Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Period correct scope for my H&R 5200 (M12)?

Mine had both the target blocks and the reciever was drilled and tapped. It was an apparently untouched U.S. Army marked gun that came through the CMP program.

Wasn't tapped from the factory

Sounds like a perfect time to do it! -Al

It has a front sight base, and rear sight. As well as tapped holes in the barrel.




According to adverts, (at least by 1981) the 5200 comes with sight blocks (and drilled/taped holes in the barrel for them.)

My advise to you while your gunsmith has the rifle is to AT LEAST drill and tap two holes in the rear bridge for a standard Weaver m52 Winchester scope base spec.

The reason being is that you can use that rear bridge base in conjunction with a front base using the holes drilled and tapped over the breech to mount a WIDE variety of internally adjusted scopes. I have owned several original m52s as well as a few H&R m12s and I can tell you from experience that the best location for scope bases is on the rear bridge and over the breech end of the barrel.

You are tapped holes away from using LOTS of good scopes on your rifle. It will still be "period correct" because what I have outlined was done to many original rifles like the m12 and its daddy the m52, were often drilled and tapped that way.

My P1917 had an ancient Weaver on it. I did not want to tap & drill additional holes in the barrel, which has really limited my selection of scopes. Luckily for me I was able to get a Bausch and Lomb Rainguard Elite scope on it.

Thanks for the info, but I am not going to drill anymore holes in it. The 5200 marked version of the gun is a lot harder to find than an M12 version, and I'd like to keep it original even if my scope options become somewhat limited.

There's a really nice B&L 24X on accurateshooter.com that would be a perfect fit. The seller is well known and top notch.

Good shootin' -Al

says its sold... and quite a bit above my budget.

Wtf? How does non drilled and tapped affect Scope selection?

Wasn't aware one drills holes in barrels to mount scopes either.

Unbelievable.

I’m somewhat curious myself. There were all sorts of odd contraptions they came up with for enfields instead of milling the ears off the receiver

Yes...Joel did sell it. Great deal for someone

If you don't want to drill/tap your reciever and want to hold out for an external adjustment vintage target scope of any quality, your budget will have have to move North quite a bit from your $200 figure.

It wouldn't be a big deal to use a piece of rail blank milled to fit the barrel and attached with the existing rear base screws. You could extend it over the reciever which would open up a lot of possibilities for using internally adjustable scopes. The Redfield 6400's are pretty available and would give you the 'look' you want. There's a nice one for sale on the Accurate Shooter site now.

I found a Lyman Super TargetSpot 15x for $500 after taxes and shipping.

There 'ya go! -Al

Good for you! You got a decent but on that scope given today's prices.. It also saved some $$$ on any further gunsmithing since it can use those factory scope blocks on the barrel,

Speaking of which- How is your gunsmith coming along with digging out those sheared off screws?

I'll know when he calls me . lol.

But he's also doing some minor work on a Mossberg 183D-C; and putting together a H&R 301 that I had to dig up a replacement action for. I suspect I'll get a call in the next 2-3 weeks, hopefully before my spine surgery.

I asked because I have a similar situation with a rifle that some idiot either filed off the screw heads or actually drive steel plugs into to front base holes on a rifle barrel.
extracting screws from barrel holes is even trickier because they are blind holes.

I have had some machinists /gunsmiths tell me it will be virtually impossible to exact the plugs /screws out without ruining the threads in the existing holes. I have others tell me that to any competent and careful machinist it is not big deal but will cost double what a normal D&T job will do the the care that must be exercised in the drilling setup and extraction.

Nothing like having to fix up some mess a ham fisted bubba created on a gun.

Anyway I do hope both procedures come out OK for you - the rifle AND the spine.

He's done right by me so far, and always tells me if its something outside his skillset/tooling.

So if it is an issue I'll know before anything gets ruined or changed.

EDM can be also be used for broken off screws, or taps, without damaging the firearm.

If the screws are 6-48 or 6-40 (some scope blocks were 6-40), a 7/64" (.109) end mill with a 1/8" shank works great to get an old screw out. I've used an 1/8" (.125) end mill successfully....but you don't have much room for error in any axis. For me, carbide is mandatory as it must start cutting the instant it touches the work piece. It needs to be a short (stub length) end mill and not have a large shank diameter as both of those can contribute to tool push off. An 1/8" collet is best but a precision chuck can be used if you know the runout is under .001.

Just a hacker's advice. -Al