picatinny rail or adapter for Parker Hale

Dentside

Dentside

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Hello, All.

I have a Parker Hale Safari Super. I also have a Vortex Sparc AR red dot from another firearm. I'd like to replace the scope that is currently mounted on the Parker Hale with the Vortex red dot. I'm wondering if anyone is aware of a picatinny rail adapter for the Parker Hale scope mounts...? I've poked around on the internet but I haven't found what I'm looking for. Maybe someone on this site has traveled this path and found a solution? Pardon my ignorance as I'm not overly familiar with scope mounting options.

I've attached photos of the type of scope mounts on the receiver.
 

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Your rifle has the "soldered on" type of Parker Hale bases - no mounting screws - I think was even more than lead / tin solder, more like a braze of some sort. On one rifle, I chose to file off those bases, rather than risk changing the heat treat in that receiver. As you likely have found out, mostly only Parker Hale rings will fit on those bases. I had read the British SportsView(?) (or similar name) may also fit. I never tried - was able to come up with various heights of PH rings when I needed them.

I do not think Parker Hale made a picatinny rail for those bases - but you could drill and tap and install a flat bottom one, if you are able to. If they are the "A" width, they are nominally 19.5 mm wide with 60 degree dovetail sides. If they are "B" width, they are nominally 17 mm wide. Any PH rings that you buy will have to match to that width - whichever that you have on that rifle. Was from the days when you paid someone to mix and match to install an optic. Not like today's stuff that home guy can usually do.

I found the detachable, screw mounted "A" width Parker Hale bases to be made of aluminum. Those that are "soldered on" are made of steel. And they are shorter (shallower) than the screw mounted ones. As you might notice in your picture, the recoil "divot" actually goes through the base, into the steel of the receiver, underneath the base block.
 
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Thanks, Potashminer.

Yes, I realise these bases are brazed/soldered on to the top of the receiver. I believe they are the "A" width. I have no doubt that PH never made a picatinny rail for this generation of firearm. Currently, I have a set of PH rings and a period-correct Fisher-Dietz 4 x 32 scope. I was hoping to find some sort of adapter to mount a picatinny rail so that I can use my red dot...without resorting to drilling into the M98 receiver.

Cheers...
 
You may find Sako or Tikka or maybe even Zrak rings have a very similar dovetail and could be enlarged to fit. The Parker Hale RALS/RAHS rings had a steel recoil lug that fitted into those recesses. With a bit of clever machining you could probably arrange to have a couple of set screws turn into those holes to hold your rail on.
 
Post #4 and #6 seem to be good ideas - find a picatinny rail with "meat" to it, have it milled on bottom to just so slide endways onto those two bases, engaging the dovetail edges, then grub screws through the top into the divots to anchor it in place. I have never mounted a "red dot" style optic, so I do not know if a long-ish picatinny rail is needed, or if a short adaptor over just one base would do it??
 
Potashminer said:
Post #4 and #6 seem to be good ideas - find a picatinny rail with "meat" to it, have it milled on bottom to just so slide endways onto those two bases, engaging the dovetail edges, then grub screws through the top into the divots to anchor it in place. I have never mounted a "red dot" style optic, so I do not know if a long-ish picatinny rail is needed, or if a short adaptor over just one base would do it??
Click to expand...

That's probably the best way to do this. - dan
 
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Dentside - it might help your search to know that Europeans and North American makers typically measured dove tails in different ways - at least on rim-fires, so I presume also on the larger dovetails. A European measures across the flat on top - on widest part of dovetail - a North American measures the narrowest part, down at the bottom. A European typically uses 60 degree angles on the sides of the dovetail - a North American often uses 45 degree angles. And, as I have found on Parker Hale bases and what they said in their catalogues - the word "nominal" appears important - "nominally" PH made their "A" width bases at 19.5 mm; "nominally" they made the "B" width at 17 mm - in both cases measured across the flat on top - actual dimensions on samples that I have are not really those numbers - and three in a row with same part number, might not have exactly the same dimension. So, likely you will have to settle for "good enough", or need to take your calliper when you go shopping. Or have one made.
 
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