Just throwing this out for some feedback...
I have a c.1935 Parker-Hale .22 Hornet conversion of a large-frame Martini that I want to mount a Hi-Lux LER scope on. (Interestingly, when this rifle was manufactured P-H also offered a similar setup with an Ajack 2 1/4x scope mounted tight against the barrel ahead of the action.)
I have a length of blank .22 rail from Brownells which would work once the rear military sight is removed but, a) the rear sight is wider than the .22 rail and will leave a solder mark when removed, which to be done properly, should be rust blued, and b) the barrel has a subtle taper from about 0.675 to 0.724 in the area of interest. Of course a gunsmith can machine the base to match this but it will be an expensive bit of work.
I went online looking for alternatives and found that T-C and Rossi both have barrel-mount Weaver-type rails. Both appear to be contoured for hexagonal barrels but I remembered an article from years ago where someone re-contoured a base by wrapping the barrel with 180-grit W&D and working the base against it until it has a round profile. It would be time-consuming but it would be on my time. Depending on the amount of metal to be removed it might be possible to start with a large 1/2 round file, followed by finer grades of paper. While it would be ideal to get a perfect fit, a minor discrepancy could be accommodated by using Acra-Glas or Steel Bed as filler.
As to any rebluing that might be necessary, I have Pilkington Rust Blue and the ultrafine SS carding wheel, bought for a project years ago that never materialized. But has anyone tried the Mark Lee Rust Blue?
Another alternative would be to try and find a surplus Martini rear sight base (minus the actual ladder sight) and mill it down flat to act as a base for a flat Weaver rail, simply replacing the original one. I actually had one at one time, taken from a.303 Martini w. a shot-out barrel, but I can’t find it. The one screw in these bases is BA4 thread (close to Nº6), for which I have a tap and screws but it could be re-tapped 8-40 and a second screw added.
I have a c.1935 Parker-Hale .22 Hornet conversion of a large-frame Martini that I want to mount a Hi-Lux LER scope on. (Interestingly, when this rifle was manufactured P-H also offered a similar setup with an Ajack 2 1/4x scope mounted tight against the barrel ahead of the action.)
I have a length of blank .22 rail from Brownells which would work once the rear military sight is removed but, a) the rear sight is wider than the .22 rail and will leave a solder mark when removed, which to be done properly, should be rust blued, and b) the barrel has a subtle taper from about 0.675 to 0.724 in the area of interest. Of course a gunsmith can machine the base to match this but it will be an expensive bit of work.
I went online looking for alternatives and found that T-C and Rossi both have barrel-mount Weaver-type rails. Both appear to be contoured for hexagonal barrels but I remembered an article from years ago where someone re-contoured a base by wrapping the barrel with 180-grit W&D and working the base against it until it has a round profile. It would be time-consuming but it would be on my time. Depending on the amount of metal to be removed it might be possible to start with a large 1/2 round file, followed by finer grades of paper. While it would be ideal to get a perfect fit, a minor discrepancy could be accommodated by using Acra-Glas or Steel Bed as filler.
As to any rebluing that might be necessary, I have Pilkington Rust Blue and the ultrafine SS carding wheel, bought for a project years ago that never materialized. But has anyone tried the Mark Lee Rust Blue?
Another alternative would be to try and find a surplus Martini rear sight base (minus the actual ladder sight) and mill it down flat to act as a base for a flat Weaver rail, simply replacing the original one. I actually had one at one time, taken from a.303 Martini w. a shot-out barrel, but I can’t find it. The one screw in these bases is BA4 thread (close to Nº6), for which I have a tap and screws but it could be re-tapped 8-40 and a second screw added.
