Threads like this are annoying but they do offer an opportunity to set the record straight.
First and most importantly, know the follow:
Attaching a scope to a rifle in a way that can resist the forces of recoil without slippage will deform your scope.
I make that assertion assuming the scope is constructed from aluminum and that it has a smooth, hollow, and cylindrical interface around which we will install a clamp for the purpose of securing the scope to a rifle.
It is not uncommon for a rifle to accelerate at 100, 200, or even 300 g’s during recoil. If your scope weighs about two pounds and the rifle accelerates at 200 g’s, then the rings must clamp tightly enough to impart a friction force of 400 pounds during recoil to prevent slippage. Assuming a coefficient of friction of 0.3 for anodized aluminum against anodized aluminum, we must apply a force to the scope tube of at least 1333 pounds, or 667 pounds per ring. That is a lot force and it will deform the shit out of your scope tube, regardless of how much money you spent on it. Furthermore, it will result in a slight misalignment of the ocular and objective lenses because we can not squeeze the scope in a way that is perfectly axisymmetric.
In short, scope rings, ours and everyone else’s included, seemingly do terrible things to your scope. But, none of that really matters. Years ago, I discussed this matter with an extremely well qualified engineer from Hensoldt and he concluded what reality had already demonstrated a million or more times over. It does not matter. And apart from designing scopes with a dedicated mounting interfaces (which has been done) there is nothing that can be done about this because the solid materials our universe makes available to us for making scopes, rings, and nearly everything else are all elastic.
So, regarding the practicalities of mountings scopes to rifles, do the following.
- Place rings on rail, gently biased forward in the recoil slots and snug the rail clamp screws, just a little bit.
- Place scope in rings and snug the scope clamp screws, just a little bit.
- Rotate scope to align reticle.
- Tighten scope clamp screws.
- Tighten rail clamp screws.
- Go shoot and be happy.
Any wish for perfect alignment during installation is meaningless because once you tighten the screws, your perfect pre-tightened alignment goes right out the window. That’s reality no matter what you read on the internet or what your gunsmith is selling to you or what Tinkerbelle may be whispering in your ear.
All that said, it is worth telling you a little bit about how we make our rings and the material from which they and your rifle’s upper are made. The rail interface and the scope bore for the rings are machined in the same setup, so we are working within the limits of tool deflection and machine repeatability. The scope bore is cut using a polycrystalline diamond edge that essentially never wears out. Pretty amazing but diamond is hard, and aluminum is soft. The rail clamp portion of each ring is certainly flexible and when you tighten the rail clamp screw, you are effectively driving a wedge (the Pic rail of your rifle) into the rail clamp. It is practically impossible to tighten the rail clamp screws so that both rings will deflect in exactly the same way. Moreover, the desire to do such a thing knowing what you now know about the elastic nature of solid materials in this universe is indicative of mental illness. (I’m assuming you’ve read everything that came before that last sentence and I'm trying to keep it lighthearted.) That said, steel rings will undergo less rail clamp deflection than aluminum rings because steel is three times stiffer than aluminum. I don’t mind the flexibility in the aluminum rail clamp because flexible bolted connections are pretty good at staying tight which is a desirable characteristic in a scope ring.
Also, apart from designing the scope clamp portion or our ring in a way that nearly eliminates annoying scope rotation when tightening the scope clamp screw, we make no effort to enhance the customer’s scope mounting experience. It does not get any easier than what we currently offer.
Regarding the straightness of your rifles rail, again, it does not really matter. We and all other ring and one-piece mount manufacturer’s are going to bend your scope after the screws have been tightened, whether you like it or not. But your rifle’s upper is likely made from 7075 aluminum. Good stuff, to be sure, and among its many available tempers are T735XX and T65XX, the latter undergoing a stress relieving operation by stretching. This can be important for some structural parts such as AR uppers because after machining has been completed, we want our parts to be shaped as we designed them. We never really get that, but we get close enough. So your rail isn’t perfectly straight, none of them are, but it is extremely likely that it is more than straight enough.
Opting for an attempt at kindness that conveys truth instead of politeness, on behalf of American Rifle Company and presumptuously all other manufactures in our industry, stop fussing over shit that does not matter. We are all working on producing stuff that we hope will make you happy and offering it to you for a fair price. Just shoot and be happy.
Ted
Has anyone had an issue like this? I am tempted to return the rings and go back to one of my old standbys. I don’t want to permanently mark the new scope body.
). Concerning scope tube deformation by the rings; would using a chemical bonding compound like one of LocTites's products, be advisable? It seems like it would be good insurance and compensate for any scope-ring mating imperfections? It would make unmounting messier but it wouldn't be permanent like epoxy bedding. Just curious about your opinion if you have one.
