Scoping my Cadet

[Finnmike]

Not wanting to pile into the Cadet thread below, I need to put glass on my unmodified BSA so I can shoot it to its potential. My eyes can't handle the stock rear sight. Would it be an unpardonable sin to pop off the rear sight and have my gunsmith fit a mount (no new d&t) for a scout scope? I will of course retain the sight to have someone restore it after I've gone to that big backstop in the sky. It is soldered on and from what I have read, one can remove sight screws and handguard, heat the sight carefully with a propane torch, and Bob's your uncle.

I've seen the milled mount over on the British militaria forum but my smith is not interested in working one up.

[Outpost75]

You can remove the rear sight ladder, leaving the base on the barrel, and a clever gunsmith can machine, fit and pin in place a piece of Picatinny rail into the existing rear sight base, without any permanent modification to the rifle. The base is made solid by gluing to the barrel with Acraglas gel. It can later be removed easily by heating with a propane torch to soften the Acraglas, which is then easily removed from the barrel by gentle application of heat, vigorous brushing and wiping the residue off with a rag and bit of acetone. Extending a piece of rail from the rear sight base to the receiver will enable you to mount any type of optic you wish, without ruining the collector value of the rifle.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

That is a mighty big rail for a small rifle, and although I have an unused Burris .275 Scout Scope somewhere, I don't have binocular vision (permanent double vision, although I have learned to cope with it far better than people do Saturday-night double vision.) So Jeff Cooper's idea of both eyes seeing the target (can't see how that would work with a scope other than 1x) doesn't work for me. But even without that, I don't know if I would ever have found that small image enticing enough to put on a rifle.

What I have found very suitable for a light medium-range rifle is the 2.5x Tasco Bantam. This is a very small, light conventional scope with only a slightly lengthened eye relief. I am a long way from mine at the moment, but 5in. sticks in my memory. For me, being long-necked, that puts the objective almost over the rear of the receiver ring. You just have to avoid fingermarking the lens. I don't know how it would stand up to heavy recoil, which my 5/6x50R ex-BSA rimfire did not give), but like most Japanese scopes, even Chinese-made Japanese, the optics are excellent. I believe it is discontinued, but it probably appears on eBay, and ought to be cheap.

[blackbahart]

I used a tally base for the H&R handi rifle and under cut a bit of the base to fit over the receiver on my small BSA martini ,doesn't look bad and very functional.Also used the same on my large frame 303 I put together .
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?269360-martini-rebarreled-and-stocked-in-303-brit

[kopperl]

I'm confused-My 32-20 Cadet with the stock barrel has the rear sight mounted with two screws. Aren't they all?

[pietro]

http://www.fototime.com/935819C1F102C5E/standard.jpg



The way above used the Weaver 92 base for the TC Contender - The extension section was located over the receiver ring, to mark the bbl for a D/T.


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[Finnmike]

Frankly, this is the route I prefer but I do not have access to someone locally who is willing to do this. I too am concerned about affecting the collectible/original condition. Sweating the rear sight off and reusing the existing holes should not, in my mind, be too grievous an insult. I will keep looking.....for a while.


You can remove the rear sight ladder, leaving the base on the barrel, and a clever gunsmith can machine, fit and pin in place a piece of Picatinny rail into the existing rear sight base, without any permanent modification to the rifle. The base is made solid by gluing to the barrel with Acraglas gel. It can later be removed easily by heating with a propane torch to soften the Acraglas, which is then easily removed from the barrel by gentle application of heat, vigorous brushing and wiping the residue off with a rag and bit of acetone. Extending a piece of rail from the rear sight base to the receiver will enable you to mount any type of optic you wish, without ruining the collector value of the rifle.

[Frank46]

The cadet rear sight if it is the one I am thinking about is I believe soldered in place with one screw to hold it down. I seem to remember from Frank De Hass single shots book that he used the base from redfield that fit the rem 7400 rifles. I have heard about using Black Max as a glue to hold scope bases on expensive single shots were the owner did not want to devalue the rifle by drilling and tapping for scope bases. Do not know how effective the Black Max was regarding holding the bases in place though. Frank

[Hooker53]

That Picatinni idea is neat. Now you have me thinking about this for my Cadet. Ha. A little red dot like the SP-1 would be a good try for me. Finnmike, keep us informed on what you work up!!

Roy
Hooker53