Cooey 60 scope mount options

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DOA357

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My kids are enjoying shooting their grandfather’s 60 year old Cooey model 60. It has a 3/4” 4x scope that is also 60 years old. I’d like to put a modern scope on it for them. Those of you that are parents know where I’m coming from when I say the joy felt sharing history and traditions with my kids has exceeded all my hopes in teaching the next generation. My one daughter actually prefers this old Cooey to the others but the scope just doesn’t cut it on the dueling tree when her siblings are shooting with clearer scopes.

It seems the only option is the elusive weaver side mount base #2 part 48402. Anyone find another solution? I know there are a bunch of old Cooeys out there.
 
DOA357 said:
My kids are enjoying shooting their grandfather’s 60 year old Cooey model 60. It has a 3/4” 4x scope that is also 60 years old. I’d like to put a modern scope on it for them. Those of you that are parents know where I’m coming from when I say the joy felt sharing history and traditions with my kids has exceeded all my hopes in teaching the next generation. My one daughter actually prefers this old Cooey to the others but the scope just doesn’t cut it on the dueling tree when her siblings are shooting with clearer scopes.

It seems the only option is the elusive weaver side mount base #2 part 48402. Anyone find another solution? I know there are a bunch of old Cooeys out there.
Click to expand...

I've used that Weaver base (bought from EPP's) to mount an old 1"-tubed, Bushnell scope on a model 60 for an old farmer friend of mine. If memory serves, it worked fine but I don't think they hold the scope perfectly centered on the receiver? A little offset to the left? I could be remembering that wrong. Anyhow, couldn't see any issues sighting in @ 50 yards, then testing closer/further. In fact, the last time the topic of that rifle came up, my buddy Jim said; "oh...meant to tell you, I saw a groundhog in the orchard last week and grabbed the .22, got it from the back porch. Shoots pretty straight!"

More evidence there is still plenty of love for these old 22s out there.
 
DOA357 said:
My kids are enjoying shooting their grandfather’s 60 year old Cooey model 60. It has a 3/4” 4x scope that is also 60 years old. I’d like to put a modern scope on it for them. Those of you that are parents know where I’m coming from when I say the joy felt sharing history and traditions with my kids has exceeded all my hopes in teaching the next generation. My one daughter actually prefers this old Cooey to the others but the scope just doesn’t cut it on the dueling tree when her siblings are shooting with clearer scopes.

It seems the only option is the elusive weaver side mount base #2 part 48402. Anyone find another solution? I know there are a bunch of old Cooeys out there.
Click to expand...

HI DOA -
You can get the Weaver side mount 48402 and the associated scope mount 49350 at Cabela's or most retailers. Not so elusive, but not really cheap either. I think with a 1" scope it is offset a bit to the right (from shooter's perspective), but will zero just fine and shoot very well. It's really the only option I ever found, and really enjoyed shooting the old Cooeys with it. Mostly cuz most irons aren't too friendly to my old eyes. Don't worry about the cost, just install and enjoy.
 
The scope needs to be offset to the left as the Cooey ejects shells almost straight up... scopes were unheard of when the first Cooey came off the line...
 
guntech - Yes, you are right. I think I had mine installed as close to centerline as possible, which puts the scope a bit to the right of centerline, and definitely right over the chamber and follower. And it would quite often bounce the cases back on top of the round being fed in.
I think my solution was a quick tilt of the rifle to the right to dump it out whenever that happened. Maybe not ideal, but it works.
 
Is the Cooey 60 supposed to come drilled for a side mount, or was that something added in later years? I pulled mine out the safe after reading this, and couldn't find any mounting holes.
 
It varies. They were made over many years. I have seen very few early ones D&T. Some of the later ones came drilled and tapped for a side mount. Others were probably done by either gunsmiths or by backyarders. Most Cooey 600s I've seen are drilled and tapped, or I think the last ones were dovetailed.
Either way, it adds a lot more versatility.
 
Ah, that's what I figured. Scopes were undoubtedly a rare thing when my grandfather bought that one. Still a decent little rifle even with the iron sights.
 
Hi All, I'm new to this forum but am active on Rimfire Central.

To answer the OP on the question of mount, Cooey started D&T-ing for scope mount some time after WW2. The period correct mount is the Weaver "N" mount. It takes 4 mounting screws, and 4 rings screws for each ring. They were very popular, and you see many old guns with those same 4 holes on the side of the receiver. The good news is they aren't hard to find on eBay. Make it easy on yourself and look for on that comes with the correct screws (12 in total).

Sentry44
 
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I have a Cooey model 60 in the factory box and on the end of the box it says drilled and tapped for a Weaver N3 mount. The N3 mount is for a 7/8" tubed scope as opposed to the 3/4" tubed scope for the N2 mount. So I found an in package N3 mount and a Weaver 7/8" tubed scope in box. So it could vary in what mounts Cooey specified. I never compared the N3 to an N2 to see if hole spacing is the same.
 
My side mount and rings showed up. The rings are the 2 piece clamshell style. Any tips or tricks to not mark up the scope with these? It looks like I have to push them onto the scope first but the corners will scribe the scope on the way on.
 
I have used paper layer or thin cardboard - like business card - as "bumper" between rings and scope tube to slide the tube onto the ring - then slip out that spacer - is typical that the scope tube will then slide back and forth, once inside that ring "half". Typical, when that "half" of the ring is more than 50% of the circumference. Not so sure that will do much, if trying to fit a 26 mm or 30 mm scope tube into a 1" (25.4 mm) ring, though, or trying to force a 1" scope tube into rings made for 7/8" scope tube.
 
It is possible / probable that you will have residue from that lube on the scope tube, which will make it more challenging for the rings to clamp snugly to that tube and hold - may not be an issue, at all, on a .22 rimfire, but might be problematic on something that is a bit more lively. I had used that Weaver side mount and ring system perhaps 30 years ago on my Dad's P17 30-06 - that I know of, that scope never moved - a 1.75-5x32 Tasco. After he was gone, that side mount is installed on a Cooey 60 here - that scope is in Parker Hale base and rings, set up on a BSA sporter in 30-06.

Some scopes, maybe just older ones (?), had the turrets installed in a boss - those side mount rings might need clearance filled for that "boss" - some scopes fit without that alteration, and some did not, as I recall. It is possible that the "modern" version of those rings may have that alteration already done - I do not know.
 
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I did consider the residue and as you mentioned, I hoped it wouldn’t be an issue on the 22. It’s primarily only used for plinking on the farm. My daughter is a good enough shot that she’ll let me know if something is off. Appreciate the input
 
Many people seem to think that a scope will move to the rear with recoil - if the clamps are not holding. Is actually the other way around - that scope has inertia to stay still, the rifle recoils "underneath" it - so effect is that the scope appears to "move forward" if the rings are not holding. Old School was to put a piece of masking tape around the scope tube - or make a mark with a pencil or jiffy marker "Sharpie" - snug to the front of the ring - after some shooting, if there was a "gap" between the ring and that tape, the rings were slipping under recoil.

So, can have scope slip in the rings, but also can have the ring mounts slip in the dovetail - I have never seen an issue of bases moving when they have screws through them into the rifle. If you look at an elderly Weaver TO-1 scope rail - often seen installed on 303 British and use rimfire "dovetail" rings - is a "stop" near the front end of that dove-tail - instructions say to have your front ring snugged up to that stop - if the clamps hold the scope, nothing moves. There was also an "old school" cheat /fix for the dovetail rings that were sliding - drill and tap a screw hole immediately in front of the ring - the screw used would sit proud - the ring would slid up against that screw head and stay there - became like a "stop".
 
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