Addley precision scope mount

[Johan412th]

So I have been mulling about scoping my 1942 savage-Stevens no4 mk1*. Haven't decided what mount yet, but I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction of a solid smithless scope. I saw the addley and it looks Rock solid, but they seem to have multiple mounts for the no4. Would I use the same one as a long branch or did they make a universal one?

Thanks in advance...

[JB White]

First I have heard of them. I did look at their web site. The mounts appear to sit as high as some others so I'm guessing you're going to need a cheek rest for a proper weld to the stock. Try asking this over on Gunboards. There are more shooters and more traffic there. Better chance of getting a decent review.
The other mount in that price range which has proven worth the effort is the S&K. The rest are either more expensive or total crap in the long haul.

[Johan412th]

Thanks JB. I've seen the S&K mounts before, so I'll look into them. Good to know they are approved around here to begin with.

[Merc]

I bought an Addley mount for my Savage-built 1944 Enfield No. 4 Mk1* about a year ago and it works very well. Once zeroed, the rifle is surprisingly accurate for an old war horse. I simply screwed the mount in place, mounted my new Bushnell scope and went to the range with a box of .303s. Call or email them if you have any questions about which one you need for your rifle.

Merc

[Johan412th]

Will do, thanks merc. Do you find the optics sit too high, or is it a good fit for the standard stock? Also, my savage needed the chamber significantly cleaned and polished to extract properly, how well does yours eat ammo?

[Merc]

Will do, thanks merc. Do you find the optics sit too high, or is it a good fit for the standard stock? Also, my savage needed the chamber significantly cleaned and polished to extract properly, how well does yours eat ammo?

The scope on my No. 4 sits at a comfortable height and works well with the original stock. There are tall and short rings available that can raise or lower the scope height.

The No. 4 has an overly spacious chamber which should allow easy loading and ejection. My No. 4 loads and ejects new ammo effortlessly. However, I found that reloaded ammo with neck sized cases requires some mild effort to load and eject due to the cases that have expanded to fit the chamber from previous firings.

Merc

[Johan412th]

Good to know. I'd hate to have to put a riser on my stock. My savage doesn't eject the surplus Greek stuff very well, but commercial seems to work fine... I wonder why that is?

[Merc]

The Greek surplus case walls could be thinner (and the cases are therefore lighter) and may be expanding more than the commercial cases after being fired. You could confirm this by comparing the weight of both cases with a digital scale and outside diameter of both cases with dial calipers or a micrometer. I prefer PPU ammo. It's often the cheapest ammo in the store but it shoots and ejects very well. The heavy cases are strong enough to allow multiple reloads.

Since we both own Savage No. 4s, I have a question for you: Do you have a bare .303 caliber bullet? No case, powder or primer, just the bullet. If yes, there's a very simple throat erosion test that will indicate how eroded the throat is on your rifle.

Merc

[Johan412th]

I can pull one of the bullets from some loaded ammo I have. What would work best, FMJ military, FMJ aftermarket or soft point?

[Merc]

I did this test on two old accurate shooting military rifles that I own with mixed results - the No. 4 and a Model 1917 Winchester. The test measures the gap or "jump" between a chambered bullet and the rifling in the bore. A fired bullet can become airborne for an instant if the gap is too long and may engage the rifling at odd angles which would affect accuracy. I measured a .25" gap on the No. 4 and no gap at all on the M1917 which is in near mint condition. I'm curious to know how the .25" gap on my No. 4. compares to other No. 4s that still shoot accurately.

Youll need a bare .303 bullet, a live .303 round ideally of the same type, a 1/4" X 36" dowel rod, a sharp pencil and a short length of aluminum cleaning rod.

Remove the bolt and don't reinstall it until after the test is complete and the live round has been removed.

Insert the bare bullet into the receiver nose first and gently push it into the bore using the short cleaning rod until it stops and engages the leading edge of the rifling. Hold the bare bullet in place with the cleaning rod and insert the wood dowel rod into the muzzle until it comes in contact with the point of the bullet. Mark the wood dowel rod at the edge of the muzzle with the pencil. Use the dowel rod to push the bare bullet out of the bore.

Next, insert the live .303 round into the receiver and gently hold it in place with the cleaning rod. Insert the dowel rod until it comes in contact with the point of the bullet. Mark the wood dowel rod at the edge of the muzzle with the pencil.

The distance between these two marks on the wood dowel rod represents the jump gap.

Merc