Shiloh Rifle Forums

Well, my scope is mounted, and as expected there is a bit of a problem. Because of the size of the eyepiece and the 4" eye relief, the hammer of an 1874 strikes the eyepiece when the eye relief is correct. It's not a problem for a center hammer rifle like Barvid's M1885 Winchester, but for the Sharps it's a big deal.

I talked to Lars at MVA this afternoon, and he's going to work on some taller blocks which will alleviate the problem. He said that because this issue is now rearing its head with me and apparently a few other 1874 shooters, the taller blocks will be available for those wanting to use this scope.

There is an aftermarket supplier who makes blocks, and they are available from him, so I'll check there as well, but I'd just as soon stick to the MVA product.

I'll get some pictures of the rifle and scope combo later and post them.

It looks like a set of 7/16" (.4375") blocks will do the trick. I'd prefer that the scope not sit that high, but it's doable with an add-on cheekpiece such as I have to use with my #3 and MVA target scope. No problem at all.

I posted a couple of years back about making a hammer with offset spur. It really works good with a scope. You might find it in a search.

Top view of it shows offset and scope clearance.

I thought about that, Gussy, but a higher set of blocks is going to be cheap and easy, and as my friends always say, I'm the cheapest and easiest dude they know.

Well, the problem of the hammer hitting the scope is fixed for good. In looking at just how much clearance was needed, I'd have had to double the height of the block to get the hammer to clear.

Taking a cue from Gussy's solution, however, it turns out that cutting less than 1/16" off the back side of the hammer spur gives plenty of clearance at all elevations. This saves me the $30-$40 for custom blocks, as well as leaving the scope at a comfortable height. The whole thing fits like a glove, in fact.

I'll need to clean up the hammer a little bit with some fine emery cloth, but that's a small job. As it stands, looking from the right side of the receiver, there is no sign that anything has been done. The hammer spur is still plenty wide enough to ensure positive cocking, while the hammer never comes near the eyepiece of the scope.

Simple solutions are almost always the best.

Before ordering the hunting scope to install it on a '74, make certain you are aware that the rifle might need minor modifications in order for the hammer to clear the eyepiece. The new scope's eye relief is not sufficient to give a full field view at relief distances of over four inches.

Gussy wrote: ↑Sat Aug 27, 2011 4:40 pm I posted a couple of years back about making a hammer with offset spur. It really works good with a scope. You might find it in a search.

Top view of it shows offset and scope clearance.

Post with off set hammer

This post was supposed to be in the support section. I missed!