Scope mounting lap kit?

[odysseus]

Anyone have a favorite kit they use for ring lapping and scope alignment? I need the "dowel" pieces, grit compound, and a pounds/inch torque wrench I am sure.

I see Midway has the Wheeler kits, any good there? Or piece a kit together from better parts, but if so - what?

[odysseus]

Ping...

[Eddy's Shooting Sports]

I just bought the wheeler kit from Amazon. Looks pretty good. Frankly, I don't know how much I'll be using the lapping bars. I was after the alignment bars and the torque wrench mostly. I have mounted hundreds of scopes and have only a few situations where lapping would have prevented some scope marring.

[odysseus]

Right on. How do you feel about the quality of the torque wrench it came with?

I just bought the wheeler kit from Amazon. Looks pretty good. Frankly, I don't know how much I'll be using the lapping bars. I was after the alignment bars and the torque wrench mostly. I have mounted hundreds of scopes and have only a few situations where lapping would have prevented some scope marring.

[kcstott]

For one if you buy good quality rings a lap kit is not needed. All this tactical junk leaves a lot to be desired in terms of fit, finish an alignment. I've never had to lap in a set of Redfield's, Leupold's, Talley's, Bueler's, or Warne.

I use a set of indicating pins to check ring height and alignment but other then that never had issues with a scope not staying in place under the most brutal of recoil. And I've mounted scope on all the magnum caliber including the .505 Gibbs.

[odysseus]

Yes, I have not needed it much before. That's cool, but I still want to go through the motions for myself on this for the learning and best practice of it. They are high quality rings, this is more a classic precision build. I don't plan actually on doing much lapping (and I doubt it will need hardly any), but I want to run the course anyway as the old wise shooters around me say it should be done, even a little.

For one if you buy good quality rings a lap kit is not needed. All this tactical junk leaves a lot to be desired in terms of fit, finish an alignment. I've never had to lap in a set of Redfield's, Leupold's, Talley's, Bueler's, or Warne.

I use a set of indicating pins to check ring height and alignment but other then that never had issues with a scope not staying in place under the most brutal of recoil. And I've mounted scope on all the magnum caliber including the .505 Gibbs.

[Eddy's Shooting Sports]

Haven't used the torque wrench yet, but it looks promising. It even came with a little test slip showing actual torque values achieved at three different settings. It was pretty spot on. A lot more accurate than my big ol' ham fists. I know for sure that most of my fasteners get over torques a bit.

You know what they say. Tighten until it starts to get loose again, then back off a bit.

[general_disarray_prk]

Try here - Complete with Lapping Compound for $25 + Shipping

http://www.shooters-supply.com/web_specials.html

[odysseus]

You know what they say. Tighten until it starts to get loose again, then back off a bit.

LOL - that's awesome. Yeah I know exactly what you mean.

[kcstott]

Yes, I have not needed it much before. That's cool, but I still want to go through the motions for myself on this for the learning and best practice of it. They are high quality rings, this is more a classic precision build. I don't plan actually on doing much lapping (and I doubt it will need hardly any), but I want to run the course anyway as the old wise shooters around me say it should be done, even a little.

Just becuase they are old don't make them wise. They are just as likely to be full of **** as they are a friggin genius.
The thing is you need to take into context when these boys where mounting scopes. It was before Leupold and everybody else had decent machines and fixtures. With CNC machines and CNC manufactured fixturing the tolerances are much closer now then they ever were before. That is why you needed to lap in scope rings back in the day and why it is a very rare practice today. The only time it is needed is in three cases I can think of. One you have old stock rings, Two you have out of tolerance rings, Three you have a "hand" polished receiver that is not where it needs to be.
Now I did not mention mounting holes that are not drilled straight. The reason is if they actually are drill cockeyed no amount of lapping will bring them back. the receiver needs to be welded up and redrilled or plugged and redrilled correctly

The receiver issues still happen today. but the rest is rare unless you are reusing old stuff.