help me fix up grandpa's old rifle

[JEB]

i have only two things that ever belonged to my great grandpa, his single shot 12 ga, and his .22.

i have recently taken up squirrel hunting and would love to take a step back in time and hunt with the same gun he did but there is a problem. the gun has no sights.

the rifle is a springfield model 56 manufactured by J stevens arms company. it fires .22 s,l,&lr from a 5 round magazine.

the front sight still has the ramp but no blade and there is nothing for a rear sight. on the rear left side of the reciever their is a place for a peep sight and i have found pictures of these guns with peep sights but i can not find any for sale. (the attached image is where the peep sight would mount if it helps)

i am not as concerned about getting something that is factory correct as i am about getting someting that will work.

i thought that bob's gun shop would have them but i cant find any peep sights for it (if you can, a part # and a link would be awesome)

if their is any other information that would be helpful just ask and i will be more than happy to tell you everything i know!

thanks in advance!

 

[eocoolj]

My first guess would be Numrich. Here is the page for the model 56. They dont have the sights listed there, but you might want to look through some of the other models, because I would guess that there was some overlap between models. The downside is the peep sight was probably an "upgraded model" and so parts for it might be a bit harder to come by than a standard model.

Good luck. The stevens rifles are a joy to shoot, and there is absolutely no substitute for shooting your grandfather's rifle

 

[JEB]

how would i go about finding out wheather or not a peep sight from another model would fit the 56?

 

[pete f]

Call the tech people at Brownells, they are top notch, also Ahlmanns gun shop in Morristown Mn, they have a web site, they have stuff you can not imagine from old guns.

 

[eocoolj]

"how would i go about finding out wheather or not a peep sight from another model would fit the 56? "

I honestly dont know all the variation on stevens models. I would try calling numrich or the other people that pete recommends. If it helps, that gun looks very similar to the stevens 66B that I have experience with, and also had a peep sight. however i dont see that numrich has the peep sight listed for that model either. Might want to switch to the standard sight? I believe the barrel should already be dovetailed to accept it. The standard sight is a big step down from the peep sight, i will admit, but at least it will get you shooting.

another idea, if the house your grandfather lived in is still in the family. Go through your grandfather's stuff inch by inch. Its unlikely he threw it away or lost it, probably just got separated somehow.

Good luck

 

[JEB]

the house was origionally owned by my great grandfather(who owned the gun) and his wife. years ago half the house was torn off and replaced with a new addition. just this summer the last part of the house was removed for yet another new addition. the two guns had been left in the stairwell of the old part of the house. even my grandmother doesnt remember it ever having sights; she said he used to hunt without them by sighting down the barrel. i am no where near this good, so i wanted to add the peep sight because i want to be able to return the gun to the state it was in when he used it for hunting (no drilling or removing of metal). the gun may have never had sights but i really want to bring it back to what it should have looked like when he bought it (or at least get close) and then the grand finale...a successful hunt!

p.s. not really a lot of stuff to go threw of his. the only things we have of his are the two guns, his old pocket watch, a glod pocket watch he used on sundays, and a trunk containing his complete uniform from WWI. all great stuff, but no peep sight to be found

 

[eocoolj]

depending on how much you are willing to spend, it might be worth it if you can find a complete gun to use for parts. I believe the stevens bolt actions sell for about $100. It would be worth $100 to me to get the gun shooting again (obviously only if you cant find the sights separately)

 

[dogngun]

I used to own a Stevens rifle that was pretty similar to yours - the peep sight was nothing very fancy, and if you scroll through some peep sights for Stevens and Savage .22's you will probably find something that would fit. I'd also advise calling Numrich's parts department during business hours - they have been very good to do business with for me for about 30 years, and they may be able to make some suggestions.

FWIW, it was not an expensive rifle, but it was way more accurate than what it cost, a solid hunting rifle. He bought a good one.

Enjoy it.

mark

 

[goon]

Any front sight that will fit the dovetail in the ramp and is tall enough should work.

 

[Jubjub]

These guys have a complete rifle with sights listed for $115. It would give you sights plus a set of spare parts.

http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_info.php?products_id=13991

 

[dogngun]

JEB; I just remembered this guy-he has a lot of obsolete/obscure parts. Email him with the gun's model number and what you need and he will eventually get back to you (very busy one man shop). Bob has a little of nearly everything: http://www.gun-parts.com/savagerifle/

Good luck in your hunt.

mark

 

[qman2]

Hey, if you wanna step back in time, then do it right. Sight down the barrell like gramps used to.

You think he was born good at it?