M94 Williams 5D mount hole location

[zoner]

I want to install a 5D to my Winchester M94. The rifle was made before Winchester started drilling and tapping holes for the side mount peep. I have already been successful locating,drilling, and tapping a Rossi R92 for a 5D. On the Rossi I pretty much located the holes where I thought they should go and it worked out well. I'd like to take a slightly different route that being locating the mount holes exactly where Winchester did i on the M94. Can somebody that owns a M94 drilled and tapped by the factory give me a measurement from the front edge of the receiver(where the receiver meets the wood forend) back to the forward hole that mounts the peep mount to the receiver. I realize that drilling and tapping those holes devalues an original gun but don't care about that because the rifle is not 100% original. My Grandfather installed a recoil pad to the buttstock years ago and the wood was refinished and the gun was re-blued so like I said the don't drill and tap an original M94 ship has long sailed. Hoping somebody can help me out with this......Mike

[Walt]

Zoner, on my Trapper the distance to the first screw is 3.880" plus maybe a thousandth because I didn't perfectly center the screw head.

[zoner]

Thanks Walt…..that’s exactly the info i was after

[FLINT]

I have three 94s that are DT'd

Both post 64s measure 3.855" from front end of receiver to middle of first screw hole - so similar to Walt's measurement.

However a 40's flat band measures 3.658"

[Malamute]

I believe the simplest way to get them exact is to get a post-64 Weaver side mount scope base and use it as a template to drill. They are shipped with the thicker screw for the lever pin plug screw, post-64s were thicker. You may be able to use your existing screw just to center it, though I had a gunsmith make me a couple screws that fit the post-64 base and the pre-64 receivers (fatter head, skinnier threads) to mount the bases and use scopes on a couple guns.

This is the correct base to use as a drilling template if you were to choose that route.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009219288?pid=410124

The several later pre-64s Ive tried them with fit perfectly, so it seems they were using the same numbers since they started drilling and tapping for receiver sights.

[zoner]

When I did my Rossi R92 I used the Williams peep mount for a "template". Located the sight here I wanted it then glued the mount to the receiver with RTV silicone. After a 24 hr set time then used a drill bit in the drill press that fit the forward screw hole perfectly to dimple the receiver. them removed the mount,cleaned up the silicone then used the right size bit to drill the first hole. Tapped that hole them re-attached the mount using that screw. After checking to be sure the mount was properly located used the same procedure to mark.drill, and thread the second hole. I put a little dab of blue loctite for the final install of the mount. It was easy and came out perfect. I wanted the measurement for the M94 receiver to locate the mount as close as possible to where Winchester put them.

[Bob Hatfield]

Save that original machined rear sight and elevator. I've seen them go for almost $200 recently if it is of a specific type.

Bob

[zoner]

Still have the rear sight and elevator. The rifle is 1942 vintage caliber 32 Special

[FLINT]

Still have the rear sight and elevator. The rifle is 1942 vintage caliber 32 Special

oh cool. The rifle I referenced above is a 32 special from the 40s. I forget the year, but it's later than '42

I have three 94s that are DT'd

Both post 64s measure 3.855" from front end of receiver to middle of first screw hole - so similar to Walt's measurement.

However a 40's flat band measures 3.658"

[Malamute]

Still have the rear sight and elevator. The rifle is 1942 vintage caliber 32 Special

oh cool. The rifle I referenced above is a 32 special from the 40s. I forget the year, but it's later than '42

I have three 94s that are DT'd

Both post 64s measure 3.855" from front end of receiver to middle of first screw hole - so similar to Walt's measurement.

However a 40's flat band measures 3.658"

The 1940s "flat band" did not come from the factory drilled and tapped as a standard item. Its possible it was a special order, or more likely done by a gunsmith or just the owner. Bottom line, whatever numbers it may represent are unlikely to be representative of standard factory hole location. It appears that once the factory started drilling and tapping as a standard feature in the early 50s, they stayed with the same hole locations, witnessed by the fact that post-64 side mount scope bases line up perfectly with earlier factory tapped guns, the only difference being diameter of the forward screw after 1964. The earliest one Ive checked was a 1955 gun. The post 64 mount mentioned previously upthread lined up perfectly.