In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Redfield sights on a Winchester 52 (pre A)

rea1910rea1910 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
edited March 2013 in Ask the Experts
Greetings,
I have a dovetail reciever with a Marble-Goss sight base on a heavy barrel target gun. The barrel has blocks for a target front sight and blocks for a scope on the barrel as well.
Question: Is there a sight mount made for that era action that will alow me to mount a Redfield Olympic rear peep sight without having to drill and tap the reciever ring? I won't drill the ring no matter what but I was wondering if anyone has built a dovetail base for the Olympic peep?

Thank you for your time. Any information is appreciated.
Rodger

Comments

  • rea1910rea1910 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I guess from the lack of response that possibly a Redfield olympic sight has never been mounted on a Pre-A Winchester 52.

    If that is the case has anyone ever worked on the problem of mounting a Redfield sight on an early Winchester 52?

    Has anyone seen a Redfield sight mounted on an early 52 without drilling the rear reciever ring?

    I am at an impasse because I own the gun and I own the sight but can do nothing with either. I am still hoping the leaves will grow back on my money tree too.
  • HerschelHerschel Member Posts: 2,035 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rodger, I don't have a solution for you but think I can say why the dovetail base for the Redfield Olypic is not available. The wide dovetail for the rear sight was a feature of the pre-A and 52A models. Some drawings of patents for the 52B mechanism show the wide dovetail but I don't know if any early 52B's had it. The 52B came out in 1937 and the Redfield Olympic came out in the early 1940's. This suggests that there was little if any overlap in the production of the 52 with the wide dovetail and the production of the Olympic rear sight.

    I certainly don't qualify as an expert on the Model 52 Winchesters but only have the book The Winchester Model 52 by Herbert G. Houze. The cheapest solution might be to find a Marble-Goss sight. It will probably not be as good as the Lyman Olypic but as far as shooting is concerned, you are giving up a lot by shooting the early model 52, even if it is the speedlock version. I like the old bolt guns and my deer rifle is an iron sighted 1903 NRA Springfield Sporter. FWIW
  • CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,038 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    This is an auction for a pre A 52 that I sold, check out the pictures. Is this what your talking about?
    W.D.
    http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=331322495
  • rea1910rea1910 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Greetings Herschel & Capn
    Well that is certainly going make my search much more simple.
    It seems I wind up looking for something for my firearms right after everthing has reached it's highest price in decades.
    Both of my rifles are speedlock guns but nothing like the "C' or "D" models advancements. I always figured that old 52 could shoot better than I could.[;)]
    Maybe I could make a plate similar to the Marble-Goss base but wider and with the Redfield "wedge" on the port side of the base.

    CapnMidnight,
    That is a good look at the dovetail in the top of the reciever but both of my guns are speedlock. I also don't have any interest is drilling for a sight mount. Neither of mine are drilled. What I am thinking of is a hybrid mount. The wedge side on the Marble -Goss and the Redfield are similar but the port side of the Marble-Goss mount is inboard too much to allow clearance for Redfield sight. The wedge angles of the two mounts are different as well.
    It really looks like the two sights attach about the same height to the action.
    Looks like it's time to get on the drawing table and see what can be built. My time comes pretty cheap these days.

    Maybe I can trade for a nice Marble-Goss sight if I find the right shooter. Mine is in the box and if it's used it's not been used much.
    I am still open for ideas.
    Thanks to the both of you.
  • DokeyDokey Member Posts: 936 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
Sign In or Register to comment.