Could anybody help me determine what scope base might fit (or be made to fit) the standard holes on the barrel of an old Winchester model 52 22 target rifle? There are two pairs of holes about 6 inches apart. Thank you in advance.

These are ment to have target scope bases mounted. Check Brownells they have those bases.

It you want to mount a conventional scope and the reciever is not drilled and tapped for bases you might want to check with a gunsmith about having that done.

The target bases on the barrel are designed for target scopes with external adjustments. There are some of those around, but, they are expensive and not designed for a field gun.

I had one of those old 52 B's with a long bbl. When I stopped competition shooting I cut the barrel down to 22 inches, recrowned it, drilled and tapped it for standard big bore scope mounts.

I then cut the stock to look like a sporter varmit stock and used it to shoot robins when the squirrels would hole up between the 220 swift's shots.

It isn't legal to shoot them song birds now, but it was death out to about 135 yards with a 6 power bigbore scope.

Good luck on your quest.

On a differnt web site, was a guy posting the plans for a conversion...basicaly a long scope rail that attaches to the barrel's tapped holes and extends back over the reciver for mounting today's short reviver mounted scopes. Problem is, they were the scale drawings and you had to make it or have it made.


Will look for the plans...or the email of the poster. Some folks (I'm one) don't like driling new holes into valuable older guns. My solution is to use tradtional target scopes.

The big Unertls and Lymans cost a good bit of money...but they came in differnt grades, and the smaller ones (like the 1" and 1 1/4" traget models) aren't as expensive as the big ones. The Litchert's aen't as expensive, nor the Feckers, and both are good scopes...not "great" scopes, but I buy them when i find them at a good price and use them on old guns.


My thoughst are simpler....If I cough up the $ for a classic older gun, will also want to have a scope on top. To me, a brand new scope (even a top of the line one) on a classic old rifle is like putting those spinning hubcaps on a 1937 Chevy.