.5mm x 1.0mm thread (Anschutz, Centra, Diana, FWB, Gehmann, Hammerli, Steyr, Walther, and Weihrauch stuff easily swap around). The disks themselves are typically 25mm (almost 1 inch) in diameter, with an aperture opening between 0.8mm and 1.2mm.

The securing sleeve in a vintage Anschutz front sight is an "M18" thread - 18.0mm x 0.5mm (Weihrauch sights are the older and slightly smaller "M17" - 17.0mm x 0.5mm). Anschutz's metal front inserts are about 17mm in diameter, with a unique pattern of side tabs.

 

[Woodsmoke]

If you are asking what the diameter of the aperture is, it’s just shy of an inch. Most all of the German eyeshades are standard. I may have an extra one if that is what you’re looking for. Just pm me.

I’ve been trying to pm you. I can’t figure out how to do it

 

[marflow 777]

you click on the members name and hit start a conversation

 

[Woodsmoke]

you click on the members name and hit start a conversation

Thanks. I’ve tried that. When I click on a member’s name there is no option for starting a conversation. Is it because I’m a new member?

 

[KWK]

Yep

 

[Moog]

This is a Williams WGRS54 sight mounted on an HW95. A screw in the sight base is resting up against the inside rear of the middle stop pin hole. I also put a little red Locktite on the dove tail. After over two tins of pellets this set up is still holding up just fine. Sorry the picture is a little blurry.

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

This is a Williams WGRS54 sight mounted on an HW95. A screw in the sight base is resting up against the inside rear of the middle stop pin hole. I also put a little red Locktite on the dove tail. After over two tins of pellets this set up is still holding up just fine. Sorry the picture is a little blurry.

View attachment 384409

Is this model adjustable for elevation?

 

[Simplemann]

I've always wanted to try one of these on my Crosman 2300S but was not sure if it was compatible with the front sight. Then I was going to put one on a 2289 but again I wasn't sure about the front sight so I ended up putting on a scope I do like the peep sites for all the reasons you stated. Thanks for posting this

 

[Roboslug]

Sorry to deviate (slightly). BoG, please tell us about the AOS "microsight". Been forever intrigued by it, but I've never seen one in the wild.

 

[cjtamu]

I've always wanted to try one of these on my Crosman 2300S but was not sure if it was compatible with the front sight. Then I was going to put one on a 2289 but again I wasn't sure about the front sight so I ended up putting on a scope I do like the peep sites for all the reasons you stated. Thanks for posting this

Something like this you mean? Mounts up just like the stock rear sight for 2300S. I love it. YMMV.

 

[Chuck-in-Ohio]

Is this model adjustable for elevation?

Yes it is.
It is adjustable via two screws allowing you to adjust windage and elevation by hand.

You have to guesstimate at it to get there, as there are no positive clicks or stops, just friction against a dovetail with a set screw.

 

[beerthief]

I’ve been trying to pm you. I can’t figure out how to do it

need 10 good posts and 10 days member b4 you can PM

 

[MDriskill]

Sorry to deviate (slightly). BoG, please tell us about the AOS "microsight". Been forever intrigued by it, but I've never seen one in the wild.

If you've ever shot 10-meter targets, you know it's hard to keep the front sight and target bull in simultaneous sharp focus, even with an adjustable-aperture iris eyepiece. The AOS is a sort of fresnel-lens device which is designed to improve focus on the sight. It does not magnify, so is legal in sanctioned competition.

Its depth-of-field is rather limited though, so they were made in two different focal lengths, for different front-to-rear sight spacings. Note also they have the European eyepiece thread, so require an adapter for a US sight (as in BoG's pic in the first post).

They work so well that Gehmann even sold them for a while, but they are no longer made. Another - if frighteningly expensive - route to the same goal are some newer Gehmann iris models which have a non-magnifying focusing lens:

530-0 Gehmann diopter 0.0x combined with rearsight iris | 218E7A7711B54C26BD3070BEEB974E0C

Diopter 0.0x with rerasight iris 510, but without magnification Please see description of 50300-0

www.gehmann.com