Basics of 10m air rifle sights? Confused

melchloboo · Post by **melchloboo** » Sun May 17, 2009 10:37 am

I'm a little lost.

1. I have a FWB 300s with basic sights, and would like to move to a system that gives me more adjustment options. I would like to move to something that can move with me to other air or smallbore rifles.

2. Do all the European (fwb, anschutz, etc.) air rifles and smallbore share the same "rail" that the sights slide onto? Also do the iris systems fit each other, or is a specific base sight required?

3. Can the simple fixed aperture on the 300s be replaced with an adjustable iris? Same for front sight? Or would I have to get a whole new rear sight?

Thanks

peepsight · Post by **peepsight** » Sun May 17, 2009 11:36 am

Hi

The rails [Dovetails] vary in size from one make to another so you need to specify which make of rifle you need the part to fit.

However, all the manufacturers keep the same rail size for their air rifles and small bore rifles.

Some newer back sights will fit most makes of rifle.
You can fit a variable back sight iris to your FWB 300-S such as Gehmann or Centra. Most back sights from all the major manufacturers have a common thread size for the iris.
I fitted an Anschutz fore sight tunnel to my old 300-S but i had to file out the jaws carefully, this now gave me an 18-mm dia size which opened up a huge market for different inserts.

Peeps

melchloboo · Post by **melchloboo** » Sun May 17, 2009 12:30 pm

Thanks peepsight. With regards to the use of the word "iris" vs. "sight":

At this time I don't mind the "sight" fixture itself, which I think of as just the block, with elevation and windage adjustments...

Do you mean to say that the hole I look through, what I call the aperture, can be replaced with an adjustable "iris", whereby I would keep my existing block? Then, later with a different rifle, I can take that iris with me to a different sight fixture?

Or, do I have to replace the whole "sight" to get an adjustable iris?

I see that, for example, Gehmann makes adjustable iris(es ...or whatever the plural is ;-) ). Now does that mean you must start with a Gehamann "sight" block, or can they be swapped out with the iris/aperture of other brand sights (fwb, anschutz, etc..)?

My immediate rifle is the 300s, but as I say there may be other smallbore and air in the near future. If for now I can get by with just getting an adjustable iris, possibly with color inserts, that would be great, especially if then I can take that to my other rifles.

I think I am not explaining myself well, but hopefully you follow.

Thanks!

P.S.

My main issue right now is dealing with different lighting situations indoors, and my very light eyeglasses prescription, but mainly the lighting. Not to mention, I'm just the kind of person where the one-size-fits-all never fits ;-)

jhawk · Post by **jhawk** » Sun May 17, 2009 1:47 pm

I have a Gehman adjustable rear iris on my 300 S rear sight, and an Anschutz adjustable front aperature on the front. They have on occasion moved to other Anschutz sights without problems. The FWB sights for the 300S, have the sleeve on the screw that fits in the groves on top of the receiver, to keep the sight in place when the action stops as it slides back. You have to really tighten up other sights that don't have that sleeve, or they will, or at least, have the potential to loosen and slide. I don't know if and Anschutz rear sight will even fit on a FWB rail, and I am not near my rifles at the moment to even check.

peepsight · Post by **peepsight** » Sun May 17, 2009 5:24 pm

All you do is unscrew the rear aperture disc that has the peep hole in it from your back sight housing block and screw on an adjustable peep sight. which is more commonly known as an iris.

Check the Gehmann web site where all the adjustable irises are shown. There are many that have coloured filters and they explain what colours are beneficial for indoor and out door ranges.

I personally don't like coloured filters for indoor 10m shooting.

You can open or shut down the iris aperture to suit the lighting levels and sight picture contrast/definition and also dial in a particular colour that enhaces the sight picture.

Peeps

melchloboo · Post by **melchloboo** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:39 pm

Thanks guys, I am closer to understanding now.

jhawk wrote:I have a Gehman adjustable rear iris on my 300 S rear sight, and an Anschutz adjustable front aperature on the front.

Jhawk-I assume this means, as peepsight says, that you just unscrewed the aperture and screwed in the Gehman? I guess the threading is pretty much standard?

As far as the front sight, did you replace the entire sight, or is there an adjustable insert of some kind?

Is there a trick to unscrewing the rear aperture? Mine won't budge! Nor does it look like its supposed to unscrew...

jhawk · Post by **jhawk** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:33 pm

Yes, you just unscrew the 1.1mm iris, and screw in the adjustable iris. For the front aperature, you unscrew the clamping ring that holds the existing aperature in the front sight, and replace it and the existing aperature with the adjustable front aperature. If you go to Champions Choice, and look under sights and accessories, there are many choices to look at, and I think it may be a little clearer.

melchloboo · Post by **melchloboo** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:40 pm

I am working on that iris/aperture and it just won't budge. It kind of looks like at its base there are flat spots for using a wrench?

jhawk · Post by **jhawk** » Sun May 17, 2009 11:55 pm

Yes, the FWB 300S came with a wrench that spanned the iris, and had a flat bladed screwdriver on the other end. The side could be used to tighten the knob that attaches the rear sight to the rail/dovetail.

melchloboo · Post by **melchloboo** » Mon May 18, 2009 6:55 am

Ok, thanks. I will see if I can find a wrench that will fit and get back to you guys.