Wear beneath scope mounts?

C

Clevinger

New member
Long term, will scope mounts cause wear to the finish on bolt-action rifles? If so, can it be prevented with oil, etc?
 
In theory dissimilar metals in contact can engage in redox reactions and cause corrosion, but I've never seen it. Mainly because you need some sort of electrolyte solution for that chemistry to really take off.

So as long as you don't store your firearms in saltwater you are good to go. I wouldn't bother placing oil under bases, it invites bad things to happen. Make the surfaces clean and dry, degrease the holes with a little denatured alcohol, then a dab of blue loctite will give you years of trouble free service.

Jimro
 
cl, 3/27/13

I used to use Warne steel bases for my Leupold VX-3 scopes on my rifles and shotgun (Rem 700, Howa 1500, Rem. 870) and had problems with rust developing between the bottom of the bases and the metal contact points on the guns. Since I live in the tropics my guns are always getting wet either by rain or by my sweat. I repaced the Warne bases with Brownell's aluminum bases and no further problems yet (over a one year time period). If I had it to do over again I'd start with aluminum bases. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow
 
I've bought and sold lots of used guns. I've never removed bases from a rifle and not seen some type of discoloration, light rust, or gummed up oil under there. It is going to happen if you use the gun.

There is nothing you can do in my experience. If your guns get wet, moisture will find a way under there. Even carefully applying solvents and oils to your gun will allow some to get between the base and receiver. Over time they dry and form a thin layer of varnish in there.
 
Also, if any portion of a scope mount base is even slightly ill-fitting in comparison the the surface it's screwed down/torqued down tight on, there's usually going to be SOME indication a scope base was once there - probably a line from the edge of the base, through the bluing, that shows bright.

It's a good idea to wrap a piece of emery paper around the receiver top (abrasive side "up") & rub the prospective scope base(s) back/forth atop it, to rub off/even any possible irregularities on the bottom of the base(s).

FWIW, I've also found that what looks like corrosion (on commercial rifles) is usually dried thread locker - which can be easily scraped off with a wooden chisel cut from a popsicle stick, leaving no trace.


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The gun in question is a model 70 supergrade I would like to keep nice.

I don't see how it will get moist, but who knows.

Kind of a frustrating problem.
 
Clevinger, when I install the base, I thoroughly de-grease both the action and the base. I then either use epoxy or J.B. weld to bed the base to the action. J.B. weld for stainless, very high quality epoxy for non-stainless. The only draw back is you have to use heat if you ever have to remove a base.
 
Not if some paste wax is applied to the receiver surface before bedding - the base(s) will remove asap the screws are out, the epoxy bed with them, as the wax is a release agent. (Once the epoxy's cured, the wax can be removed from the receiver & inside/bottom surface of the epoxy bed, if desired)



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will scope mounts cause wear to the finish on bolt-action rifles?
Click to expand...
You need to ask yourself "what causes wear?". There would have to be either movement or some sort of corrosion for wear to appear beneath the base. If there is movement between the base and the action, you will notice a distinct lack of accuracy. If there is water beneath your action that leads to corrosion, you have not dried the action and kept it dry and maintained.

When mounting bases, it is absolutely necessary that you have a solid, movement-free mount. Anything else is pointless. You can mount the base using screws along (most people do), use LocTite under the bases (some people do), or epoxy (very few people do). But the point is to have a solid, movement-free mount, otherwise you will not be able to predictably hit your target.

I have taken mounts off of rifles that were mounted decades ago and seen no signs of wear, and I have taken mounts off of rifles and seen clearly outlined profile of the base caused by movement of the base. If the base is properly mounted, it will not casue any kind of wear.
 
will scope mounts cause wear to the finish on bolt-action rifles?
Click to expand...
You need to ask yourself "what causes wear?". There would have to be either movement or some sort of corrosion for wear to appear beneath the base. If there is movement between the base and the action, you will notice a distinct lack of accuracy. If there is water between the base and your action that leads to corrosion, you have not dried the action after exposure to weather or kept it dry and maintained.

When mounting bases, it is absolutely necessary that you have a solid, movement-free mount. Anything else is pointless. You can mount the base using screws along (most people do), use LocTite under the bases (some people do), or epoxy (very few people do). But the point is to have a solid, movement-free mount, otherwise you will not be able to predictably hit your target.

I have taken mounts off of rifles that were mounted decades ago and seen no signs of wear, and I have taken mounts off of rifles and seen clearly outlined profile of the base caused by movement of the base. If the base is properly mounted, it will not casue any kind of wear.
 
Petah, I would rather have the added strength of the bond. When you use release agent, you opened up the action to corrosion. For bedding bases, no release agent is the best long term option for doing it.
 
I use high strength LockTite under bases, but regular LockTite red on screws. It comes off pretty easily with heat and I don't bother mixing epoxy.
 
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