Hepburn scope mounts?

[Bbarcroft]

Hi all. I have run across a few pics of early Marlins wearing vintage scopes. The mounting systems appear to use the factory holes in the receiver tops intended for the Hepburn Sight, in conjunction with a dovetailed block that fits in place of the rear iron sight.

Were these ever commercially available (source of some?), or are they custom gunsmith pieces?

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[marlinman93]

They were commercially available. Marlin offered bases for their #1 and #2 scopes. Lyman also offered bases for their scopes. They are not easy to find, but I've located two sets over about 4 decades of looking. I carry a dial caliper to gun shows and know what to look for, and the caliper will confirm if they're the correct spacing.
I collect old vintage rifle scopes of many makers, but especially like scopes and mounts for Marlins. On Sunday I saw a Stevens 700 rifle scope which was cataloged for Marlin rifles. But unfortunately it had no mounts, and that could prove to be a futile search. But I did stumble onto an old Wm. Malcolm telescope at the same collector gun show, so it was a successful show!

[Bbarcroft]

So I take it nobody makes reproductions of those mounts, and my chances of finding originals are pretty slim?
Disappointing. I have a 27s in .25-20 that is a phenomenal shooter (5/8" groups @ 50 yards with the factory irons) and I'm wanting to make an old-school varmint / water jug rig out of it.

[marlinman93]

You can get there without finding originals. Just need to locate an old Marlin, Lyman, or Mossberg scope with target style bases. Then get the Lyman/Unertl base with holes spaced to fit the Hepburn sight holes. Then another same base, but with 3/8" dovetail base and correct height to fit the barrel dovetail. Then the scope will slide right on those bases and your set without adding any extra holes.
Steve Earle Products can set you up with bases once you've found a scope. Scopes like the Lyman 422, 438, etc. or the Marlin or Mossberg can be found often on Ebay. They generally run from around $150-$300, depending on model, make, and condition.

http://www.steveearleproducts.com/index.htm