Thinking up Mischief for Vermin

I should quit writing, but I have unexpected freedom, so I am suffering from “runaway slave” syndrome. I thought I had to take my dad to the dentist to get a crown fixed, and it turned out he wasn’t due for two weeks, so I am reveling in the unexpected gift of time.

I am trying to find a way to put a peep sight on my new Savage A22 .22 rifle.

When I do things like this, I completely understand why people buy the Ruger 10/22. It’s not the greatest .22, but there are a trillion aftermarket parts for it. Scope bases, peep sights, trigger kits, stocks…you name it; it’s out there. The A22 is like the Marlin 60. No one cares about customizing it, so products are few.

I shouldn’t compare the Savage to the Marlin, because the Savage is three times the gun. I took the stock off mine last night to get it ready to shoot, and I saw why it weighs more than the Marlin. There’s a real gun in there! No pot metal plates held together by pins. Just lots of machined steel. In comparison, the Marlin is a toy. It’s like comparing a $700 Home Depot John Deere mower to the old diesel job (original price $9800) I bought for the farm.

I can’t find a peep sight made for the A22, but it has tapped holes on the receiver for a scope base. That means I can put a Picatinny rail or Weaver bases on it. Once I get that done, I can attach a peep sight made to fit the rail or bases.

Believe it or not, Williams, the big name in peep sights, doesn’t make a Picatinny or Weaver sight. They make one that fits a crappy .22 dovetail.

After much searching, I located a UTG air rifle peep sight that fits a rail. A Williams sight runs over $75. The UTG is about $16. I’m sure it’s less fancy, without click adjustments and so on, but it will be just as accurate when adjusted correctly. I found Weaver bases for about $7 a pair.

I can slap this stuff on the gun and see if it works. I might have to get a new front sight. I’ve located those already. Williams makes them in various heights. I think I should get the rear sight, use it with the existing front sight, and see whether I need to go higher or lower.

I wonder if I could cut a Weaver base down to look like a .22 dovetail. That would allow me to use the Williams dovetail sight.

There are a lot of peep sights out there for AR rifles. I don’t think I’ll ever be an AR fan. AR peep sights are way high, so they’re far from the line of fire. I think that has to cause issues when you fire at varying distances. I don’t want to use a tall AR sight on the A22. As it is, the Weaver base will jack things up a quarter of an inch or so.

I wish the weather would clear up so I could shoot. I have a good feeling about this gun.