Mounting a scope on a 30-30

gump132

gump132

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I have a sears roebuck 30-30 lever action and I am wondering what hardware I will need to mount a scope on it and where I can purchase it. If photos/serial numbers are needed I can post them later tonight.

Thanks!
 
personally i would forget about it- it's worth more intact rather than DRILLED and tapped for a scope- get yourself a modern rifle that is already drilled and tapped and if you must, sell the old one to a collector- just about the worst thing you can do to a rifle is modify it for scope mounts, even if you do know what you're doing or have it professionally done- even though it's a "store " brand, it's still collectable- now if the holes are already in the top like some of the marlins, well, then it's a simple matter of getting weaver mounts and rings
 
I'd try a receiver sight before going the scope route. They are a big improvement over the barrel sights and keep the rifle nice and trim for good handling. YMMV.

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c-fbmi said:
Who actually manufactured for Sears branding, anyone know? Just curious.
Click to expand...

For Sears, just about everybody, though not necessarily the lever guns.

Winchester, Marlin, Savage, Stevens, Springfield, Fox, Laurona, Mossberg, High Standard, Cooey, Boito, Zoli, CBC, FIE, Ithaca, Sako. H&R..and probably a few others.

Winchester, Marlin, Savage, Mossberg and I think High Standard all made lever guns, though I don't know which ones supplied Sears with their .30-30's.
 
If the gun ejects straight upwards, then the best thing to do is mount a long eye relief scope (pistol scope) to the barrel at about where the rear sight sits.
 
This is a Sears Model 45. It is really a Marlin 336 with the Sears name on it.

Should have four holes drilled in the top with sleeper screws in them.

If it is a "Sears Model 45 " like mine Get the Weaver base for the Marlin 336 and you'll be good to go. I used what rings I had around (which as you can see were high) and they turned out to be wrong for my rifle. I could never line the scope up right. No matter what I did it was always 12 inches too high.

I happened to have a vintage Redfield receiver sight on had so I mounted that and bought a Tru-Glo front sight and now it not only looks better, it shoots on target too.

MichelAugust2008120.jpg


Guess which one it is?


MichelApril2010004.jpg
 
not only that, it's a TOP EJECT - that means 1)side mount bracket 2) scout series scope, 3) receiver peep or tang sight- or NEW GUN THAT CAN TAKE SCOPE
 
Yep, I'd leave that one alone for scoping and go with a tang or receiver peep and pick up an older Marlin 336 for using with a scope.
 
I'd mount a 2.5X scout scope on the barrel just so the ocular clears the front of the receiver. In this way the scope can be mounted closer to the line of the bore making it more natural to sight with the 94's low comb, and there is nothing in the way for easy carrying at the balance or to hit ejected brass. It seemed to me that there was such a mount that didn't require drilling holes in the barrel, but I don't recall who made it.
 
There are side mount scope brackets specifically made to fit the Win 94 (your gun) that attach by the factory drilled holes on the port side of the receiver. They are poor at best, and the time I tried one on my old 94 the empty cases would, often as not, drop back into the open action. As others have suggested, I would leave this rifle in its (very nice) original configuration and pick up an old Marlin 336 for scoping in 30-30. The Marlins are side eject, have a drilled and tapped flat top receiver for scoping, and are an all around better rifle than the Winchester IMO.
 
there was someone on EE who had a side mount for a model 94 made by qwik sight i believe and he wanted 45 shipped?
do a search and im sure youl find it your reciever should be pre drilled to accept this mount or go with a redfield or similar aperture"peep" sight.
thats what i have on mine and it works great!
3030secondpic.jpg
 
The rifle shown in the pictures is a post /64 Winchester 94., the poorest years for the Model 94.
I have seen a pre 64 Model 94 with a Roebuck name on it.
I don't think the manufacturers name appears on the barrel of the rifles carrying a house brand name.
 
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