Critique my latest project

[Hick]

I've got 1907 Remington Model 4 rolling block 22LR passed down from my grandfather, and a 1950's (?) JC Higgins 2 1/2 power scope and I've been trying to figure out how to mate the two without drilling any holes in the rifle-- just for fun (the bore is worn and I don't expect fantastic accuracy). I filed down a square nut so it would fit in the rear dovetail and attached the rear scope mount with a rubber spacer, then made a front scope mount using super-strong magnets. In my first range trial today I was getting pretty small groups at 50 yards, and hitting 3" gongs at 100, resting on a sandbag.

165141165142

[fast ronnie]

Who stocks those magnetic mounts?
As long as it works!!!! :bigsmyl2: !!!!

[bbailey7821]

Don't care what anybody says, that's alright with this ol' cowboy!

[Mk42gunner]

I wouldn't have thought a rubber spacer was a good idea, but if it works....

Robert

[Hick]

The magnetic mount is the magnet bar off the back of a magnetic membership badge with a "u" shaped piece attached to keep it from moving side-to-side (Rube Goldberg reincarnated). The thin layer of rubber is so that the mount only touches the barrel right where it is screwed down to the nut in the dovetail-- I was afraid the longer mount might rub the barrel in recoil.

[ndnchf]

I'm intrued by your idea, but having a hard time visualizing your mounts. Could you post a couple close up pics of the mounts, maybe with the scope off? I have three #2s and two #4s and a set of aging eyes. I'd like to try doing the same thing. Thanks.

[marlinman93]

Hey, anytime you can make an old gun shoot for you, and not make any permanent modifications to it; I'm all for it! I'm always saddened when people permanently modify nice old guns after they've survived unmolested for over 100 years!

[pietro]

.

That's a pretty neat idea :awesome: - CONGRATS ! !


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[Uncle R.]

Hey, anytime you can make an old gun shoot for you, and not make any permanent modifications to it; I'm all for it! I'm always saddened when people permanently modify nice old guns after they've survived unmolested for over 100 years!

A thoughtful post and I agree. It's always better if you can leave the old ones in original condition.
That said:

(To the OP) I'll bet if your grandfather could chime in he'd be happy to know that you are shooting his rifle. Even if you had to replace parts, rebarrel or reline to get it shooting well I bet he'd be glad to see you use it and even more glad if his great grandchildren were using it too.

I envy you your rifle - it's a family treasure and I'm glad to see you recognize it as such. I'm impressed with your scope mount solution and I really appreciate people who can come up with imaginative and creative ideas like yours - especially if they work.
Well Done!

Uncle R.

[marlinman93]

A thoughtful post and I agree. It's always better if you can leave the old ones in original condition.
That said:

(To the OP) I'll bet if your grandfather could chime in he'd be happy to know that you are shooting his rifle. Even if you had to replace parts, rebarrel or reline to get it shooting well I bet he'd be glad to see you use it and even more glad if his great grandchildren were using it too.

I envy you your rifle - it's a family treasure and I'm glad to see you recognize it as such. I'm impressed with your scope mount solution and I really appreciate people who can come up with imaginative and creative ideas like yours - especially if they work.
Well Done!

Uncle R.

I agree with your thoughts on old guns also! I sure don't have an issue relining an old gun's barrel, if it's no good as a shooter as is! It doesn't change the general look, but does make it serviceable again! I'm not against a total restoration of an old gun either, if the gun is so far gone it can't be saved any other way. I've got a couple in my safe that were so bad I could only save the action and buttplates! But better to totally restore a rare and unusual gun, than leave it as a relic to hang on the wall!
These two were both examples of only a crusty action left to save:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/marlinguy/hepl.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/hepl.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/marlinguy/hepr.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/hepr.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/marlinguy/4ballard.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/4ballard.jpg.html)

[Uncle R.]

VERY nice!
I love the old single shots.
How are they chambered?

Uncle R.

[OS OK]

I have a silly mind and it works unlike most folks…"In reading, I drifted off thinking of walking into the woods with that rifle in hand and all of the sudden you were inside your grandfathers body in his youth with that rifle in hand the first time he took it out. Seeing and hearing the world from his perspective wherever he was at that moment back in time." What would you have seen?
Yeah…kinda silly, I admit but I've always been fond of antiques and when examining one from time to time I get these, what I call a 'mind movie' about something in relation to the object…have no idea of the validity of this but I just thought that it would be an interesting way to observe the world from anothers 'moccasins'

Nice work on that rifle, hope you enjoy it as much as your grandfather did…OS OK

[ndnchf]

My #4 rifle was a present to my oldest son on his first birthday (he's 31 now). But it's still in my gun case. I had it relined by Redmans about 25 years ago. It is a real tackdriver when I can see the sights. If yours is well worn, I wouldn't hesitate to reline it.

[marlinman93]

VERY nice!
I love the old single shots.
How are they chambered?

Uncle R.

By chance they both are .45-70 caliber. Only because that was what they originally were, and when I rebuild an old gun I like to keep it as close to original as possible. The Hepburn has some additional engraving, as the old barrel had nothing, and when the engraver went over the receiver, I asked him to add on the barrel, and my initials to the top flat; just to personalize it.

[sharps4590]

I'm in the same boat marlinman. They have to be pretty far gone before I'll do any serious work or restoration and then it has to go back original. Very nice on the Hepburn and Ballard.

At the moment, aside from the Schuetzen rifle I'm waiting on dies for, I'm working on an re-lining back to 255 Jeffery old Jeffery Rook rifle someone re-chambered to 25-20 WCF.

[Bigslug]

Looks good. . .

. . .unless. . .

. . .your barrel gets magnetized and you can then only point the gun North. . .:bigsmyl2:

[John Taylor]

I have tested a few old gun by using epoxy to hold the mounts. A little heat and the mounts come right off. Don't think it will work on high recoil. If the gun is going to be re-blued the bases can be soldered on and then removed( steel bases )

[fast ronnie]

I think it is a novel and unique way of accomplishing something without drilling holes in old iron which I absolutey hate. A friend has an old 03 that has 7 holes drilled and tapped for ? ventilation?
I, too have a model 12 Remington that is going to be lined and soon as I can find a drill for the reline. My budget is a little tight to spend $108 for the drill for a $35 liner for one use. Only thing that has held me up on that one. Barrel had dirt and rust coming out with the first run-thru with a brass brush. No rifling for at least 1/2 the tube. It looks like somebody used a steel rod Many Times from the muzzle end. If it's in my closet, I want to be able to shoot it, but I don't want to ruin it.

[leebuilder]

Nifty. Can't really picture the rear mount, if it works all good.
Magnets are a great idea, where 22 has low recoil.
Getting more ideas of my own.
Be safe

[Hick]

Mounting details for those who were asking 165377 (hopefully you can open this attachment-- its .pdf)

[ndnchf]

Thanks Hick, nice drawings. Got it.

[flounderman]

Making a mount that fit the dovetail, would stop the scope from recoiling and then epoxy the front base and it should hold. The lighter the scope is, the better. I epoxied a j 2.5 on a Jap 7.7 years ago and it stayed until I took it off. The jap barrel had a rough surface, which helped the marine tex hold, but it worked.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Well, time do a little braggin' again...:bigsmyl2:

This is a mount I made for putting a Leupold M8x2 on my Martini Henry. Like you, I didn't want to make any permanent changes to the original rifle.

The scope is clamped in two "forks" which are held together with two rods - the underside of the forks match the barrel profile exactly. The front fork has a milled recess which match the base of the front sight and prevents the mount from moving forward and twisting on the barrel.

The mount is held in place with a snap-on strap made from ordinary packing strap. The hinge lock is milled from brass, and it took a bit of thinking before I had it right. The strap hooks onto the opposite rod and the small lever is pushed down - this pulls the strap taught and keeps the scope & mount securely locked in place. The hinge is showed in open position in the small insert in the lower right of the picture.

The thingamabob actually works quite well. I tested it over a number of shots, removing and remounting the setup between shots and it retained zero every time.

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag248/driftwood4/mhsnaplockkk6_zpsamov8vyf.jpg (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/driftwood4/media/mhsnaplockkk6_zpsamov8vyf.jpg.html)

[MT Chambers]

Okay, I'll critique......if you want a scope on that RB, it should be an old Lyman/Unertl/Fecker/Litschert with the adj. mounts, modern scope on an old rifle just looks wrong.

[fast ronnie]

That is one sweet looking mount!!!!!!!!


Well, time do a little braggin' again...:bigsmyl2:

This is a mount I made for putting a Leupold M8x2 on my Martini Henry. Like you, I didn't want to make any permanent changes to the original rifle.

The scope is clamped in two "forks" which are held together with two rods - the underside of the forks match the barrel profile exactly. The front fork has a milled recess which match the base of the front sight and prevents the mount from moving forward and twisting on the barrel.

The mount is held in place with a snap-on strap made from ordinary packing strap. The hinge lock is milled from brass, and it took a bit of thinking before I had it right. The strap hooks onto the opposite rod and the small lever is pushed down - this pulls the strap taught and keeps the scope & mount securely locked in place. The hinge is showed in open position in the small insert in the lower right of the picture.

The thingamabob actually works quite well. I tested it over a number of shots, removing and remounting the setup between shots and it retained zero every time.

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag248/driftwood4/mhsnaplockkk6_zpsamov8vyf.jpg (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/driftwood4/media/mhsnaplockkk6_zpsamov8vyf.jpg.html)

[Hick]

MT Chambers-- Point well taken-- but in my own defense, the rifle came to me from my grandfather,the scope came down to my wife from her grandfather-- so its all in the family. The rifle's 109 years old, the scope is only 60+

[M-Tecs]

I have tested a few old gun by using epoxy to hold the mounts. A little heat and the mounts come right off. Don't think it will work on high recoil.

same here.