Maynard #2 sight radius

[fullertc]

What's the sight radius of the .50 cal Maynard 2nd Model carbine? I'm seeing a stacked double image of my Smith front sight causing me vertical strings and that's not good. Thank you. Tom

[John Bly]

The sight radius on a 2nd Mod Maynard carbine is about 16 1/2 inches, pretty short. If you are having trouble seeing Smith sights then Maynard sights will be worse. Get better glasses or a longer barrel.

[fullertc]

Phooey! I wonder if those Merit devices that fit on glasses would help. My shooting glasses are fit for a Miss sight radius.

[Kevin Tinny]

Hello:

Been through some of your issues.
I was getting no where with Maynard tang sights and tried a few things.

The key was first having vision corrected so the post is reasonably sharp when the lens is square to the post.
Most glasses end up tilted as one's head is lowered onto the comb.
Then the vision is through an angled lens.
And our CW vintage stocks generally require a lowered face.

I found that IF THE EYE AND LENS are not square to the sight, even a proper strength lens can distort the sight picture when one's face is tilted forward. Also found that thicker lenses, common in graduated tri-focals, can cause the round rear aperture to be stretched upwards and downwards so the round hole is one hole wide and approx two holes high.

Try lifting your bi/tri focals up and down from their normal nose position a bit and tilting them too.
Raising them revealed that I need them a bit higher on my nose so moleskin shims helped.
That post here a while back about the Dollar General "readers" is nice. Saves a costly trip to the dr.

Regards,
Kevin

[Hal]

I have one of those Merit devices and it helps greatly with open sights. For guns with aperture rear sights, I can shoot without it, but it's a must for me to use open sights.

[Jim Wimbish, 10395]

I used to shoot a 2nd Model, but eventually had issue with blurry front sight. I switched to a peep sight, which helped. Also tried the Merit, which really works well, but I had issues keeping it in place since my safety glasses moved around. Then I discovered that low power reading glasses would do the same thing for me as the Merit. However, this won?t work if you need to wear prescription glasses.

Best solution is to switch to 1st Model, if you can afford it.

[bobanderson]

I have glasses with a low power reading prescription so I can focus on the front sight. A good way you can see if this will work for you is to buy a plain pair of "plano" safety glasses and then buy a stick on prescription reading lens from CVS. They come in the various reading powers and adhere to your glass lens with just water. They are "hydro locked". Select a power that gets you the clearest, sharpest focus on the front sight. (One way to ascertain the power is to put a #2 lead pencil mark across the rear of the front sight. If you see the mark, you're good.)
Once you've determined the power, go see your eye doctor to get prescription glasses made, if that's what you wear. My glasses have bifocal lenses with my reading prescription on the bottom of both lenses, the "focus on the front sight" script on my right (dominant/shooting) upper lens and my distance script on my left upper lens. This combination creates the condition they call "monovision", used for laser eye correction. The theory is that you shoot with both eyes open and the view you need, near or far, is what your eyes will use.
I shot with the stick on lens for a couple of years before I went and had a pair made for me.