THE ACCURATERELOADING.COM CUSTOM RIFLE FORUM

Accuratereloading.com    The Accurate Reloading Forums    THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS  Hop To Forum Categories  Rifles  Hop To Forums  Custom Built Rifles    Scope advice needed for NRA Sporter
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Scope advice needed for NRA Sporter
 Login/Join
 
One of Us
posted
Hello,

I have an NRA Springfield Sporter that needs a scope. This rifle has most of the features of a normal NRA sporter, but also has some of the features of the Griffin & Howe modified NRA Sporters... so I am not certain what it is exactly or what its history is.

Long story short it has the G&H scope side mount and rings but no scope. I am going to use it for elk hunting out to 200 yards or so. The way I see it I have two options:

1. Find the scope that would have came with this rifle originally. Does anyone know what that is?

2. Get a new scope for it in the 2-4 power range. If this route, any recommendations? I want it to be a straight tube so I can still use the Lyman iron sight.

Thanks!
 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
The scope that "it came with" was more than likely added sometime after the rifle was converted/made into the NRA sporter version. A period scope would probably be a Weaver or Lyman.

If you decide on a new scope it's pretty hard to beat a Leupold.

Do a Google image thing for NRA Sporters and you should find some examples.
 
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of zimbabwe
posted Hide Post
I have 2 03's with G&H mounts. Both had originally had Lyman Alaskan 2 3/4 scopes as determined by the rings on one and the scope on the other. One is a 458 Win Mag and the other is an 06. I have now found and installed a Norman-Ford Texan on the one that was missing a scope. Could never find an Alaskan I could afford. Both are straight tube scopes as is the Leupold Alaskan that was made for a brief period. First thing to do is check the rings as if they are the small ones (not 1") you are basically limited to those three scopes which are all excellent in all respects. If they are 1" rings or you wish to BUY 1" rings any Leupold straight tube would work. That gives you a good price and performance range.


SCI Life Member
NRA Patron Life Member
DRSS
 
Posts: 2786 | Location: Green Valley,Az | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
I really appreciate the responses! I would prefer to keep it period if the wallet and availability permits. We will see.
 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Look for a Leupold 3 power straight tube. If you can't find a used one on ebay check out SWFA. They stock the custom shop 3 powers that are offered today. An old Weaver K2.5 or K3 would not look out of place either.
 
Posts: 3073 | Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Registered: 11 November 2004Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Is the mount a single or double lever, what is the ID of the rings and does the base have windage adjustments? Has the bolt been bent or did it have a scope that was in front of the bolt? Pictures would help.
 
Posts: 808 | Location: Anchorage, Alaska | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Michael,

It is a single lever mount. I will try and get some pics up and measure the rings this evening. I bet you all could tell me some things I did not know about it!
 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Here are a few pics. Let me know what you think. Scope rings hold a 7/8" tube. I think I found the scope that was originally on this rifle buried in a part bucket. Its unusable in its current state( dented, rusted, broken cross hair), but maybe it could be repaired if it was worth it. It is a Carl Zeiss Jena " Zielklein nr.31846 The scope only has an elevation adjustment, but it looks like there is some windage adjustment on the G&H mount? Thanks.



 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
You sure have your work cut out for you. Yes the windage is in the mount and once cleaned and oiled should work fine. If you look at the back of the mount by the adjustment you will see a lock screw, make sure you loosen or remove this first.

Most single-lever G&H mounts are found with a Zielklein in them. I'm not sure who is repairing them nowadays but well worth restoring.

If I could see a picture of the left side of the rifle showing the base I might be able to tell you more.

An early G&H before barrel numbers,

 
Posts: 808 | Location: Anchorage, Alaska | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Does anyone have an idea what power the scope I mentioned is?

Thanks for the help
 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
The Zielklein was a 2.5 power scope.

It appears that G&H mounted the scope and the front sight. The front sight most likley had an bead front on it when it left G&H and the hooded one was added later.

I don't believe that G&H did any other work on your rifle.

Good luck and well worth restoring, Zielklein scopes do come up for sale ever so often.
 
Posts: 808 | Location: Anchorage, Alaska | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
You have a bunch of issues with this rifles if you plan to do any modern hunting with it.
-The scope is mounted in the "suitcase handle"style as back then safeties nor bolt handles were not altered to clear a low mounted scope.
-the scope was excellent in the 30s' but is not waterproof no were lens coatings what they are today.
-the rifle is no longer an NRA sporter but a sporterized NRA sporter, so it has limited collector value.
-the easy scope fix is to buy a high condition Lyman All Weather Alaskan which has a 7/8" tube, windage and elevation,is reasonably waterproof and has better optics than that old Zeiss. Cost you about $400.
-Brownells makes a neoprene comb raising stick on thingy that will bring your line of sight up to the scope. Otherwise it will whack you in the cheek.

Now depending on your LOP needs and budget, you could get a double lever G&H base with a top that is offset forward above the woodline. Then you have to find a 7/8" double G&H top lever top
that can be fitted to the base. Now you put the Alaskan in it (they have huge eye relief) and as Mike mentioned earlier, the eyepiece will be in front of the bolt. The Lyman 48 Staff will probably need to be replaced by a blank that fits in the slot. The 48 staff could go in a hole behind the buttplate easily accessed with your Leatherman screwdriver. There may be 1" scopes with as much eye relief as an Alaskan, but I know of none.

Been down this road with a couple of 03 sporters and you cannot believe how fast an Alaskan (2.5X) is shooting both eyes open.

It's a handsome rifle and should not gather moss in a gunsafe.

Thanks for sharing it with us and if you have not bought it, let me put in a plug for Mike's wonderful book Custom Gunmakers of the 20th Century available from Amazon. Many of us are
lighting candles that there will be a second volume.
 
Posts: 122 | Registered: 26 August 2013Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
 
Posts: 808 | Location: Anchorage, Alaska | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
There is another option for a period scope with a straight 22mm (7/8") tube and even longer eye relief than the Alaskan. This is the Noske Field Scope, a hand made, truly superior piece of optics. The accompanying photograph shows one mounted so as to leave bolt handle and safety in their original condition.



Should you want to convert to the modern G&H mount, you would have to replace the base, which like all G&H bases of the period is cantilevered inward. Modern bases are cantilevered outward, to allow for the option of using either 7/8" or 1" diameter scopes. You cannot mount a 1" scope using the base now on your rifle.

You can defray the cost of a new mount somewhat by selling the old mount, which has some collector's value, especially since it is the model with built in windage adjustment.
 
Posts: 1748 | Registered: 27 March 2007Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Thank you all for your responses!

Although slightly awkward, It seems that the eye relief is sufficient and the bolt does not interfere with the scope. I have decided to have the scope repaired by L&K Scope repair.

quote:
It appears that G&H mounted the scope and the front sight. The front sight most likley had an bead front on it when it left G&H and the hooded one was added later.


I am excited to know that they may have worked on this rifle! I may also try and bring the front sight back to what it could have had from their shop. I just received your books in the mail yesterday which I can probably get some ideas from.

Thanks again everyone,
Brent
 
Posts: 97 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 06 February 2009Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

Accuratereloading.com    The Accurate Reloading Forums    THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS  Hop To Forum Categories  Rifles  Hop To Forums  Custom Built Rifles    Scope advice needed for NRA Sporter

Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia