Rifle Scopes Scope slipping in rings

rck

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Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 9, 2011
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Colorado Springs, CO
I have had a terrible time with a scope slipping in rings. All properly torqued, etc. etc. scope and rings back to makers for test, both claim all is well. Won't name names as both are reputable. I just bought yet another set from another vendor. If this doesn't solve the problem I am tempted to reach for the epoxy.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
I have had a terrible time with a scope slipping in rings. All properly torqued, etc. etc. scope and rings back to makers for test, both claim all is well. Won't name names as both are reputable. I just bought yet another set from another vendor. If this doesn't solve the problem I am tempted to reach for the epoxy.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!
Quite often, you will loosely put the scope in the rings and slide it around, trying to get the right eye relief and position. Whenever you do this, you will get some loose paint dust or material off the scope and rings between the scope tube and rings. That stuff acts like a lubricant, and will allow the scope to move in the rings. Use a pencil and mark the location of the scope, and take it back off. Clean the scope tube and inside of the rings with some alcohol. As suggested above, I've seen people use some rosin. I never have, but I hear that it works.
 
I have had a terrible time with a scope slipping in rings. All properly torqued, etc. etc. scope and rings back to makers for test, both claim all is well. Won't name names as both are reputable. I just bought yet another set from another vendor. If this doesn't solve the problem I am tempted to reach for the epoxy.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!
It's never user error, is it?

In the absence of more details I'm going to assume it was you.
 
Thanks for your inputs everyone.

The rifle is a LMT MWS in .308 and yes I have cleaned the rings etc. before torquing with a Borka. Yes, short of sending the borka off to a cal lab... but at the mount maker's suggestion I took the torque scary high before I flinched.

Rosin is a good suggestion. Thanks! I will get some.

Yes it can always be user error, won't argue it, but did my homework and all to include interacting with the manufacturers who were very helpful. All that and am now doing my homework by picking the group mind.

Why haven't I named names? I really don't want to be the precipitator of a fan boy war, especially since both outfits have been good to me.

Yes i was kidding about epoxy, but I must relate that the first time I ever heard of scopes being epoxied into the rings was when I was looking at a Steyr SSG 69 / Hensoldt combo back in the 80s. Nice rifle, should have bought it but the epoxy aspect made me shy away.
 
I have yet to have a scope slip ... is it possible...maybe...your optic isn't at true diameter...all reputable mount makers now use precise CNC boring...
 
I have yet to have a scope slip ... is it possible...maybe...your optic isn't at true diameter...all reputable mount makers now use precise CNC boring...

1. All dimensions have a tolerance. The customer or end user never gets to know that they are.
2. The scope make also uses CNC turning and grinding to make the scope's main tube
3. CNC machining, to the surprise of many, still makes nonconforming parts. Shit workholding, shit cutting tools, shit programs, shit operators, shit error proofing, are amongst the causes.
 
Yes there is a gap.

Yes, cnc will throw bad parts. I suspect tolerance stack combined with relatively fine surface finishes. Suspected because my own measuring tools are only good to a thousandth and the vendors won’t tell you shit.

Not Spuhr. ;)

Rosin on order, fogot to mention that I had tried RTV to glue it in a reversible manner during one evolution. That sucked.
 
Would love to know the brand because I have never had that issue. In dozens of rifles and scopes using quality rings torqued to 15 in-lbs never any hint of movement. Never had to use tape, rosin or any other band aid.

Many consider Leapers, NCStar, UTG and other China garbage to be "quality". Would be good to know just what we're dealing with.
 
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I’ll admit. I have never heard so many strange remedies for ring problems in one place at one time.

I have never had a pair of rings or a mount fail to work such that the scope slips where I couldn’t just replace the set with a set that would, under warranty.

These types of “product problem and resolution” threads are pointless unless the specific product that is at issue, is disclosed.
 
Thanks for your inputs everyone.

The rifle is a LMT MWS in .308 and yes I have cleaned the rings etc. before torquing with a Borka. Yes, short of sending the borka off to a cal lab... but at the mount maker's suggestion I took the torque scary high before I flinched.

Rosin is a good suggestion. Thanks! I will get some.

Yes it can always be user error, won't argue it, but did my homework and all to include interacting with the manufacturers who were very helpful. All that and am now doing my homework by picking the group mind.

Why haven't I named names? I really don't want to be the precipitator of a fan boy war, especially since both outfits have been good to me.

Yes i was kidding about epoxy, but I must relate that the first time I ever heard of scopes being epoxied into the rings was when I was looking at a Steyr SSG 69 / Hensoldt combo back in the 80s. Nice rifle, should have bought it but the epoxy aspect made me shy away.
So what did you torque them to? We still have almost no information to work with here, other than 308.
 
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Ordered rosin from Amazon per the link kindly shared earlier in the thread. I like the idea as if my tolerance stack plus fine surface finish hypothesis is true it might address that.

The scope and rings are both high end. I have been done right by both over the years and don’t want this to become a mud slinging thread Between the brand fan boys. Hell I even use and like Larue so sue me.

Speaking of Larue I never had a scope slip In one or any other mount before this. The scope in question is now in a Larue, torqued to spec, 30 in-lb per my never been to a cal lab borka. 50 rds yesterday with no slipping. If it slips I will try the rosin.

RTV, yeah but ya should have seen the duct tape... there are lots of different silicones. I had A Pt cure one in the lab that cures into a hard rubber so wtf. Desperate times lead to desperate measures. If the scope and mount were something I was stuck with and had to take to a fight I damn well would epoxy the sucker.

I took the torque into the high 30s before I flinched.
 
Ordered rosin from Amazon per the link kindly shared earlier in the thread. I like the idea as if my tolerance stack plus fine surface finish hypothesis is true it might address that.

The scope and rings are both high end. I have been done right by both over the years and don’t want this to become a mud slinging thread Between the brand fan boys. Hell I even use and like Larue so sue me.

Speaking of Larue I never had a scope slip In one or any other mount before this. The scope in question is now in a Larue, torqued to spec, 30 in-lb per my never been to a cal lab borka. 50 rds yesterday with no slipping. If it slips I will try the rosin.

RTV, yeah but ya should have seen the duct tape... there are lots of different silicones. I had A Pt cure one in the lab that cures into a hard rubber so wtf. Desperate times lead to desperate measures. If the scope and mount were something I was stuck with and had to take to a fight I damn well would epoxy the sucker.

I took the torque into the high 30s before I flinched.
30 in/lbs?!?
 
Horizontal and I do believe I had mentioned there is a gap.

if the the larue works out I may well sell the old mount as the maker says it meets spec, but I may try it on the next project and see if my working hypothesis of tolerance stacking is real or not.
 
Ordered rosin from Amazon per the link kindly shared earlier in the thread. I like the idea as if my tolerance stack plus fine surface finish hypothesis is true it might address that.

The scope and rings are both high end. I have been done right by both over the years and don’t want this to become a mud slinging thread Between the brand fan boys. Hell I even use and like Larue so sue me.

Speaking of Larue I never had a scope slip In one or any other mount before this. The scope in question is now in a Larue, torqued to spec, 30 in-lb per my never been to a cal lab borka. 50 rds yesterday with no slipping. If it slips I will try the rosin.

RTV, yeah but ya should have seen the duct tape... there are lots of different silicones. I had A Pt cure one in the lab that cures into a hard rubber so wtf. Desperate times lead to desperate measures. If the scope and mount were something I was stuck with and had to take to a fight I damn well would epoxy the sucker.

I took the torque into the high 30s before I flinched.
Would still like to know what rings you used...

LaRue has very specific tightening instructions that are NOT "tire lug" style like normal rings.
 
It's probably the rings, I had a set slip and still sucked after lapping the crap out of them.

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