whats your guys opinion on the finishes of this rifle?

I’m by no means a player at this price point but just trying to learn.

The gun looks like nice honest gun except for the cut barrel. It is now a shooter grade gun.

Bob

Bert H. said
While I admittedly have not measured more than a handful of Model 1873 barrels, for the Single Shot (M1885), Models 1886, 1890, 1892, and 1894 they front sight dovetail cuts are precisely milled into the barrel .750" from the muzzle face (+/- .002").  The measurement is from the face of the muzzle to the forwardmost edge of the bottom edge of the milled dovetail cut.  For the magazine retaining ring, the measured distance from the muzzle face to the transverse pin should be 3.75" (again +/- a few thousandths).
As Bob mentioned, the octagon barrels were tapered, and the taper rate could vary slightly from one barrel to the next.  On the standard weight (size) octagon barrels the tape rate was usually .005/per inch.  The Heavy and Extra Heavy barrels typically have a .0025/per inch taper rate.
Bert
  

Thanks Bert. Great info here.

1873man said
They do have a taper but the tolerances are fairly wide but its could be a outside chance it would show what happened. Just like the barrel diameter tolerance the front sight placement has a tolerance. I've been seeing .725" to .790" from the muzzle to the closest cut at the bottom of the dovetail for 2nd and 3rd models. I checked a few first models and a 66 and they are more, .8" plus.  My email is below my picture. 
Bob
  

Hi Bob,

I sent you an email with photos and some dimensions. 

Thanks 

Ben said
I bought Mike Richards bolt peep repair parts when he retired.  I have several of the windage blocks and apertures available.  The windage screw & round slotted retaining is in the process of being reproduced along with the elevation wheel screw & nut... they will hopefully be available after the first of the year.  The windage screw is double threaded and my machinist isn't happy with me right now.  You can substitute a #4 thread screw and use a hex nut (peening over the screw) as a fix (it's ugly, but works.) The machinist is also reproducing the bodies of the 98A and 98C... I sent him one of each for patterns... his machine can even reproduce the markings... I'm hoping they turn out nice as there are alot of guys in need.... cheers.  Ben
  

Great idea, Ben. 

Dave M. said
Will any of the modern peep sights, fit the Win. 98A peep sight? I mean the screw in peep that comes with different size holes.
Like Lyman or Marbles?
Thanks
  

The thread pitch for the screw in aperture disc (eye-piece) is the same on the No. 98A and 98C bolt peeps sights as the Luman No. 2/2A tang sights.  However, the OD of the aperture is limited to the smaller discs due to the clearance.  I believe that the correct OD for the discs used on the No. 98A was .375".

Bert

M64lvr said
I certainly like the looks of the boltpeep, seems to appear a rugged advantage! Was the Boltpeep ever an option/standard available on the Mod 64?
  

Yes it was. It was the standard sight for all of the Model 64 rifles chambered for the 219 Zipper (a lower cost 26-H Sporting open rear sight was optional).  The No. 98A bolt peep sight could have been special ordered and installed on any Model 64 rifle manufactured in the 1937 - 1952 time period.  I have thus far documented seven 30 WCF and 32 WS Model 64 rifles with a bolt peep sight.

Bert

Like Lyman or Marbles?

Thanks

I am still leery of the bolt peep regarding robustness.It sits higher above the receiver and looks like it is waiting to be damaged when going into or out of a horse borne scabbard. But it sure is pretty!

Zebulon said
the valuable lesson of what to look for next time. Most of us have been to this school.

I been there, flunked the course, and came back a few times for summer school!

The bolt peep is very compact, sturdy and about as close to the eye as you can safely get. It leaves both receiver walls slick.

Although the 98A is not a finely adjustable micrometer sight -- more of a set it once and leave it alone device -- it was expensive to make, requiring a lot of machining. 

At one point, NECG made a fine replica of the 98A but it was almost five hundred bucks years ago. 

That is why the Lyman 56W and the Redfield 70 replaced it. It is probably my lack of experience but I've actually seen more Model 71 rifles with the Redfield 70 than the Lyman versions. Redfield was a catalogued option at one time, I believe.