GUNSMITH?..GUNSLOP!!!

[Hoshua1]

I finally recieved my Gpa's old bolt action .22. Nothing special but a cool old Ranger with a decent trigger. I had fun widdling the stock a bit to fit, added a little weight in the stock just for balance and began a refinishing. I took to a locally advertised gunsmith who gave a good price on tapping for a scope. NOPE! The rockhead probably drilled the rifle with it sitting in his lap watching late night TV. The four holes aren't centered on the top of the rifle and the front ones don't line up with the back'n's.

I found some great guys at a cool shop up north. They say there's no room to re-tap. Any advice on retapping a bad tap job? So disappointing. Its a humble heirloom but a gift between us none the less. Its an affirmation of family traditions and still a good project gun. In the end I've learned a lot about the finesses of stock carving and trigger care. Good knbowledge but alass, I wish I had found the new gun shop a few days earlier. :banghead:

 

[HSMITH]

You will have to fill the holes, and re-drill and tap. Filling the holes right will probably require a re-finish also.

It isn't something most do-it-yourselfer types can do, you are going to need to find a REAL gunsmith that really and truly KNOWS how to work metal.

 

[Jim K]

If those "great guys" in that "cool shop up north" don't know how to fix that problem, they are probably not as "great" or the shop as "cool" as you seem to think. There are a couple of ways. At one time, we had an artist with a Heliarc that did that kind of work for us, but usually inserting a long screw (the holes are probably 6x48) and filing down, then drilling will work OK. Or the holes can be filled with a soft steel plug (read "nail") hammered in so it grips the threads.

On a .22, I would install one of those grooved bases that will take the regular .22 scope sights, unless you want to use a larger scope.

Using the grooved base, you might be able to salvage the job if the holes are not too far out of line. You have to put a screw in one hole at a time, then put on a scope and see if you can line it up with a collimator. If you can find one hole that will line up, and at least one other that is lined up or not too far off you might be able to file the base hole to an oval, clean up the countersink with a drill or Dremel tool, and get the base to work OK with the other holes that are there. Of course if they are WAY out of line, that won't work, but I have done several that way to clean up somebody else's mess.

Jim