Tech Sights

I have been testing a number of modern quality .22 caliber rifles recently. Among the numbers tested, some are better than others. While this has a degree of simple personal preference, one defect noted among them all was the poor sights. The old blade rear and post front is useful for general target work in training new shooters and perhaps small game at short range but that is all.

On the other hand, my M1A and AR rifles, although designed long ago, feature excellent quality aperture sights that make for fast and accurate shooting. The same certainly isn’t true of the sights still found on popular .22 rifles, including the Ruger 10/22 and Marlin 60. I elected to upgrade the sights on the Hunting Tactical Super Sixty and my choice wasn’t difficult.

In the past I have installed Tech Sights (Tech-Sights.com, on customer’s rifles and the Below center: Note hole for stabilizing screw and AR-15-like front post sight. result was a great improvement. I checked their website to see if they had anything available for use on my build. While it was no surprise to see the ever-popular Ruger 10/22 have accessories offered, the Marlin 60 is also covered by Tech Sights. That was satisfying as there simply aren’t many Marlin 60 accessories.

Factory sights often are not suited for precision work. For those that hunt with a Winchester 94 or Marlin 336 and understand how to use buckhorn-type sights and can make use of the difference between a coarse and a fine bead, they are fine understudy sights. For those using AR-15 and M1A rifles, these sights do not have a commonality for practice.

Above center: The rear sight offers excellent adjustment range. Tech Sights have many advantages, among them a greatly-improved sight picture, a longer sight radius, and easy installation. The average improvement in sight radius is eight inches with the Ruger 10/22 and Marlin 60, offering greater precision than simple open rear sights. The aperture leads the eye to the center of sight, allowing for centering the front post in the rear sight easily, and offers more practical accuracy and fast shooting ability.

I like this for practice. And there are those who count on a quality .22 as their home or ranch defense firearm. Most of these load the piece with CCI Mini Mag or Stinger cartridges. As .22 LR High Velocity ammunition goes, this is as good as it gets. I ordered 200-series (TSM200) sights for the Super Sixty. Theselection of the sights bears some discussion. The standard 100 series only offers windage adjustment in the rear sight and elevation in the front, while the 200 offers both windage and elevation adjustment.

I feel that for almost all rimfire use, the 100 series is just fine, however, there is only ten dollars difference in price and I’d rather have the extra adjustment. Just the same, the less complicated sight seems the most popular. If you order the 200 series be certain to also order the sight adjustment tool (TS211) which is a neat design well worth its modest price. The Ruger 10/22 is slightly more difficult than the Marlin 60 as the Ruger’s front sight retaining pin must be pressed out with a brass punch.

While punches and screwdrivers are required with some firearms, the Marlin 60 is perhaps the simplest. None are difficult for a gunsmith but the home hobbyist possibly needs to bring the gun in to ensure that the sights are centered properly. In addition to a gunsmith knowledgeable in keeping the sights centered, the primary problem with home installation is the chance the finish ends up marred by ten-thumbed installation.

A standard level of care common among good gunsmiths along with proper use of thread locker is needed.

The author elected not to use the recommended Loctite in order to maintain the ability to adjust eye relief. With a shrouded rear sight, a good range of adjustment, and sold attachment to the sight rail, Tech Sights area great addition to the Marlin 60. Far As for improvement in practical and absolute accuracy, the difference in this case was pronounced. The Super Sixty had proven capable of approximately two-inch groups at 50 yards with the CCI Mini Mag, thanks to its excellent trigger.

After fitting the Tech Sights, three shot groups were shrunk in half. Installation I’ll be using TSM200 Tech Sights installed on a Marlin 60-type receiver and barrel in the form of the Hunting Tactical Super Six custom rifle. First, clear the rifle. I remove the magazine tube after manually racking the bolt. The Super Sixty is a Marlin clone that features a hold open latch. The front sight is removed by turning out the sight screw.

I then set the original sight aside. 0054" and its 40 clicks yields 0.216" total movement on the 36 TPI threads. The 100-series flip sight changes aperture elevation by 0.036" (5.86 MOA on a Ruger 10/22 with 18 1/2" barrel) and with a 50-yard zero, that’s about right for 100 yard zero on the higher aperture. With a 25-yard zero, impact will be 0.77" low at 100. I mounted the rifle in a fixture in order to stabilize it while centering and installing the front and rear sights.

The front sight tower assembly is lined up and centered on the front of the barrel and the 6-48 screw tightened down. Apply either low or medium strength Loctite to the 6-48 screw used to lock down the Tech Sight front sight. Move to the rear sight, which is installed on the scope mounting rail of Marlin 60 rifles. This requires a steady hand. The rear sight uses a Lock Block Assembly (TS00238) that runs left to right to secure the rear sight. Carefully position the rear sight on the scope mounting rail.

The rear sight should be held in place by hand to properly contact and engage the right side of the scope mounting rail. Insert the Lock Block left to right and screw the attaching nut into place. Slide the rear side forward a bit to obtain proper eye relief, then tighten the Lock Block down. When you have finished, you’ll have a nice rarity: A .22 rifle fitted with top-quality aperture sights. The improvement in both practical and absolute accuracy is pronounced and worth the effort. AG