Improved Front Sight allowed shooters to see the bottom of their target and discouraged aiming low.
Marble’s Flexible Joint Rear Sight (right) incorporated five improvements Lyman (left) could not match: five stanchion hinge, jamb nut stem lock, interchangeable discs, screw adjustable point blank stem, and a spring loaded joint.
or nearly 20 years, Marble’s Sighting Department was headed by “The celebrated rifle shot” Captain Jack who installed new Marble’s sights and targeted them free, provided the customer supplied the ammunition (unused cartridges were returned). For non Marble’s sighted guns, the Captain charged a $1.00 service fee. Captain Jack O’Connell held the job from 1905 to 1909 until replaced by Captain Jack Hemple who stayed on until 1924.
After Webster Marble’s death in 1930, the sight line remained unchanged until 1968, when Marble’s began selling scopes. Featuring high quality Japanese optics and a novel “right side up” reticle (sighting post pointed down from the top instead of up from the bottom), they did not find favor with sportsmen and were discontinued in 1979.
The company’s sight business expanded in 1983 with the purchase of Poly-Choke, the industry leader in variable chokes, vent ribs, and shotgun sights. As more and more hunters and shooters rediscovered the challenge and satisfaction of mastering iron sights, Marble’s was perfectly positioned to fill their needs.
Today, Marble Arms manufactures an impressive lineup of traditional and modern sights for every sporting arm and continues to supply factory equipment sights for most American gun makers. As always, Marble’s products are all steel, all American, and all Gladstone, Michigan U.S.A.
It was the most comprehensive line of rifle, pistol and shotgun sights in the industry. Testimonials came from everywhere and Marble liberally sprinkled them throughout his advertising.
“After a season’s thorough test of your front and rear sights, I consider them the most decided improvement of the age…” F. E. Scotford, Chicago, 1904.
Marble did not overlook traditional rear sights. His little Adjustable Leaf Sight featured a removable notch piece with four different sight pictures and a fold down leaf. It quickly became the most popular replacement for ladder sights on carbines.
Marble’s Sporting Rear Sights with a white diamond adjustable sighting notch, double step elevator and a choice of Flat Top, Semi-Buckhorn, or Full Buckhorn uprights, it was the best selling rifle upgrade in the world. For simplicity and economy, the Sporting Leaf Sight was unbeatable. All three are still manufactured by Marble Arms today.
The Gladstone, Michigan sight maker has long been a supplier of original equipment sights to America’s gun makers, many of whom advertised Marble’s brand sights as extra cost options, making the company both the preferred maker of factory original sights and the sights that replace them.
Gun Sights have never been among Marble’s most glamorous products but they have been its most enduring. While knives, axes, compasses, and matchboxes have come, gone, and come again, sights have been the backbone of the company for more than a century.
Underscoring the importance of gun sights to Marble’s bottom line is the fact that more catalog pages were devoted to them than any other product.
Marble’s rear sights were best selling factory equipment replacements. Today’s versions offer vintage styling with screw adjustable windage controls for even more precise targeting.
1887
Webster Marble moves family to Gladstone, Michigan.
1890
Marble founds Gladstone Exchange Bank and is President.
1892
Manufactures Universal Rifle Sight and incorporates as Gladstone Manufacturing Company.
1893
Makes first Pocket Axes; recession causes Panic of 1893.
1894
Marble returns to surveying and timber cruising.
1898
Patents Safety Pocket Axe and incorporates as Marble Safety Axe Company.
1899
Exhibits first products at Sports Expo in Madison Square Garden.
1902
Introduces Improved Front Sight; British Army adopts Marbles No. 3 Safety Pocket Axes.
1903
Patents Automatic Flexible Joint Rear Sight.
1909
New 24,000 square foot factory completed and lauded as “Finest of its kind in the world.”
1910
First Game Getter Guns shipped from the factory.
1912
Magazine advertising reaches 20,000,000 readers world wide.
1913
Theodore Roosevelt carries Marble’s compasses during Expandicao Scientifica exploration of Brazilian wilderness.
1914
WWI U.S. Army trucks equipped with Marble’s compasses.
1916
British government buys Marble’s hunting knives for Army issue.
1927
Charles Lindbergh carries Marble’s knife, compass, and matchbox on first solo transatlantic flight.
1930
Founder, Webster Marble dies. Son William becomes President; son Floyd is President of subsidiary Marble Card.
1957
Marble Arms is purchased by Bell and Gossett Inc.
1958
Marble Arms Corporation sells 500 Pilot Survival knives to U.S. Navy and releases proprietary manufacturing specifications.
1966
New plant built at present location
1984
Marble Arms purchases Poly-Choke
1998
Marble’s Peep Tang Sight is reintroduced with windage adjustment
2000
Marble’s adds Fiber Optic front, rear, and shotgun sights to the line
2003
Poly-Choke sold
2005
Marble’s #95 sight is reintroduced with windage adjustment
2007
Marble’s introduces the Improved Peep Tang Sight with interchangeable uprights
2008
Marble's releases the Bulleye Sight
History of Marble's
1887-2016
Sighting Department Head, Captain Jack, was the only Marble employee whose picture graced company catalogs.
Full page ads in major sporting magazines gave Marble’s sights world wide exposure and sales