Winchester Model 75

[Borie]

Can anyone tell me (and possibly provide pictures) what the original front and rear sights were for a 1941 Winchester Model 75 .22 cal target rifle and where I might be able to find them? Thanks in advance.

[Hammerslagger]

I am consulting a 1944 Stoeger Catalog. It is basically a "picture book" because of WW II.
Almost no guns were in stock for sale from shortly after 12/07/1941.

I infer that the specs in the 1944 catalog are likely the same as the 1941 catalog.

The Win. Model 75 Target Rifle is advertised in six configurations:
Standard Rifle with Win. 99A front sight and Win. 84A Extension peep rear. $39.25
Rifle with scope bases only for Win. 8X scope. $33.70. Scope $12.65.
Rifle with no sight equipment. $33.10
Rifle with Vaver 1175 front and 3875 rear. $48.55
Rifle with Lyman 77 front and 58E rear. $47.80
Rifle with Redfield 63 front and 75HW rear. $48.55

The sporter version was offered with an open rear or a Lyman 57E receiver rear.

If you are trying to restore to original specs you are going to need both luck and lots of money. Sometimes you can find old sights on places like gun shows or Ebay; but they tend to be expensive, today.

Hope this is informative.

[mrkirker]

I found sights for both of mine (and a Model 52) on e-bay. H-slag is correct, they weren't cheap, and it took a while, but there's a certain joy in recreating an original set-up.
Good luck with your quest!

[Borie]

Thanks very much for your help. Problem is, I don't know what any of the sights named look like. I will attach a picture of the front sight I do have and hopefully someone can tell me if it is original, what kind it is, and what the rear sight should look like. Thanks again.

[Hammerslagger]

I suggest that you put up more pictures of the whole gun; as well as a detail pic of the left side of the receiver (opposite of the bolt handle side) where a receiver sight would mount, and a good shot (or shots) of the top surface of the barrel. If you find any cryptic stamp marks, photograph them also.

I am not a serious collector; but know enough to know that rifles of this period often had numerous production variations, and some that were not always well documented. From your posted photo this front sight does not seem original. { But, such is not necessarily the case. I have a circa 1941 "US Property" 513T with a post front sight.}

The more information that you can provide will likely get you better quality info in return. By the way the nominal barrel is 28" long by about 0.69" at muzzle for a 75T of this period. If yours is significantly shorter (like 24") it has likely been cut off. If it shorter and smaller you may have an early Sporter model. Better pictures will tell.

[Borie]

Thank you for the suggestion. I will attach several pictures. I did find a picture of a Model 75 and it had a hood on the front sight. Mine has grooves on both sides of the sight where it could be installed. For information, this gun was purchased from a Naval Supply Center surplus sale in the '60s and so that might impact what sights it had. The barrel is 28 inches long.

[Hammerslagger]

The pictures are quite helpful. A Naval Supply Center??? Like U S Navy? Is it stamped anything like "U.S. Government Property" anywhere? Like on the underside of the barrel in front of the stock fore-end? Have you had the barreled action out of the stock?

My best (and probably not right) guess is a Lyman 57E receiver peep sight. I have no idea of what an original Win. receiver peep looked like. The receiver hole spacing and location looks Lyman. Normally that would be a 58E for use with a target front sight. Your rifle has a simple post front; therefore a 57E rear.

As mentioned earlier, I have a Remington 513T {The Win 75's main competitor} date coded 1941 and "U. S. Government Property" stamped. It has a simple post front sight and probably had a Redfield 75 rear, which is long lost and very pricey today. After Pearl Harbor the government apparently purchased every available W75T and R513T for use as training rifles. The military preferred simple post front sights, as that is what you found on a battle rifle. Yours may be a military trainer regardless of markings.

The aluminum scope base is from Brownells. It may be affixed with epoxy adhesive. Most epoxies fail at about 400F or less. A $12.00 Harbor Freight Tools electric heat gun works nicely.

Tell me more.

[Borie]

Yes, it was the U.S. Navy Supply Center in Norfolk, Va. The number 35 is stamped into the stock in two places - probably for inventory control. I have had the bolt out and the only thing I see there is the gun's serial number etched on it. The scope mount is screwed to the barrel. The only other information I can add is that I have magazines of two sizes. One looks like it holds about five rounds, and the others about twice that.

[Borie]

I found these pictures of a Model 75 with supposedly original sights. Can anyone tell me what these sights are? Thank you.

[Hammerslagger]

Rifle 47793 appears (99% sure) to have a Lyman 58E rear and #77 front. I am guessing (do not have serial number reference) that it is somewhere around circa 1946 - 1950 rifle.

Your circa 1941 rifle (serial #19805)??? has a low military type post front that I can not identify. Just as I can not with the similar one on my Rem.513T. I think both may be correct to subject rifles which were likely purchased by the US right after 12/07/41 for war training purposes, not competitive target shooting.

My best inference is that you want to find Lyman 57E (rear) receiver sight. The 58E is too high to work with your relatively low front. The 57E is very similar but lower and was used on the W75 Sporter. It should be correct and work if your receiver hole spacing is for a Lyman.

Good hunting.

[MK111]

Referring to the Army manual TM 9-1005-206-12 dated July 1958. The Win 75T had a Lyman 57E rear sight. The front sight is listed only as a "front sight blade". This manual is a great referance on the Win Military rifle. Also listed in the manual is the Remington 513T and the Stevens 416-2T.
If you use Army manual TM 9-1005-206-14P/4 dated Sept 1971 it has the following listed Remington 40X-H1, Winchester 52D, Mossberg 144US, Remington 513-T. Hopes this helps.

[Hammerslagger]

Thank you MKIII. Replies like yours (based on actual fact and/or knowledge) are what make for a good and useful forum. I salute you.

At this point Borie can buy with some confidence without having to lug the rifle around with him to check the actual fit up before buying. Although the latter option is still the best. I hope his receiver mounting holes are not stripped out. They do not look to good in the photo.

I wonder if the 1956 Army tech manual you mention mentions any rear (receiver) sight specs for the Rem. 513T with a blade type front sight. Most of them used (and my circa 1941 model appears set up for the quick detachable Redfield # 75 type. However the Red. 75 appears to have been made in more than one suffix letter variation. I fear that the most common 75HW may set too high for use with the blade front, just as a Ly 58E would on Borie's rifle.

Thanks again MKIII.

HS

[Gabob]

Hammerslagger
My army surplus 513T has a quick detachable Redfield micrometer rear sight. I cannot find a model number on the sight.

[Hammerslagger]

Thanks Gabob.

When I was shooting in a .22 Boy Scout League (in the basement of a Baptist Church) in the early 1960's, surplus new in box Red. 75 sights cost about $6 mail order, post paid. I guess that would be about $50 today, corrected for inflation. They are likely going for over $100 in new condition today. I have seen junker ones at gun shows for $85. One has to wonder where they all went, as they were designed for mid grade .22RF target rifles and not very suitable for anything else, as they have no quick adjustment feature for big range changes (crank and crank some more).

[Borie]

Thanks to everyone who helped me answer this question. I'm now in the market for a Lyman 57E rear sight. Just to add to the story, my wife bought this gun for me soon after we were married in the early 60s and while I was at sea on a Destroyer out of Norfolk. I had too much going on to use it, so I loaned it to my younger brother who used it to shoot on a high school team in Pa. Over the years it was pretty much forgotten by both of us and he just returned it to me a week ago. I appreciate it a lot more now than I did then and will use it to teach my grandchildren to shoot.

[Hammerslagger]

Tell him to find the rear sight and screws.