Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Should a guy drill and tap a M61 Winchester?

I picked up this little pump Winchester at a gun show years back because I grew up with a M62A pump with the exposed hammer and always wanted the enclosed hammer M61 with the side ejection. This one had a Williams peep on it when I bought it, so from a collectors standpoint it already has a couple of extra holes in the receiver. It does not have the 3/8" scope base grooves like the later versions. The 61 really carries well for just rambling around and comes up well enough with the peep sight, but a scope on it would make sighting easier for my older eyes. There is quite a bit of drop in the comb of the stock on this model, so I'm not sure that they made it intended for scope use. I'd hate to cobble it up, but done well it might be even more useful. What's the verdict? To drill or leave well enough alone?

Since it already has extra holes, the damage has been done. It wouldn't bother me to add a couple extra.

If the holes are on the side and parallel to the bore then there is a good chance that it was drilled for the older Weaver side-mount, that was a very common way of mounting scopes on those older rifles. If it drilled for one of those it may take a bit of searching to find one of the mounts but they are out there, usually very cheap because when dovetails on rifles became available there was not much of a demand for them anymore.

drover

Probably D&T for a Weaver "N" mount. The model to fit a round barrel 61 is an N1 (low) or N3 (high). They were made for 3/4" and 7/8" tube scopes. You can find them on Ebay. In a 3/4" the Weaver J series are a good slim scope. In 7/8" The Lyman or Leupold Alaskans are the best although, there are also less expensive Weavers available. All can be found on Ebay.

I have an old 74 Gallery in 22 short that was D&T. I put an N1 and Weaver D4 on it. Will put 10 in a quarter at 50 yards.

You have a wonderful shooter !

It sounds to me that this rifle has a Williams receiver sight installed. The hole spacing for that sight is no where close to a Weaver "N" mount hole spacing. I'd tap it for a top mount that would accept 1 inch rings and mount a small 1 inch scope like the small 1 to 3 Weaver veritable. Far superior to an old 3/4 or 7/8 inch scope. These are very nice rifles and deserve a good scope.

Doc

I had a Remington 581 drilled and tapped for a rail mount. Worked out really well and glad I did it. Never plan on selling it so made it more user friendly.

OP

You could have the receiver cut for dove tails like the later ones had.