Thanks for all the replies. I have a nice late 40's vintage Marlin 39 with a Lyman peep and at 40" and change OAL it is about minimum for me to shoot well. A Ruger 10/22 Sporter with the 22" barrel is the same length and also lets me shoot well but has a comb more suited for scopes . Had a LH 581 back in the 80's and it was a nice accurate rifle but I know what you mean about the triggers. The CZ training rifles certainly have the barrel length but I'm not sure if that rear sight would pose a problem, and I'd still have to buy a peep sight to fit it.
Guess nostalgia also plays a part here and what's really drawing me are the nice rifles I missed out on growing up. All steel and walnut, you could get a lot of rifle for the money with those.
I'd been looking hard at some Remington 513T or 511P models but almost by accident found a listing for a Winchester 69A in very good shape with a Lyman peep with target knobs and a globe front sight. It's a good bit more than $350 but still less than a new CZ, and that vintage Lyman sight by itself is probably worth $100 or more. I have checked more listings for other 69A models and the $300-350 range mentioned would get a very decent one. Actually that price range would get any of a number of very good Remington 51x models or the Winchesters, many with either a basic set and forget peep sight or regular open sights but that nice Lyman sight is a real draw. And after all, it's only money. Plus the one I like is grooved for tip-off mounts so I could put a scope on temporarily to really draw out the accuracy and see what ammo it liked most.
Oh well, half the fun is looking.
