A little Cabelas help please.

[JakeGa]

I purchased a somewhat built Cabelas 50 caliber rifle at a yard sale a few years ago. I gave $25.00 for the gun as is. That was their price, I didn't even haggle. As I walked away a couple of guys gave me some dirty looks but they were discussing the gun from a distance and I simply asked how much.

It is missing the rear sight and trigger guard. I know it is made by Investarms and I think the trigger guard is the same style as on a Lyman Trade rifle. I know Investarms makes those for Lyman or at least they did. Does anyone have any advise on the trigger guard and maybe where I can find one?. The screw holes for the trigger guard are 7" apart. It is already inlet for the guard and I would like to find one that I can will simply screw on. The sight doesn't dovetail in but has two screws that are 1 7/16" center to center. I would like to keep it simple and use the original sight but I am not above installing a dovetailed sight of some type. I just need to cover the screw holes.

I know these weren't the finest rifles but have been told they would shoot quite well. The stock needs a little more effort but since we are quarantined I have a lot of time. I did have to spend some time on the lock mortise and the lock itself . It now works like a charm. I have attached photos. Any help with those two parts would be greatly appreciated. I have searched the net and can find guards (still not sure they will work) but cannot find an original rear sight.

I pray you and yours are safe and well in these times.

Jake

 

[Dave Marsh]

Here is a link to a trigger guard for sale on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Investarms...874338?hash=item3da0afb362:g:UWEAAOSwVWFeh67C
Dave

 

[TNGhost]

The Lyman rifles are I believe are nearly the same rifle as yours and any parts should interchange.

Lyman should have parts availability:

https://www.lymanproducts.com/accessories/replacement-parts
Also Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, VTI, S&S, Lodgewood, Jedediah Star, Gun Parts Corp (Numrich), The Gun Works, Deer Creek, Log Cabin and others are all places to look.

Here is Investarms' website. It may b e a good place to start:

http://www.investarm.com/eng-avancarica.html
TOW catalogs a large selection of Investarm rifles so they may be one of the ones you want to check out first as well.

The rear sight may be the easiest to find as many replace the factory rear sights on those rifles with something more authentic to make them more period correct.

 

[JakeGa]

Hi Dave and TNGhost.

I pulled the trigger on the guard on Ebay. I had been watching it and trying to decide. I do not know what alloy they say it is, but suspect it may be darkened brass. Fingers crossed. I have looked everywhere for an original sight, Investarms is not shipping anything right now. I think Italy got hit hard with the virus or at least the regulations on lockdown. I am to the point that I think I will file a dovetail and drop in a ladder adjustable Hawken sight. I shoot that set up with a bead front pretty well while hunting. Thank you for all the help and advice. Stay safe and take care of yourselves..

 

[Dave Marsh]

Your welcome. You are dollars ahead on this one even though you paid almost as much for the trigger guard as you did the rest of the gun. Good luck and stay safe as well.

Dave

 

[TNGhost]

Happy to help. As 58, said you got a heck of a deal on a pretty nice gun.

 

[Trot]

That ebay guard is almost certainly from one of the "sporterized" Hawkens. These are not brass but as stated in the ebay add some kind of aluminum alloy.

 

[dragnetbill]

Hi Dave and TNGhost.

I pulled the trigger on the guard on Ebay. I had been watching it and trying to decide. I do not know what alloy they say it is, but suspect it may be darkened brass. Fingers crossed. I have looked everywhere for an original sight, Investarms is not shipping anything right now. I think Italy got hit hard with the virus or at least the regulations on lockdown. I am to the point that I think I will file a dovetail and drop in a ladder adjustable Hawken sight. I shoot that set up with a bead front pretty well while hunting. Thank you for all the help and advice. Stay safe and take care of yourselves..

Jake,
I picked one of these rifles up a couple of years ago (.54) and it had a modern looking ramp slide Williams rear sight on it at the time; as I recall from my research back then, as I contemplated finding an original factory rear sight, the most common complaint I found in product reviews of the rifle was that the rear sight wouldn't hold its setting, was junk, or was a piece of sh.... I ended up filling one of the factory screw holes and cutting a dovetail over the other and installing a fixed rear sight; looks better and works fine.

 

[JakeGa]

Hey Dragnetbill,

I am pretty much at that point with this gun. What sight did you install? How did yours shoot once you got it up and running? It seem like a fairly solid gun.

 

[JakeGa]

Hi Trot, oh well. It will, hopefully at least, get this one up and running. I really can't complain. With a little effort and well less than $100.00 I should have a decent spare gun. Maybe I will make it into a thick woods and swamp gun by cutting the barrel down some. I prefer to hunt the thickets for deer and pigs in the swamps. Ranges are normally pretty short. Come to think of it, my longest shot in the last 10 years was around 80 yards.

 

[Bledfor Days]

Hi Jake. I have an Investarms made Lyman trade rifle set up like DragnetBill's with a Williams peep sight. Mine has the same 2 holes as yours. I've always wondered what the original rear sight looked like. I'm not at home right now, but I'll measure the space between the triggerguard screws as soon as I can.

 

[Bledfor Days]

I went way back to when I got some info on mine and found out mine is an Investarms model 120A. It appears yours is the model 120B with a different patch box. The rear sight looks alot like a Thompson Center rear sight.

 

[Dave Marsh]

I was thinking a TC rear sight but the holes on the ones I have are only about 7/8" apart center to center and Jake says his are 1 and 7/16ths inches apart. Pretty long sight.

Dave

 

[JakeGa]

Thank you Guys. Hi Bled, that is a really nice looking rifle. I hope mine turns out that well. Well trigger guard is on its way. I will order a sight from Track today.

 

[dragnetbill]

Hey Dragnetbill,

I am pretty much at that point with this gun. What sight did you install? How did yours shoot once you got it up and running? It seem like a fairly solid gun.

I grabbed a semi-buckhorn from my salvage box that I believe came off of a CVA Hawkinish something or other and put it on her. It looks very similar to a couple of the semi-buckhorn sights available from Track of the Wolf.
She shoots great; a ragged hole at 25 yards. As I recall she is right on point of aim at 50 yards with no filing of the rear sight.
I agree that they are solid rifles.

 

[S.Kenton]

If you decide to go with the buckhorn rear sight, simply fill the screw holes in with the screws that are being used to hold the existing sky sights, use thread lock on screws or simply tighten them down all the way and the file them smooth. You’ll have to touch up the bluing on your rifle.. then you can install your new sights wherever you want to.
I’ve done this on several rifles that I’ve redone over the years... I let the barrel flats indicate what size rear buckhorn to use.