Just thought I'd check to see what consensus there currently is with the 1901 and 1902 sights on the Krag.

What sights do most people use for accuracy at 100-300 yards? Is one easier to adjust for changing settings for the different distances? Are people using the notch with the ladder down or raised and adjusting it that way?

I have been trying to get my 200 yard accuracy down and am having trouble getting better than 2 MOA repeatedly. I know that's not too bad but I would like to tweak it more yet am finding the fine tuning of the 1902 sight difficult. I am using the open notch and have not fooled with drilling the peep out bigger yet.

My M1898 Krag rifle that I'm shooting is well maintained and has a great trigger. I may try a 1901 sight to compare.

So, what are most people shooting for accuracy and at Perry?

Thanks!

I expect you'll find partisans of both sights here. My personal take -

1901 sight -

• Finely adjustable.
  
• Adjustments inconvenient.
  
• Usable aperture that can be effective after enlargement.
  

1902 sight -

• Semi-fine adjustable elevation, fine windage.
  
• Adjustments convenient
  
• Aperture not well-defined if enlarged to usable size.
  

Those who prefer notch sights are probably best served by the 1902. Those preferring the advantages of a usable aperture should find the 1901 more useful.

The windage adjustment on the 1902 is very effective and easy to use. I'm having more trouble with the elevation fine tuning on the 1902.

I am going to have to switch out to the 1901 and see what I can do to compare.

Some 02 and 98 sights have smaller notches on the side of the leaf for finer elevation adjustment.  Some so fine you can hardly tell when you've moved it!  I prefer the 1902 or a modified 98.  I can't say it makes for more accuracy.  My scores are falling as the age number goes up!  I forgot to mention that I prefer a V notch cut into the eyepiece, and a wider front blade that I made.  I haven't had to cut my own V notch in any, plenty of them online come previously modified.

My personal preference is for the 1902.  As for the peep, according to CMP rules, you can enlarge the peep to 0.1 dia (original size is a incredibly small 0.04 dia).  As Para pointed out, enlarging the peep leaves you with little definition.  However, I built my plate up with JB Weld and it's quite effective now... and that distance from eye to rear sight is not as much of a problem with the larger peep aperture. 

Paul, what do you and Para mean that the enlarged 1902 aperture is not well defined if enlarged? How would the enlarged, undefined, 1902 aperture differ from the better defined 1901 aperture?

And what did you build up with JB Weld to improve your 1902?

Sorry for the nit picking but I'm experiencing some of these exact issues and I'd like to know my options for working with them.

Thanks a lot, though!

Once the aperture of the 1902 sight is opened up to useful size, the remaining "ring" around the hole is so thin that it virtually disappears when the eye is focused on front sight or target, becoming what some might call a "ghost ring" - a very faint ghost.

The 1901 aperture is centrally located in a fairly large plate and can be enlarged significantly without producing this effect.

Interesting. I'll have to take a closer look at mine. That makes sense. Thank you.

Para nailed it!  The 1901 sight has the aperture in the plate of slide.  The 1902 sight has a flip-up aperture, know as the "Sgt. Peep."  This plate has a pronounced half circle at the top with a 0.04 dia. aperture in it.  When you drill it out to 0.07 dia. (as large as you can go without destroying the plate, you'll wind up with a hair thin ring on top.  I built the top of my plate up with JB Weld so when I enlarged it further to 0.1 dia., I still had a defined ring on top.  Hey... it works for me! 

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Now I see. I enlarged my Sgt. Peep slightly but no where near that much. Looks like it might be worth trying to solder or weld a small plate on the top of the peep but your JB Weld did nice.

I'll switch out to a 1901 sight first and try that out since I've been trying to get the 200 yd shooting fine tuned with a 1902 notch only.

Thanks guys!

Remember... The 1901 sight requires a different hand guard also.  Switching rear sights from one type to another is not just a simple swap!  Of course, if it's sporterized and doesn't have a hand guard, the point is moot.

Thanks, Paul. I have a few extra for this purpose. I shouldn't have a problem. (It's nice to have started collecting extra parts years ago.)

In my view, for someone with good eyes, the 1901 rear sight is capable of more precise shooting, the 1902 rear sight is more user friendly.

Thanks, Mark. That seems to be the consensus.

I personally prefer a small peep aperture, for me, it is more accurate. A larger peep can be good for those with failing eyes. poor vision, or in lower light conditions.

The smaller rear peep is nice but it is sometimes hard to find the front blade sight. If it is a clean hole, it certainly can be more accurate. One problem people have is having their head too far back from the peep. There is an ideal eye relief with them depending on size of aperture.

Of course it helps to have good eyeballs too. :(

You're right! At 55, I thank God mine are still pretty good. Starting to need readers when I get tired.

I wear three level progressives... but fortunately, it doesn't affect my sighting and I wear an older pair of glasses for shooting.  I'm 56 going on 72... LOL so I count my blessings that I can shoot straight enough to compete!

I guess that's the difference between close up and distance sighting. Pretty impressive, Paul! Hope the eyes keep you shooting straight for years to come.

I am a new Krag owner with a 1902 gun and sight.  I prefer the 1902 based on never having fired a shot.  So; take my post with a grain of salt.

I have been shooting Grands, 1903A3 and a M1A with true rear apertures. And also several 1903's and a Trapdoor all with the 'hole' in the rear sight.  The later two, do not function as apertures and IMHO, all they do is limit the field of view.The shooter has to center the front sight. In the first 3, the shooter gets aperture effect, where no effort is needed to center the front post.

Again, extrapolating from the 03 and trapdoor, folks are not enlarging an aperture with the Krag.  They are making a hole bigger. To work, the hole has to be right up in your face.  This is why you dont see aperture sights on pistols. They dont work.

Anyway, I am a new member and I hope I am not making to strong a post or misrepresenting the posts of others. I have been know to do that. 

fourbore-  I do think you have a good point that many aperture sights have the aperture hole closer to the eye than the Krag rear sight. That would make sighting easier and somewhat quicker than if you have to search a little for it.

But, I think this is nit picking a little if you have good eye sight. I don't have much trouble at all in quickly picking up the front sight through the aperture hole in the 1901 Krag rear sight with the ladder raised. This has worked much better for me than the smaller Sgt Peep sight hole on the 1902 rear Krag sight.

Paul has shown where he has enlarged his rear 1902 Sgt Peep sight to make it easier to use but he had to enlarge the entire Peep sight upper tab with epoxy to have enough material to actually drill and file out the hole larger. The 1901 aperture hole is larger than even the slightly enlarged 1902 Sgt Peep sight and is very easy to use. I have been shooting more accurately and more consistently with my M1898 Krag rifle after I switched out the 1902 sight with a 1901 sight. (It required changing the hand guard also.)

The 1902 rear sight is not bad and you can easily use the sighting notch if you don't like the Sgt Peep small aperture. I did real well with that notch sight initially but I was trying to wrestle a little better performance out of my Krag to get closer to 1 MOA groups more consistently. The 1901 aperture sight is helping me achieve that goal, with the help of many skilled and experienced people on this forum.

Keep working with the Krag. It will reward you handsomely!

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