Scoping the Older .22 Rimfire Single Shot Rifle

Common among older singleshot rifles that can be scoped we find the Iver Johnson Models Xand XX(2X); the older Remington Model 133; Savage/Stevens Models 3 and 4, or even the Savage/Stevens Model 71 Favorite; and the old Winchester Model 67 or the like. In this treatise, installing a scope on a Winchester Model 67 will be covered in some detail, serving as a typical example. Back when some of these .22 rimfire rifles were introduced there were few, if any, telescopic sights available.

Neither the rifle receivers nor the barrels were drilled and tapped for scope base screws. Adding a scope enhanced the shooting pleasure for many as it served to improve the shooter’s ability to better use the rifle’s accuracy, particularly for older eyes. The Winchester Model 67 bolt-action, single-shot rifle was made from 1934-63. The rifle had a 27-inch barrel and weighed five pounds with open rear and bead front sight.

The rifle also was made in smooth bore and commonly used with bird-shot on smaller vermin and pests. With its round-bolt, pull-back style hammer and swing-up, blade-bolt safety, this single-shot rifle fired .22 short, long or long rifle ammunition. The owners of this particular Winchester Model 67 rifle brought them to me with a four-power Tasco scope with one-inch rings and a one-piece Weaver-style base with integral 3/8" dovetail.

The scope had Here a chucked center-drill is used as a spot-facer before the tap hole is drilled to proper depth. a 40mm objective lens that would need to clear the barrel — after removing the rear sight. My first impression told me it should work, so I placed the rings atop the scope and held the assembled unit over the barrel where it would be mounted. The objective lens housing was well clear of barrel contact and scope eye relief was perfect.

The bolt handle cleared the ocular lens and the scope held in place didn’t appear as if it would interfere with single-shot cartridge loading. The swing-up leaf-type safety would clear the eyepiece of the scope just fine. The existing baseto-barrel radius didn’t match perfectly, but four drilled and tapped 6-48 attaching screws would provide more than sufficient stability for any kind of hunting and target use. The customer urged me to go ahead and mount the scope, re-finish the rifle and give it a good test.

Drilling and Tapping Holes The receiver is much too short for scope base application rearward of the ejection port so a one piece base attached to the barrel was the way to go. As a means of performing the scope base mounting, a common drill press would work for drilling the screw holes in the barrel using a drilling vise. However, I chose to use a milling machine with its precision vise and in-line drilling feature. The milling machine vise is ideal to hold the barrel, and to align and drill the screw holes.

The mill

Drilling depth is controlled to within a few thousandths in this way. More than sufficient barrel thickness is provided for screw hole depth on the Model 67 barrel. chuck also works perfectly to align the tapping wrench directly over the screw holes. The mill feed stop provides controlled drill hole depth as the holes are drilled and tapped. The moveable mill bed conveniently provides perfect screw hole alignment for all screws.

Most gun nuts with some mechanical ability would enjoy taking this sort of job on, however, attention to detail is important as the screw holes are positioned, drilled and tapped. With the barreled action out of the stock and the bolt withdrawn, I could see more than adequate barrel thickness for the screw holes. This Weaver-style scope base had randomly spaced holes for standard 82-degree 6-48 screw heads.

I selected the two pairs of holes from the six in the base located near the front and rear of the universal base. The base fitted nicely between the breech end of the barrel and the 3/8inch dovetail slot where the open rear sight was removed. Each type of rifle would require some changes in base screw arrangement, which usually isn’t a problem. As the barrel is clamped into the padded jaws of the mill vise it must be parallel to the vise jaws to assure uniform screw hole depth.

The bar 22 rifle barrel using four 6-48 counter sunk screws. The base used here is a Weaver with integral 3/8" dovetail. rel and receiver must also be positioned so the top of the receiver is parallel with the vise jaws at topdead center. Most milling machines and drill presses have a drilling or milling depth control and this must be used while drilling for screw holes. The next step is to be sure the drill is directly over the barrel center. Here I place a center drill in the

Barrel mounting proved to be an ideal place for the base. High rings placed the scope well above barrel for object lens clearance and bolt handle clearance. Access to loading port left sufficient room for singleshot loading and case ejection. 22 rifle set in the stock. Barrel was drilled and tapped for Weaver style base with integral 3/8-inch dovetail at the top.

One-inch Tasco high rings elevate the scope for ideal clearance over barrel while providing clearance for bolt handle and cartridge loading. chuck and bring it down to barrel contact and, both visually and with calipers, locate center of the barrel. With this done, I carefully place the scope base in position to determine the first screw hole position. The rear hole was drilled and tapped first using a center drill to start the hole to avoid drill walking.

Then, with the first hole drilled and tapped, the base was fastened to the barrel with one of the 6-48 screws. Here we must be sure there are at least six threads into the base hole and check that the screw doesn’t bottom out in the hole as the screw is torqued down. At this time with the base attached with a single screw, carefully place along straight edge along each side of the scope base, extending it along the full length of the barrel.

Check both sides to see that the base is in true alignment with the barrel. This serves as a double check of alignment. A scope base precisely parallel with the barrel and receiver helps to assure a centered scope reticle for windage adjustment. This helps to avoid running out of scope reticle adjustment as well. With the base in place, held by the single screw, put a small center drill in the drill chuck and mark the remaining three screw holes.

This is best accomplished by moving the mill bed and visually guiding the center drill directly above each of the scope base holes that you wish to drill and tap. Then, with the center drill directly above each scope base hole, mark each hole location by advancing the center drill about 1/16-inch into the barrel. The base is then removed and the remaining screw holes are drilled and tapped. At this point double check the drill stop to verify hole depth.

Be sure the drill bit is sharp and of the correct size — a number 31 drill is used for tapping 6-48 thread holes. Also be sure the drill bit is placed firmly in the drill chuck to prevent slippage. Use a bottoming tap to finish threading each hole. Blowing the chips out of the partially threaded hole is advised, along with the use of good thread cutting oil.

The steel in these old barrels isn’t very hard — most likely 4140 chrome moly — but use care in tapping the threads to avoid the possibility of stripping a thread or forcing the tap. It is best to cut a few threads and then carefully back the tap out and blow all chips from the hole. Removal of any burrs around the tapped hole can be done with a chamfering tool or a fine file. The base can now be attached to the barrel by torquing all four screws firmly in place.

It is not necessary to use a thread bonding material because of the low recoil produced by the .22 rifle. The completed job finds a very securely attached base that won’t shoot loose. A well-aligned scope base enables the user to sight-in the rifle within the range of the scope reticle adjustment knobs. Here is where attention to base alignment pays off with the mounted scope directed straight down the barrel.

Bore sighting and sighting-in the rifle presented no problems with plenty of scope reticle adjustment in all four directions. Before shooting the rifle, I cleaned the bore thoroughly with JB bore cleaning compound and finally with a bronze brush and Shooter’s Choice. I couldn’t resist performing a bore examination before testing the rifle. I used a Hawkeye bore scope to do this. Somewhat to my surprise, the bore had survived the many years of use and showed very sharp, clean lands and grooves.

Testing the Rifle Following bore sighting, the rifle was tested using two brands of ammunition. These included Federal’s "Champion" standard velocity, and PMC’s high velocity 40-grain solid lead bullets. Both are ideal, meatsaving bullets for small game. The owners wanted the rifle sighted-in at 25 yards. Accuracy produced by the old rifle was excellent with all groups under an inch with both brands of bullets.

The mounted scope was high enough over the receiver not to interfere with loading and shell ejection of (Continued on page 22)

the single shot rifle, making it very practical for hunting and target use. Lots of rabbit and squirrel hunting was planned for the old Model 67 and the owner’s young son was planning to use it for target practice too. Surely the newly mounted scope breathed some new life into the old gun and by the way the young hunter looked at the rifle, I was rewarded for my efforts in more than one way. Your gunsmithing efforts can be rewarded similarly.

More hunters and shooters are looking to scopes on their older guns which include a number of the older .22s and even single-barrel shotguns used for shooting slugs. With a bit of innovation on the part of the gunsmith most of these guns can be improved to enhance the shooting pleasure for your customers. AG