Who laps their scope rings?

M

mdd

New member
I am considering buying a lapping bar to work on some of my scope rings. A few of them don't set down exactly how I would like them to & I believe lapping them to the correct dimension would be time well spent. I haven't seen much conversation about this on TFL so thought I would ask. Surely someone here does this regularly & would be able to share some pointers. Looks like a pretty straight forward task but words of wisdom are always appreciated.

Thanks,
Michael
 
To lap or not to lap ???

There is some debate as to whether or not, one needs to lap. I know a guy who stated that he laps every ring regardless of the quallity. In otherword, to him, all rings are unacceptable, out of the box. If you do a search in here, you will see some of the posts. I have read where 60 to 80 Percent contact is acceptable. I know for a fact that some rings won't need lapping but "all" rings need to be checked. ..... ;)

Currently, I am using Wheeler alingment bars but prior to that, I used a 1" or 30MM solid bar to do a wipe test, basically shows you the amount of contact at each ring. I also observe the matching of top halves to the bottoms and then permanently mark them to make sure I keep that match. I kind of go back and forth between the alignment bars and wipe test. I also have a third bar dedicated to lapping.


Be Safe !!!
 
Burris Signature rings use self aligning plastic inserts that do not need lapping, will not mar scope finish and hold like super glue.

An additional benefit is by use of different thickness inserts you can align scope making minimum adjustments necessary when boresighting.

Regards,
hps
 
You must be carefull if you try this, If you remove too much your scope will be loose in the ring, and the slightest bump will move it.
 
I've seen some fairly high dollar steel rings gouge scopes because they had imperfections in them. I lap rings usually, and you can often see why after you do a set. Last set I got was a one piece deal and I left them alone based on the manufacturer's recommend.

I have a Wheeler set for 30MM but use a hardened stainless shaft drop that I got from a local machine shop for 1"

Only pointer I know is follow instructions, go slow, and mark the caps so you don't mix them up afterwards.
 
You must be carefull if you try this, If you remove too much your scope will be loose in the ring, and the slightest bump will move it.
Click to expand...
I saw this once and although the lapping went well, the rings were not good for a scope. He installed layers electical tape to finally get a good bight which is counter productive you what he was trying to achieve. ..... :barf:


Be Safe !!!
 
Burris Signature rings use self aligning plastic inserts that do not need lapping, will not mar scope finish and hold like super glue.
Click to expand...

^^^ This.

I don't think I have any rings that are not Burris Signature Zee Series... IMO, they're worth the extra $20 over similar Leupold rings. It keeps me from having to worry about whether I should lap or not lap.... Just pop it in, tighten it down and forget about it.
 
The rings I want to lap are ruger rings. Sounds like I should order that bar....or order a 3 phase converter so I can fire up my new lathe & milling machine :) then make my own.
 
I'd toss the Ruger Rings & grab some Leups, Burris, or Weavers.

Ruger rings are on par with those you get for Nerf guns...in short, they SUCK.
Come to think of it, I've had better Nerf gear than Ruger OEM equipment.
 
I lap mine because 80% contact is not "good enough". Also there is the alignment, where both rings need to be in at least pretty close to the bore line. Its a mental thing I think.

Each to his own
 
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I lap most of mine too.

I generally stay away from vertically split rings because they are too difficult to lap.
 
I lap mine also. I only have 1" scopes, so the kit only costs 40-50$ or so at midway, and comes with alignment bars as well as the lapping bar and compound
 
Guess I'll give midway $50 and order a bar.

Shrek, I didn't ask for your opinion of ruger or their products. I asked about lapping scope rings and guidance therein. Do you have anything to add to that discussion?
 
I believe a large percentage of scope problems are related to tube distortion due to ring misalignment.If you think of the number of variables involved,receiver tolerances,polishing,mounts,rings....a lot of opportunity for problems.
If you can find a machine shop that has a Swiss Turning machine,the barstock feeds through bushings.To make this work ,typically bars are precision ground on the OD.005 under nominal,or .995 for a 1 in bar.Realize your lapping compound increases the effective cutting diameter of the bar.Something around 400 to 320 grit would make a .995 bar cut 1.000.There is also 30 mm barstock - .005 in.for the Swissturn.Maybe you can get some of this stock if you can find such a shop,and,if anyone works in a shop with access to bar ends/drop,here is a use for them.
If you have a mill,you can put the bottom of the receiver on parallels and trace an indicator across the bases.We made a fixture that holds weaver/picatinny bases vertical so a boring head can be preset to the receiver radius and the base can be corrected.I have seen horribly miscut bases.I try to get the plane over the top of the bases flat to .001 or so before the rings go on.
I also suggest looking very close at the mating surfaces ring to base .Look for burrs and high spots caused by dings.
 
I've lapped quite a few sets with a tool I picked up from Sinclair in their bargain bin. It is really surprising to see how uneven some of the contact can be before lapping.

An added benefit is there will be no ring marks on your scope if and when you decide to remove it. I appreciate this as many of my scopes have seen use on multiple rifles.
 
I do like ruger's integral ring mounting system but have noticed, as 223 shooter mentioned, ring marks on scopes which should not be there. My gunsmith told me he uses something in the line of 600 grit when lapping. He said it takes longer but greatly reduces the chance of removing too much material. To some that may sound like a good way to inflate his price but he's too busy to intentionally pad the hours on a job. I trust him because I've never received anything but top notch work from him.
Guess i'll give this a spin. What made me want to do this are the rings on my new hawkeye tactical 243. I'll report back with my findings.
 
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