Front Sight Recommendation for 464

wmg1299 · April 2, 2018, 11:20 PM

I just purchased a Mossberg 464. The front sight is very thin, and I am looking to upgrade. I own several scoped rifles, but do not want to put a scope on my lever gun. Any recommendations from lever gun shooters that will fit the 464?

COSteve · April 4, 2018, 09:44 AM

The 464 comes with a set of Marbles sights so just look at the Marbles website and pick the style you like, then find it on a seller's site. I have the Walnut, pistol grip stocked 464 that came with a brass bead front sight and I love it. In fact, it's the same front sight I added to my Rossi 357mag. What is it that you don't like about it? It's plainly visible to me and precision enough to shoot at bowling pins at 200yds with mine.

wmg1299 · April 4, 2018, 04:31 PM

A brass bead sight would be perfect. The one on my 464 is a very thin post and is hard to pick up against any sort of dark background. I may contact Mossberg and see if they still have any of the bead sights left.

COSteve · April 5, 2018, 08:31 AM

Here's a closeup of mine. It's a 1/16" brass bead.

dgludwig · April 14, 2018, 08:44 AM

Williams Gun Sight Company, Inc. (WWW.WILLIAMSGUNSIGHT.COM) makes a host of open sight variations for many different rifles. I'm pretty sure they will have whatever you want for your Mossberg.

Pathfinder45 · April 15, 2018, 01:46 PM

I don't own a Mossberg, but I use a 30-30 Winchester quite a bit and have observed this: The front bead was too small to see quickly enough in the woods. One can say that a fine bead makes for more precise shooting, but I have found that a larger bead is just as precise if used correctly with a 6 0'clock hold.
I slid a tight roll-pin over mine and filled the end with fluorescent paint topped with clear nail-polish. Its larger size is quickly visible in less than ideal conditions now. And no, it does not obscure the target. On paper these should be sighted in for the bullets to strike at he top edge of the bead, (not the center), at the longest range you are willing to shoot, perhaps 150 yards for this type of rifle. Thus the deer or whatever, is always seen touching the front sight, but never obscured by it.
I would never put a scope on this Winchester. However, the addition of a tang-mounted, Lyman peep-sight has made a huge difference in making longer shots good and all shots more quickly. You probably have a tang-safety on the Mossberg, so that would be impractical for you. However, there are receiver-mounted aperture sights that should be a good option for you.
At 62, my eyes are good, but not what they used to be. I use reading glasses now and open sights are a lot more challenging than they used to be. But with a peep sight, it's all good and shoot about as well as my buddy does with a scoped rifle.

COSteve · April 17, 2018, 09:10 AM

Pathfinder45 has a point in that some people like a bigger bead in front. Marbles makes the 1/16" brass bead (the one I have on my 464). They also make the same sight with a 3/16" brass bead which I tried on my Rossi carbine but quickly took off as it was too big for my uses. I have the small 1/16" brass bead on 2 Rossi 357mags, and 2 Uberti 45 Colts as well as my Savage 99 and Winchester 88 so I'm use to it.

It really comes down to what you prefer. Some also like a FO front sight with either a 1/16" dia or 3/16" dia rod in red, green, yellow, etc. As the sights on your 464 are Marbles brand, I'd suggest that you look at Marbles front sights on their website and decide what will work best for you and your purposes. Call Mossberg CS and ask them what the Marbles model number of your front sight is. You can then call Marbles and ask them which sight in whatever style you like matches the base and height of the one your 464 came with. They should be able to give you the number of one that exactly matches the height and base of the one your 464 came with.

April 2, 2018, 11:20 PM	#1
wmg1299 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2013 Location: DFW Metroplex Posts: 190	Front Sight Recommendation for 464 I just purchased a Mossberg 464. The front sight is very thin, and I am looking to upgrade. I own several scoped rifles, but do not want to put a scope on my lever gun. Any recommendations from lever gun shooters that will fit the 464?

April 14, 2018, 08:44 AM	#5
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	Williams Gun Sight Company, Inc. (WWW.WILLIAMSGUNSIGHT.COM) makes a host of open sight variations for many different rifles. I'm pretty sure they will have whatever you want for your Mossberg. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

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April 4, 2018, 09:44 AM	#2
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	The 464 comes with a set of Marbles sights so just look at the Marbles website and pick the style you like, then find it on a seller's site. I have the Walnut, pistol grip stocked 464 that came with a brass bead front sight and I love it. In fact, it's the same front sight I added to my Rossi 357mag. What is it that you don't like about it? It's plainly visible to me and precision enough to shoot at bowling pins at 200yds with mine.

April 4, 2018, 04:31 PM	#3
wmg1299 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2013 Location: DFW Metroplex Posts: 190	A brass bead sight would be perfect. The one on my 464 is a very thin post and is hard to pick up against any sort of dark background. I may contact Mossberg and see if they still have any of the bead sights left.

April 5, 2018, 08:31 AM	#4
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	Here's a closeup of mine. It's a 1/16" brass bead.

April 15, 2018, 01:46 PM	#6
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	I don't own a Mossberg, but I use a 30-30 Winchester quite a bit and have observed this: The front bead was too small to see quickly enough in the woods. One can say that a fine bead makes for more precise shooting, but I have found that a larger bead is just as precise if used correctly with a 6 0'clock hold. I slid a tight roll-pin over mine and filled the end with fluorescent paint topped with clear nail-polish. Its larger size is quickly visible in less than ideal conditions now. And no, it does not obscure the target. On paper these should be sighted in for the bullets to strike at he top edge of the bead, (not the center), at the longest range you are willing to shoot, perhaps 150 yards for this type of rifle. Thus the deer or whatever, is always seen touching the front sight, but never obscured by it. I would never put a scope on this Winchester. However, the addition of a tang-mounted, Lyman peep-sight has made a huge difference in making longer shots good and all shots more quickly. You probably have a tang-safety on the Mossberg, so that would be impractical for you. However, there are receiver-mounted aperture sights that should be a good option for you. At 62, my eyes are good, but not what they used to be. I use reading glasses now and open sights are a lot more challenging than they used to be. But with a peep sight, it's all good and shoot about as well as my buddy does with a scoped rifle.

April 17, 2018, 09:10 AM	#7
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	Pathfinder45 has a point in that some people like a bigger bead in front. Marbles makes the 1/16" brass bead (the one I have on my 464). They also make the same sight with a 3/16" brass bead which I tried on my Rossi carbine but quickly took off as it was too big for my uses. I have the small 1/16" brass bead on 2 Rossi 357mags, and 2 Uberti 45 Colts as well as my Savage 99 and Winchester 88 so I'm use to it. It really comes down to what you prefer. Some also like a FO front sight with either a 1/16" dia or 3/16" dia rod in red, green, yellow, etc. As the sights on your 464 are Marbles brand, I'd suggest that you look at Marbles front sights on their website and decide what will work best for you and your purposes. Call Mossberg CS and ask them what the Marbles model number of your front sight is. You can then call Marbles and ask them which sight in whatever style you like matches the base and height of the one your 464 came with. They should be able to give you the number of one that exactly matches the height and base of the one your 464 came with.