Hi all

I got my new 23AA to the range today, and I'm convinced that its more than a "fun gun". This rifle shoots.

But my eyes aren't good with irons anymore so I'm looking for scope and mounting options that are right for the rifle. I am not willing to modify it.

There were plenty of straight or basically straight tubes scopes back in the day - can anyone recommend some that also had decent glass? 6X or 8X preferred, but I know I'm more likely to find 4Xs

Also, is it possible to find mounts that mate to the rear dovetail and peep sight locations or is it a make my own scenario?

Thanks!

I believe that you'd have to make your own Stith type mount to achieve what you are wanting to do. Some of the 3/4" tube Weaver scopes were available in 6x don't know about 8x. I'm talking about the Weaver scopes that had turret style adjustments not the earlier ones with screw type adjustments ahead of the ocular bell. I have made custom mounts for some of my .22 RF's, I've even made an all steel Griffin & Howe mount. If you have the machining skills I'd say go for it.

Yep. Ex-Toolmaker. Don't have any machines at home but I could probably get a friend of mine in on this. He's a gun guy too and has a miller but isn't a machinist.

Ill start keeping my eyes out for an almost vintage 6X thats long and skinny.

This could be fun! I haven't turned any handles in years, and what better reason...?

Stith did make a mount as I have one on my 23AA. But I’ve only seen two come up for sale in my years of looking and after missing out on the first I jumped all over the second. I can send you a picture if you want. Another solution, and one that I have done, is to get a section of 22 dovetail blank from Brownells, cut it to a length that fits the rear receiver bridge and then drill in holes that match the diameter and spacing of the holes that were used for mounting the Savage No’s. 10 and 15 sights. That will get the job done.

If you decide to go with the Weaver dovetail blank route I have two lengths (different heights) that you could have for the cost of postage. LMK.

If you can made one maybe you could make several?

I looked for a base that would use the rear two holes used to mount the #15 peep sight. The rear two holes of the Savage Axis Weaver mount fit fine on the two rear receiver holes. But the barrel is tapered so the front of the base does not touch the barrel and is too flexible unattached at the front.

I also looked for a Weaver dovetail base that would mount in the rear sight dovetail but had no luck.

If anyone can come up with a simple solution for mounting a standard 1" scope I would sure like to hear your idea/s.

The older Weaver 6X, 8X, 10X and 12X have long tubes with clean lines that look nice on the 23's.

A noble quest, for sure. Were I to do it I too would follow Jeff's example and use a section of Brownell's tipoff mount blank. But, then there's the use of old "period correct" 3/4" scopes and their poorly coated (or most likely uncoated) lenses, poor (or nonexistent) parallax correction, limited field of view, and crude W/E adjustments.They're surely better than nothing, but not much IMO (if one is hell bent on mounting a scope). Even state of the art scopes of a couple generations ago are barely as good as mass market scopes of today, and those 3/4" Weavers were not state of the art then. My recommendation is to adapt a tipoff base to it, grab a set of 1" rings intended for that setup, and mount a 1" scope that fits your purse, aesthetics, and needs.

There is an alternative solution: a 3/4" tubed 4x scope from the recent past that was made by Redfield which looks like a scaled down full size 4x (objective and ocular bells and around 9" long). Sadly discontinued but an excellent scope, and despite their escalation in value have attained a kind of cult status. The current solution is a scope marketed by Gru-Bee called the Wolf Pup (Google it). It is a dandy- I have one on a .22 Hornet kiplauf (on a mount I adapted from a Brownell's blank). They run a hundred bucks and change, versus three times that typically for a vintage Redfield. Made in China, reverse engineered from an original Redfield, and keenly overseen by the American entrepreneur who is selling them. I have a spare one waiting for just the right gun to install it on- it is just right scale-wise for mounting on a .22 rifle that would look overburdened by a full size 1" scope. It has that 50's-60's retro look about it but with modern optics. Joe Martin has shot with that rifle with the Wolf Pup scope on a couple occasions.

Check this out:

https://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=dovetail+scope+base+stock&ksubmit=y

And as Gary said, use a modern 1-inch scope in 22 rings. The 3/4 Redfield scope he mentioned is a great little solution. I have one that was going to go on a Marlin 39A.

I made a base out of the dovetail stock for a 23D and cantilevered it over the ejection port to give it a little more adjustability and make it look a bit more sexy than a simple block.

I have Redfield 3/4" scopes on my Winchester M/61 & M/63, both are mounted in one piece custom mounts of my own design. Both rifles were drilled and tapped when I got them, the mounts I made the rings and base are one piece and the mounting screws are concealed inside the rings. No mounting screws showing, a very handsome design.

Wow, you'll have to post some pictures. It sounds very nice.

You guys are terrifi.

As I get time ill follow up on all this, and ill let everyone know how I make out.

It can certainly be done, and should be pretty straightforward. In the end I may just be making adapters for common Leupold-Redfield mounts but I would like something "correct" looking.
I do plan to contour whatever I make up. I want it to be aesthetically pleasing not just functional.

Kragman.

Pics when you're done!

Sure thing. I may even just end up making a simple brass base "plank" that runs between the two mounting points, and will take the non-turn in rings from a turn in set. Sculpt the edges and give it a little time to go dull... It might look pretty good. Find decent glass with leather scope covers, it might even look like someone really meant to do it instead of it being a work around. 😁

You could always use a skinny
Savage 3-7 vari power scope
Oop's Sorry swearing again they were made in Japan

Keeping my eyes open for a "nearly vintage" scope for this project

Something steel, with good glass and adjustments, fine duplex, right proportions and reasonable money.
Starting to think Weaver K6.

Thoughts?

I’d look for a Weaver J 2.5 or J 4. They are 3/4 diameter center fire scopes that I think work fine on a 22 and look much better than the bigger 1-in diameter K scopes for a "period" rifle.

If you plan to do any short range shooting I would advise you check out a 6x center fire scope and see if the parallax problem will work for you.

The problem with using center fire scopes is that most have the parallax set for 100 yds. That is not a problem in the low powers but once you get to 6x and higher it starts to cause problems when shooting shorter range. I would look at rim fire variable power scopes or center fire scopes that have A/O that will adjust down to the 10 yd range.

Thanks all.

I'm basically looking for an older weaver-Redfield-leupold-Burris or whatever makes sense. Fixed 6, steel body, etc
Don't want any plastic bits and pieces. Willing to set parallax to 50 yes so I'm good there.

But I want good glass and a fine duplex. I figure the rifle is a good 50 yard rifle. Could prove to be better so no sketchy quality glass.

Nice to keep it under $100. If I need to spend more than that ill use the 4X Weaver Medalist I'm sitting on.
I have an older M8 6X hanging around too but that seems really out of place. The Medalist not so much. And it's pretty sharp optically too. Surprised me.

Redfield made a small/compact 3/4 tube fixed 4-power in the 60s and 70s. They resembled downsized 1-inch tube 4-powers and look good on 22s. That would be a nice set up on the dovetail base mentioned above.

I'm putting a Lyman 438 Field on my 23D Hornet. Might be a tad long, but I like it on the rifle.I did a search and found a pic or two, but the links would not copy. If you search Savage 23aa lyman 438 the pics will come up.

http://www.icollector.com/Savage-Sporter-Mdl-23AA-22-LR-SN-143740_i27409014

The Redfield 3/4" 4x are great scopes I've had them on my Winchester M/61 and M/63, that said you won't find any within your $100.00 budget. I have also had Weaver J4's that would be more period correct on your Savage 23AA, they can be had at a price that's within your budget.

Here is my sons 23aa with a weaver. 3-9 with ao. This rifle came from the factory drilled for a side mount weaver 29s. Was able to fit the weaver side mount base with a little machining to match the taper of the reciever the factory holes lined right up. You could probably do the same with shims? Might be another option if the rifle is factory drilled. You will need taller rings.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/13168836#Post13168836

JoeMartin - that is a good looking setup for sure!

But now that I've thought my way into this a little further, there are some nice quality scope options based on 1" tubes, and some decent scopes from the 50's and up (or at least they started their run in the 50's) that will give good optics and won't look wrong, just not exactly from the same decade as my rifle. Basically, as if someone decide to scope it a long time ago, just not from Day 1.


Does anyone have any experience with the Unertl Hawk 4X's?
Or can explain the difference in optical quality between the Weaver K's and the K-1's?

Kinda looking at both of them, possibly Redfield as well.


Thanks again!

That's what I was talking about a month ago on page 1. Those Redfields fetch $3-400 these days, the Gru-Bee Wolf Pup clone (which is actually a better scope optically and finish-wise than the Redfield IMO) sells for $100+change.

Unertl Hawk 4x? Great scope, all steel, nice optics, rugged, state of the art 50-60 years ago, on par with average quality scopes of today. I've used three of them in my life, no complaints at all. You likely won't find one for $100 though- they're priced like modern Weavers are currently. I have one that could stand a re-blue, and is missing the spring that fits under the windage/elevation element- an easy fixerupper. I'd let it go for $50. (I bought it on a whim with the intent of fixingupping but never got around to it.)

I thought you ,ight have, I was just too lazy to check my research. I think I have one of those Redfields banging around in a box somewhere. It was supposed to have gone on a Marlin 39 until some thief thought he needed the rifle more than I. I do hate crooks!

For anyone who was interested, here is a quick update while I'm down with a cold.

I have a pretty good idea how I'm going to approach this, basically a "quarter rib" style mount between the rear sight dovetail and the peep sight holes.
I picked up a good piece of brass bar stock for the base, and some of the old Tasco blue steel rings that are windage adjustable only. Not quite the Leupold-Redfield turn in style but visually similar.
I still don't know when ill get a chance to do any machining, but I have a feeling that it will be a little here and there.
I have a simple approach for forming the tapered decreasing radius of the "action" without fabricating a custom cutting tool as well.
I probably will have to make up something custom to machine the pockets for the mounting studs though.

So, at least some progress....

Re-thinking this a bit. A solution that would appeal to someone with a bigger budget to play with would be to mount an old Fecker or Unertl Small Game scope- a 3/4" straight tube "target style" scope of either 4x or 6x, short in nature, with target-style external adjustment mounts. Certainly the best small scope optics of the period encompassing the 30's-40's. Parallax either set for .22 rimfire distances or adjustable down to that depending on the specific model. They were the go-to scopes employed by discerning shooters, but nowadays they aren't cheap. Figure $500+, which is why I mentioned needing a bigger budget.

To my knowledge, factory .22's weren't d/t'ed to mount those scopes (except of course top tier target rifles). But in my opinion drilling and tapping for a pair of Unertl or Fecker scope blocks (essentially identical) on a rifle from the 30's wouldn't detract from its desirability- who could prove it wasn't done by the first owner when the gun was new? On top of that one of those scopes setting on the rifle only adds to its re-sale value, except maybe to a wild eyed collector of pristine perfect factory original condition rifles only.

The rear sight holes could be employed to mount a rear block (with some mods to get around the odd screw hole sizes) leaving one to merely d/t two small holes farther forward.

To expand on Gary's comments. The Lyman 48Y was made to fit the top screw holes on the 23AA and it also functions as a rear scope block. You could go that route if you wanted to spend the cash (probably about 200-bucks) and take the time to find one.

Just a couple notes that I don't think were mentioned already. The early 23-AA's were drilled & tapped for the No 10 receiver sight and require two different size screws which are hard to find, later ones for the No 15 sight had a narrower spacing and used two screws the same size that was in between the ones used for the No 10, but was a standard gun screw size.

All Lyman 48's I have seen are made to mount on the earlier hole pattern for the No 10. Correct screws for these are even harder to find, front is a #10 (corrected, had #12) and rear a #5 but both have the same size head.

There were scope blocks made by some company to match the the hole pattern for the No 10 receiver sight, they are not very common but are easy to identify since the holes are two different sizes. The ones I have also require screws with the same head size.

I also have been looking at tying front target sight blocks to mount scopes using the sight dovetails, I have found these in different heights and standard scope mounts seem to fit on most. These are made to drive into a 3/8" dovetail. I have shorter ones than pictured here, with this one the rear block might have to be shimmed up for use with a internally adjusted scope, it probably would be close enough for an externally adjusted scope.



Note that one of these is made to take two different scope mounts.

I have a couple of those blocks that fit into 3/8" dovetails. They were made for use on Winchester M54's and and early M70's when utilizing the factory holes on the receiver ring and not wanting to drill holes in the barrel for the front block. Nothing saying they can't be used on other rifles like Gene pointed out. They work a treat on my Winchester bolt guns. I assume that was Winchester's plan all along since they only drilled a set of target block holes on the receiver ring and nowhere else on the guns. Be aware though that the tops of those dovetailed blocks are of a height to match the height of the receiver block- keeping them in the same plane, taking into account the taper of those barrels.

Thanks everyone!

I'd love to keep it simple and mount a 30's scope in blocks, but my eyes and budget (and the fact that I miss working with my hands) mean a newer more common scope. "Kinda early" 1" tube stuff. So... a bridge mount of some sort. One advantage is mounting flexibility - I can position the ring mounting points anywhere I want.

Gene - I believe the #10 screw threads are 10-36 & 5-48? Can you (or anyone else) confirm?

And if anyone out there can post or forward me any pics of cosmetically appealing quarter ribs or bridge mounts id like to see them.
Otherwise ill just let form follow function.

Thanks again
I'm already having fun and I haven't started making chips yet...!

You are correct, they are not #12's like I originally had posted above.

Thanks Gene. Ill take a look at Brownells, Grainger, etc to see what I can find for screws. Hopefully I can find some blued ones. If not black will do.

I think that Gene has found that the 10-36 is the same as used for the Winchester lever front tang sight screw. The 5-48 could be opened to 6-48. With a bridge mount do you really need two screws in the rear?