Sporter Mauser Scope mount issues

8

8MM Mauser

New member
Hello, this is me unabashedly asking for help.
I have a Mauser sporter, built by my grandfather, that has a consistent issue with a loose scope mount. The scope mount is directly above the bolt handle and has three holes drilled to hold it in place.
When I first got the rifle I discovered that after 10-15 shots, the mount became loose when firing full power 8MM rounds through it (by which I mean, European hunting rounds, not the underpowered American-made rounds.)
So I took it to a gunsmith in town and had him bore slightly bigger holes for slightly bigger bolts, because this allows me to tighten the bolts more without stripping them.
At first it worked great, I had about 150-200 rounds downrange with it, and then it started again. At first it wasn't very bad, just a little wobbly; but it soon progressed to the point that every shot moved the scope so badly that the rifle was completely off the target at 100 yards when being shot from a rest.
I really do not want to locktite the bolts down as some friends have suggested to me because the mount is directly over the bolt and it would make thorough cleaning a major pain.
So, my question is, is their anything not permanent I can do to alleviate this problem; or alternatively, what other scope mounts are available for an old Military Mauser? I have seen some that clamp onto the guns MIL-SPEC sights, but these have been removed.
This rifle is very important to me, I am a college student and it will be years before I can afford another rifle.
Any thoughts, help or comments are greatly appreciated, I'm a novice at this. :)
 
Use a little lock-tite. They make some especially for that purpose. To remove the screws, you sometimes have to provide a little heat to the screws once they have been put in properly. Be certain that the threads (both holes and screws have been cleaned and primed. Lock-tite has a special primer for this.

I dont see where removing your scope mounts would make the cleaning of your rifle easier. With the proper cleaning equipment, scope mounted Mauser actions are easily cleaned.
 
The scope mount bases should be mounted as securely/tightly as possible via first cleaning both screw and hole threads with laq thinner to degrease both, then loctiting (blue fluid/red bottle) the threads.
The screw length should first be adjusted so that when tightened, the lower end doesn't protrude entirely through the reseiver ring or bridge.

To remove the bases for cleaning is counter-intuitive - leave them be, once installed properly.

Loctite may be tight, but blue loctite's nowhere near "permanent".

.
 
+1, Stop taking those screws out. Get new screws (same size) and either loc-tite blue or, naw just the blue ought to be fine. I'm guessing you have a 1-piece base?

Constant removal of the screws wallows (wallers if you're in the south) the hole threads and rounds and smooths the screw threads. Same principal as to why cars have lug nut and not bolts threaded into the drums.
 
Ok. Thanks for the info guys. I guess I'm probably over-thinking it with the cleaning thing. Luckily for me, I already posses blue locktite and will soon try this.

I am immensely relieved to hear that I don't need a different kind of base. Like I said, I'm a a novice with firearms and especially with rifles.

Thanks!
 
Something I do, with mounts is to blue loctite both the screws and the base of the mount to the degreased receiver, the results is a tight semi permanent mounting, that will hold even if a screw were to shear, due to a flaw or stress crack.
 
Mueller said:
Something I do, with mounts is to blue loctite both the screws and the base of the mount to the degreased receiver, the results is a tight semi permanent mounting, that will hold even if a screw were to shear, due to a flaw or stress crack.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome advice, thank you!
 
+1 Mueller, that's good advice on the Blue lock-tite, all of my rifles that have scopes or peeps use it. No problems working loose, but when I want to remove something it comes off.
 
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