Turnbull Restoration Co. sells a receiver mount that fits a Winchester Model 71 or 1886 (plus another size for the 1894), that allows you to install a Burris FastFire red dot reflex sight on these lever actions. I have shot my Model 71 in 450 Alaskan for 40 years with iron sights, but now that my eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be, I'm going to give this reflex sight a work out.
I found Turnbull's mount to be nicely made of light alloy. I mounted it on my Model 71 receiver and snugged up the adjusting screw (rear, R.S.) which removes any potential tipping movement of the mount from recoil. The two screws in the original side mounted peep sight holes, which hold the mount to the receiver, are not adequate by themselves to prevent this tipping movement. However, on my rifle, snugging up this adjusting screw caused the mount to tilt so far forwards and down that their wasn't enough adjustment in my Burris FastFire III sight to compensate. Therefore the rifle shot several feet hight at 50 yards.
The following is what I have done to remedy this problem: There are four short posts on the top of the mount that fit into corresponding holes in the reflex sight to help anchor it solidly. I drilled a 5/64" hole all the way through the top of the mount in the center of the front left post. Then I made a little steel pin from the shank of a broken 1/8" dia. drill bit. I turned one end to 5/64" dia. to fit into the hole I had made, and left the other end (the head) at 1/8" dia. For my rifle the head needed to be .175 " long.
This pin, when inserted upwards from the bottom of the mount, places its head on top of the left side of my rifle's receiver just in front of the left locking bolt. Now when the sight mount is attached to the rifle there is no possible forward tilting movement and the sight sits level as it should.
I found Turnbull's mount to be nicely made of light alloy. I mounted it on my Model 71 receiver and snugged up the adjusting screw (rear, R.S.) which removes any potential tipping movement of the mount from recoil. The two screws in the original side mounted peep sight holes, which hold the mount to the receiver, are not adequate by themselves to prevent this tipping movement. However, on my rifle, snugging up this adjusting screw caused the mount to tilt so far forwards and down that their wasn't enough adjustment in my Burris FastFire III sight to compensate. Therefore the rifle shot several feet hight at 50 yards.
The following is what I have done to remedy this problem: There are four short posts on the top of the mount that fit into corresponding holes in the reflex sight to help anchor it solidly. I drilled a 5/64" hole all the way through the top of the mount in the center of the front left post. Then I made a little steel pin from the shank of a broken 1/8" dia. drill bit. I turned one end to 5/64" dia. to fit into the hole I had made, and left the other end (the head) at 1/8" dia. For my rifle the head needed to be .175 " long.
This pin, when inserted upwards from the bottom of the mount, places its head on top of the left side of my rifle's receiver just in front of the left locking bolt. Now when the sight mount is attached to the rifle there is no possible forward tilting movement and the sight sits level as it should.
