modern scope and a side lock.

[johnson1942]

can a modern scope and scope mounts go on a sidelock? and if so who can do the job of drilling and tapping a side lock barrel for the mounts? thanks before hand.

[drago9900]

I'm sure they can, there are scopes made for them. The recoil is different than smokeless rifles and some scopes may not hold up. Probably won't look good but do what you have to to keep shooting. Any gun smith should be able to drill and tap for it.

[johnson1942]

i think i found a gunsmith in rapid city. thanks

[johnson1942]

cost too much for the mounts, customer is going with a high quality ghost ring sights.

[mooman76]

They make scope mounts that don't need drilling and taping if you do a search.

[country gent]

On some of the side locks the hammer spur also needs to be bent over to the side to clear the eye piece. I have seen them drilled for weaver bases and rings.

[koger]

Roger, don't do nothing till you read my PM!

[Good Cheer]

They make scope mounts that don't need drilling and taping if you do a search.

By any chance do those clamp onto the octagonal exterior flats of 15/16" or 1" barrels?
I had wondered about such an arrangement but never encountered one. Seems like a natural.

[koger]

I have aclampon for1" octogenarian barrel somewhere

[mooman76]

By any chance do those clamp onto the octagonal exterior flats of 15/16" or 1" barrels?
I had wondered about such an arrangement but never encountered one. Seems like a natural.

The ones that were made were for different size barrels and yes that clamped into the flats. Actually used allen head screws. It was like half octagon shaped so it would wrap over just the top half of the barrel and had plastic or Teflon shims so the screws would not dig into the barrel finish.

[fouronesix]

I have no idea how a friction clamp, without "digging" the pins into the barrel, would be secure enough. By far the simplest is to use a flat bottomed rail/Weaver base and screw it into the existing rear sight screw holes. Or at most one D&T'd hole in addition to the dovetail. Use a blank dovetail filler and D&T it for the second screw. Mount the base and add a LER scope of choice.

Sporter size and sporter weight muzzleloaders loaded with heavy charges and heavy bullets generate a very healthy amount of recoil. So much so that some care has to be taken when selecting a scope tough enough to withstand it... in addition to the secure mounting system.

I mounted an LER scope on a couple of T/Cs about 38 years ago when investigating the true accuracy potential of those rifles with various loads. The forward mounted scope on the flat bottom base, as described above, worked especially well and was simple and easy to do. To protect the ocular glass I mounted a thin brass deflector in front of the nipple. A nipple seat diameter hole in a thin brass curved sheet secured by the nipple- just like the current flash deflectors are mounted.

[HPT]

Best idea I've seen was someone cut dovetail into two flats of barrel itself - then just add rings

[mallard1]

Go to kwik site.com. They have bases that are offset to fit sidelock guns with out changing the hammer. Look for hawken for 15/16'barrels and renegade for 1 inch barrels
They can be put on with J B Weld or drilled and tapped. I have done both and both seem to work. Use high weaver style rings and you can move your scopes eyepiece back to where it will focus easily for you. These bases are offset to the left so they can clear your hammer. If left handed with left handed hammer just switch to offset to right side.
With J B Weld you can remove your barrel and heat mounts and barrel and they are easily removed if you decide on that. Drill and tap can also be removed if desired. Then can plug holes with shorter screws to look neater. If drilling and tapping do not go into rifling.
Good luck .

[koger]

I have drilled and tapped well over a 100 sidelock ML rifles in the last 25+ years as a gunsmith. Johnson 1942 is mailing me the barrel to drill and tap. I cant imagine a smith, asking $200, to drill and tap, 4 holes, mount a base. When I did this for a living, not so long ago, I charged $30 to drill and tap, plus base price. Another $25 to heat and bend the hammer over. I have a Forster Drill and tap Jig, had for close to 30 years. Looking at my records after this post the other day, I have drilled and tapped over 200 Mauser action rifles in my life. I often did 3-4 in a day. Our local economy would not stand much more.

[johnson1942]

koger, i plan on the barrel being in the mail today and if you dont mind im sending the hammer also to do a little bend on it just to be safe. man the wind is really whipping up here, i think march is early. snow birds are gone, geese is flying and next it will be the sandhill cranes. lots of hitchikers on the hiway going west. all the signs of spring. the hitchikers are the mental that checked them self out of the mental hosp. back east. one on the road yeaterday was dressed in long monk robes with tons of black beads. chanting and praying. some brave person picked him up. the sad thing if we get a snow storm, they freeze to death. had the sheriff pull several out of snow banks over the last 17 years. dont know why they go west in the spring but they all do. in the fall they go back east. maybe better food back their and more laws that favor their care in the winter. well that was a bunny trail.

[fouronesix]

I would hope someone would be able to D&T 2 or 3 holes in a barrel :)

But, mounting an average scope with a 4" eye relief low enough (practical enough) and close to bore line on a regular side lock percussion gun and have clearance and still have the hammer nose hit the nipple flush is going to be some kind of deal :shock:

[koger]

Most of the new scopes today, I will use Burris fullfield 2,and Nikon Pro Sport as an example, have a lot of range of travel in them. You can usually get the height right with Med. or High Millet Rings, all steel for weaver type bases, and are windage adjustable. If need, a strap on cheek rest can fix that problem, but usually not an issue.