Winchester 94AE not drilled for peep sight question

[oldfart1956]

Okey dokey. Big brother so enjoyed shooting cast boolits in his grandsons Winchester 30/30 that he went out and snatched up a used one for $200. The newly acquired 94AE isn't drilled and tapped for a peep sight mounted on the side of the receiver. We know peeps are available that mount on top of the receiver in the drilled/tapped scope mount holes. But, he already has a side mount peep sight (Williams if I recall) on hand and was wondering the pitfalls of drilling/tapping the receiver in the correct location for a side mounted rear peep. He can get a location off of the grandsons Winchester 94 on where to drill but is there anything in that area to be careful to avoid? Ejector/bolt rail/lifter etc.? I don't have a Winchester so am not familiar with the internals. Would the receiver be hardened so as to cause problems? He's not concerned with resale value. If it was me I'd have Crazy Glued that sight in place and used it for a template and grabbed up the cordless drill and a couple drywall screws by now but he's fussy. ;) Any thoughts? Audie...the Oldfart..

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Speaking as one O.F. to another.....the way you'd do it isn't that far off! I have several '94s in my collection including a Trail's End .44-40 in front of me right now. You're right--no peep sight holes! First, it's just about a must that you should disassemble the bolt out of the rifle (not that hard to do) and be sure to use properly fitting screwdrivers so as not to bugger up the screw slots. I'm not saying that it's impossible to drill and tap with the gun fully assembled, but it very bad practice because unless you're very drill press knowledgeable you're likely to drill into the bolt. Also, after you finish the operation you'll have metal chips inside the receiver galling things, so you'll want to clean it out really well after the operation. There are templates available for locating the spacing of the holes, but as you suggested, using the actual base for the sight to be mounted isn't a bad way to go. I don't know about the crazy glue application--I'd be more inclined to use little "C" clamps to hold it in place. Once fixed in the desired location (you want to be real sure it's exactly where you want it) I'd use a sharp center punch in the holes. One that is properly ground--a new punch would be best, and the roundness of the punch against the walls of the mount's holes if it is held straight up and down should center the tip of the punch in the hole. Give it (the punch) one good tap with a small hammer which will create a little crater where the tip of the drill bit will go. Lay the receiver on it's side on your drill press table and clamp it in place. Bring the spindle down so the drill bit's point touches exactly in the crater, and then you may have to adjust the receiver one way or another to get it exactly centered. If you're going to use 6-48 thread screws you'll need a #31 drill bit. Running the spindle at a medium speed drill the hole using a little oil to help things along. It makes the bit run more smoothly for a smoother hole and helps the chips to flow out of the hole. You'll feel the bit break through the receiver's wall. I'd try to position the holes so that they don't cut through the bolt's travel channel, but if you do it's not a biggie--you'll just need to file away any internal burrs. I'd definitely stay away from using the trusty hand drill because very few have the eye to run it perfectly vertically or horizontally to drill the hole straight. If the hole is drilled crooked then the screws won't fit properly. You might get the spacing good enough to get them to work as far as holding the base onto the receiver, but the heads won't be flush and it will look baaaad! I guess you know about tapping, so I'll leave it there unless you want to hear more. No drill press? Better take it to someone who has one. Best wishes on the project.

[pietro]

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YMMV, obviously, but I would trade or sell the sidemount sight (online) to obtain the proper 5D-94AE or FP-94AE receiver sight, before I'd lower the value of the rifle by defacing it with extra holes.

The two 94AE sights carry the horizontal aperture holding bar behind the sight base ILO atop the base - so the rifle can easily be zeroed with the issue height front sight.


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[oldfart1956]

Fellers thanks so much for the information! I learned a lot. I'll pass it on to him. Pietro I was unaware of the difference in where the peep rode in the base...good tip! One problem he had with the grandsons 94 was finding the right front sight and the correct peep sight seems to remove that issue on the newer AE models. Even replacement fiber optic front sights are (for the most part) factory height and didn't work. I am in your debt gentlemen. Audie...the Oldfart..