Winchester 52 sight screws, need help

[NIGHTLORD40K]

So, I scored an absolutely beautiful condition Mod. 82 ladder sight on Evilbay for my Pre-A, but its missing the windage screws and springs-

Ive struck out on the Interwebs for the time being looking for the correct parts, but I figure I can get by with a set of regular machine screws or threaded hole plugs if I can get the right size and pitch, at least as a temporary measure while I keep looking for the factory unicorn horn bits.

I went through my bin of miscellaneous screws and no joy. Anybody happen to know the correct size?

 

[earlthegoat2]

Dont know but 6-40, 6-48, 8-32, and 8-40, will likely be one or all of their sizes and pitches.

 

[Kp321]

You can take a toothpick or wooden skewer that will “screw” into the hole in question. After carefully screwing the toothpick/skewer in and out of the hole, the diameter and thread pitch can be determined and matched against screw charts. Winchester might have used standard sizes that can be found at full line hardware stores (or not). A more accurate method would be to release agent the hole and fill it with epoxy. When set, the epoxy screw can be removed and measured. A little riskier however.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

So 8-40 is super close, it will screw in just short of 1 full turn before binding. It appears to the naked eye to be slightly finer, but I can't find any #8 machine screw with more than 40 TPI. Any ideas?

 

[earlthegoat2]

8-48 is an uncommon size but but it does exist.

I can find taps but can’t find screws.

I guess that settles the chicken or the egg question.

 

[weeniewawa]

get a set of these, they will make your life a lot easier, they go down to 6-40 and have male and female threads on them, they make them for the silly metric threads too which really help since they have like 3 different thread pitches.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0048O0YC8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1