Not too long ago, TandemKross announced their Marksman Sight System for the Browning Buck Mark. Of course, I got my hands on one as soon as it became available. Because the Buck Mark is one of my favorite rimfire pistols, and mine have been solid performers. Out of the box, they are great shooters, and I always recommend them as an option to anyone looking for a quality .22 pistol. They’re not quite perfect, but an excellent base if you’re interested in building a custom pistol. Browning offers a huge range of Buck Marks, just not in the exact configuration I would like.
Case in point – when I check the Browning site, there are 42 different models available. Yet I can’t find a single one that checks all the boxes for me. My “wish list” includes a light barrel (threaded, of course), fiber optics, a good trigger, and optics-ready. Their full steel barrels are quite heavy, while their alloy-sleeved Vision barrel models have a lot of extra machine work (fancy cuts) that don’t appeal to me. Some models have fiber optic sights, but no optics rail. Others have an optics rail but don’t co-witness with the sights. They all have pretty good triggers, but there is always room for improvement. So I went the custom route, and have a “no-compromise” pistol. The Marksman Sight System is now the icing on this cake.
TandemKross Marksman Sight System for the Browning Buck Mark
Machined from aluminum, the Marksman kit is comprised of two main pieces. Out front is a replacement tall fiber optic sight with replaceable light pipes. This allows the shooter to choose between red or green. It replaces the factory front sight, and it matches the contour of OEM barrels as well as the ones from TacSol. I did find a minor fitment issue with the aftermarket barrel, but it was an easy fix, and would not be a concern with the factory barrel. This is where I would post a photo of the kit’s contents, had I taken one before assembly. Instead, here’s a photo of everything installed. And now all the photos will appear to be out of order. Sorry.
At the rear is where all the magic happens. The typical Picatinny rail and extra height of an optic’s clamping system would make co-witnessing nearly impossible. Replacing the rear sight and/or factory Picatinny rail is a direct mount plate. It’s drilled for all the most popular red dot options. And it includes the fully adjustable fiber optic rear sight as well. Its low profile, combined with the slightly elevated sights, allows it to co-witness with most optics. In my opinion, this provides the best of both worlds, bringing my pistol one step closer to perfection.
Installation of the Marksman Sight System
Installing the TandemKross Marksman Sight System for the Browning Buck Mark is simple and straightforward. All the required tools and hardware is included, making this an easy job that can be done at home. Just remove the two screws for the factory rail or rear sight, and replace it with the Marksman mount. If there are any pitfalls, it’s that you need to pay attention to the screws, as the front (short) and rear (long) are obviously different lengths. Other than that, it’s one of those “more time to type out instructions than it takes to get the job done” sort of deals.
For the front sight, it’s a matter of unscrewing the single screw holding it in place, and swapping the new sight in. If you happen to have a non-factory threaded barrel like my TacSol shown, the front sight does over-hang it by a fraction of an inch. A quick touch-up with a small file resolved that (see photos at the bottom of this article). Note that this is not necessary with OEM Browning Buck Mark barrels. Fit is perfect with them. A small price to pay for the lighter barrel, but not really anything worth worrying about. TandemKross does recommend all fasteners be hand-tight only, with a small amount of medium thread-locker. I use a tiny drop of blue Loctite.
Installation of the optic
On the TandemKross website, there is a handy compatibility chart for optics. They list out most individually, and that includes the RMR, Noblex/Docter, Shield RMS/SMS & Holosun K, as well as C-More RTS footprints. As mentioned, all the necessary screws and pins are included, as well as a gasket for those optics which require the use of one. Their diagram also indicates which holes to use, the wrench size, and whether the dowel pins or gasket are needed. It’s really hard to mess this up, but TandemKross is known for making installations easy on the home gunsmith.
My optic of choice for this pistol is the Vortex Venom 3 MOA optic. While they also offer this in 6 MOA, I prefer the 3 MOA for this pistol. Their 6 MOA is great for speed, but I like the smaller dot for precision. Anyway, I found that there seems to be a tiny amount of play in the sight as it’s installed, so go slow, and alternate tightening the screws while checking for good alignment. Once the optic was installed, I used a laser to check the zero. The fiber optic sights were already lined up with the dot, making things easier. I did bring the wrenches with me to the range, in case adjustments needed to be made based on ammo selection.
Adjusting the fiber optic sights
On the top of the rear sight is a screw for elevation. Using the included wrench to tighten it (turning in) will lower the rear sight, while loosening it will raise the rear sight. On the right side of the sight is the windage adjustment screw. Tightening it moves the sight right, and loosening it moves the sight left.
If you remove the front sight and flip it over, there is a tiny set screw at the front. Loosening it removes tension on the pin holding the fiber optic light pipe so that it can be pushed out. Swap for another color, or replace the current one if damaged. When reinstalling the front sight, take care to make sure it’s properly aligned before tightening hand-tight with a bit of thread-locker added.
A few words about aesthetics
Yes, it’s asymmetric. There is a cut on the right side above the ejection port. At first, I thought that might give me an eye twitch. But once installed, it’s hardly noticeable, so that’s not an issue at all. My Browning Buck Mark has a matte black grip frame and matte grey barrel. Would I prefer a less-glossy finish, such as a Type III hard coat? Sure, but that would drive the cost up too. Meanwhile, it does match the Halo charging handle, so it’s not totally out of place. And despite the somewhat glossy look, I haven’t noticed any issues with reflections in bright sunlight. Overall, I am happy with the styling too.
At the range with the Marksman Sight System for the Browning Buck Mark
I consider this Buck Mark to be my “field pistol”. It’s the ideal rimfire companion for range day plinking as well as hiking, or camping. This isn’t a combat pistol, so it’s not like I needed backup sights – it’s actually the opposite for me. Before I added the Marksman, I was perfectly content to use the Vortex Venom. Now that I have the option of fiber optic sights, it’s a bit more versatile. When carried in a holster, I don’t need to leave the dot on, or remember to turn it on and off. I can quickly engage a target using the fiber optics sights alone. They are bright and easy to use, and fairly quick to get on target. Yet when I need a bit more speed and precision, the Venom is just a button push away.
The verdict
Whether using the sights or the optic, this pistol is still more accurate than I can shoot. That’s not to say that I’m a bad shot, it’s simply never let me down in the accuracy department. The addition of the Marksman Sight System checks that last remaining box for me as well. If I was in the market for a Buck Mark, and I didn’t like the available models (which I don’t), this would be a viable option for whichever one I might choose. If you already have a Browning Buck Mark, and want to pair adjustable fiber optic sights with the option to co-witness an optic, this is an easy decision. Unsurprisingly, TandemKross has created a product that just plain works well, and is easy to install too. Check it out at TandemKross.com.
As always, I’d like to thank TandemKross for providing yet another great product for me to try out and share with my readers.
Fitting the Marksman’s included front sight to the TacSol barrel
Since the vast majority of people buying the Marksman will be using it on an OEM barrel, I didn’t include this in the main part of my article. But if you happen to have an aftermarket barrel like I do, there may be some minor fitting required. In the first photo, you can see the slight radius I had to cut into the lower leading edge of the sight.
In this photo, you can see the very minimal overhang. This would not be an issue with the thread protector installed. But removing it to mount a suppressor would cause some interference. As would the use of any muzzle device with a diameter larger than the barrel. Note again that this is not a TandemKross issue, and not a concern with a factory Browning Buck Mark barrel. It’s only with my aftermarket barrel that this tiny modification had to be made. All it took was a few passes with a curved needle file.
Great write-up! Thanks for letting us know about this amazing-looking product, I can’t wait to try one for myself.
I take this pistol with me on just about every outing, and each time, I’m reminded how this mount makes it that much closer to perfect.