kujuak said
I have 71s with both the old Lyman and Redfield sights. I find the REDfield sight more "elegant" (aesthically and in the finest of the machine work) and more pleasant to use.
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!
  

My 71 originally had a Lyman 56W but somebody swiped it and substituted  a Williams FP-71. I have nothing against the FP line and have one on my Mountie but wanted to get back to factory on the 71. Swung out on any Lyman 56Ws but found an as-new steel Redfield 80, the 70 successor and the only mechanical difference is a button staff release (but also nasty little pins in lieu of the 70"s screws, sadly.) 

I liked it so well I found another one for my Miroku built 1886 Sporting Rifle. I paid through the nose for the first one because it was coded for the 86/71 receiver. I ve since discovered the :E/94 codes work just fine on the wider receiver, with only an insignificant loss of windage adjustment. 

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