Optics on a Cooey

Lead hammer

Lead hammer

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I have an old model 39 I think it is. When we got it many moons ago, it had a brand new barrel on it. It shoots very well but have always wanted to throw a scope on it. Can these be drilled and tapped?
 
For sure they can - I have drilled and tapped for Weaver top bases and also into side rail for both the old-school Weaver side mount for .22 scopes, or for the base unit for the more "modern" Weaver side mount for 1" diameter scopes. One of the differences, I think, when Winchester bought out Cooey - the Winchester / Cooey 600's came with those side mount holes already drilled and tapped - I do not think the Cooey 60 ever had them. Not certain if any 39 had them from factory.

I bought a Cooey bolt action repeater, thinking it was a 600 - had the four holes drilled and tapped into left side of receiver. It wasn't - was a Model 60 - those holes were someone's handi-work - and were too high on the diameter - so the scope is noticeably to the right of the barrel, or installer was using the sheet metal type mount and bent it for scope to be straight on top. Likely works just fine, except I notice it every time I handle that rifle.

Was always a thought of mine to have a 3/8" dovetail groove cut along top of receiver on a Cooey 60 or 39 - then use the 3/8" dovetail rings. I do not own a Mill - so never did that. If I had to pay a machinist to drill and tap, I suspect that I would get grooves milled, instead.
 
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I have a Cooey 60 and a 600. Both were prepped for scopes the 60 has the drilled and tapped holes in the side of the receiver and the 600 has the grooves in the top.
 
I've installed sections of Brownells universal 3/8" Tip Off mount stock. Notched for ejection port clearance. Bit of gunsmithing, but it works.
 
This is a Weaver 92A base fixed to a Cooey 39 - pretty rude, I guess, but it works. 92A was selected because it has similar diameter on underside as does the Cooey receiver. Front hole had to be created in the base. Notch cut out to allow loading and ejection. Front bit of the base was hacksawed off. All cut faces were coloured up with black jiffy marker - I have no way that I know of to do anodizing on aluminum.

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The last one I scoped was using 2 Weaver bases # 16 each. Receiver drills & taps easily with 6 x 48 screws.
The old "Period" weaver side mounts are for 3/4" scopes. I stick with 1" if I want to hit something.
,,,,,,,,,, Cooey 43.
 
Potashminer said:
This is a Weaver 92A base fixed to a Cooey 39 - pretty rude, I guess, but it works. 92A was selected because it has similar diameter on underside as does the Cooey receiver. Front hole had to be created in the base. Notch cut out to allow loading and ejection. Front bit of the base was hacksawed off. All cut faces were coloured up with black jiffy marker - I have no way that I know of to do anodizing on aluminum.

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Interesting idea. Does the spent brass hit the optic much?
 
Lead hammer said:
Interesting idea. Does the spent brass hit the optic much?
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If it does, I had not noticed. To be honest, is one of my very seldom used .22's. But every prairie guy needs to own a Cooey 39, no??

Was mostly a "see if I could do it" project - the Weaver base still allows me to see and use the iron sights, which is mostly what I had in mind for it.
 
Odinson said:
I have a Cooey 60 and a 600. Both were prepped for scopes the 60 has the drilled and tapped holes in the side of the receiver and the 600 has the grooves in the top.
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Better qualify this statement. SOME, not all, Model 600s have grooved receivers. I had (regrettably, past tense) a 600 purchased in 1968, and a second one purchased two years ago, both bearing the Winchester name. Both were tapped for side mounts.
 
Mad-Dog said:
Better qualify this statement. SOME, not all, Model 600s have grooved receivers. I had (regrettably, past tense) a 600 purchased in 1968, and a second one purchased two years ago, both bearing the Winchester name. Both were tapped for side mounts.
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Interesting .....My 600 was bought at a K-Mart in the Ottawa area around 1971. It has the grooves and no drilled holes on the receiver. Guess they must have been a time when they did them both ways.
 
Odinson said:
Interesting .....My 600 was bought at a K-Mart in the Ottawa area around 1971. It has the grooves and no drilled holes on the receiver. Guess they must have been a time when they did them both ways.
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That is an interesting question alright.I received a brand new Cooey 600 as a Christmas gift in 1972 and it was drilled and tapped for a side mount. Hopefully someone may have more information to pass along with regard to this.
 
Lead Hammer, it might be cheaper to buy a 2nd cooey 39 with the side mount already drilled and tapped - a Weaver #2 side mount base with Weaver Side 1" H mount works perfectly on my 39. Ejection is fine - but single feeding under the scope is slow from the bench - haven't tried it in the field.
 
It might sound kinda ghetto, but I just used JB weld and put a 1 piece base on my 750 when I wanted to scope it. Worked great for the few years it was on there until I wanted to go back to iron sites and when I removed it there was no evidence it was ever there. Dont remember which base, it was one that I had kicking around in a tool box
 
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