[Snaps]

I have no idea what to try so I'm going to ask for help. I bought a bushmaster M4 last summer. Put a little 3-9 power scope on it, it's just a toy since it's not legal to hunt with here. Here's the problem though, it mounts to a bracket that drops through the carry handle and gets loose. It's good fireing slow 1 or 2 at a time and checking it, rapid fire though loosens the screw and knocks it off target when I try to shoot it again.
Anybody have any ideas how to keep that thing tight or an alternate mount that will hold?
Thanks.

[cratz2]

Who makes the mount that has the screw that drops through the carry handle?

I have a Leupold mount and Weaver rings on mine and it's never come loose in the 6 or 7 months that I've owned it. A friend has had a Leupold on his since probably 1996.

Of course, you need to make sure it is tight. Not finger tight, get some vice grips on that nut. A bit of loctite wouldn't hurt but I've never used it on a mount. Matter of fact, I usually put a couple drops of CLP or FP10 on mount screws.

[Onslaught]

Yours isn't a flat-top, I assume?

Sounds like you have the "carry handle mount", which sits in the sight groove of the carry handle, has a bolt in the center that goes through the hole in the CH, and has a round nut that attaches to the bolt....

I had good luck with B-Square's version. Does yours have "rubber" where the nut contacts the handguard? I believe that's what helped mine stay put.

Nothing beats a flat-top for mounting a scope to an AR though...

[Snaps]

Mines not a flat top, I wanted one to carry just like hte one I used to use. Figured I'd gotten pretty good with it. The mount doesn't have the rubber either. I don't know who made it I picked it up at a local hardware store's sale when they were getting out of the gun biz. There was alot of stuff in a case to just pick though. I may end up tryign loc tite or something btu I really would rather try something else.

[Steve Smith]

Two suggestions:

Bed the scope mount. Slather release agent all over the carry handle and the hole, and put some on the screw and nut too. Put bedding compound on the scope mount, install it, and tighten it down. Wipe excess and wait. Pulling it out the first time will be hard, but you will have a perfect fit thereafter.

Other suggestion: Use a set of vice grips and lock her down!

[cheygriz]

Use Loctite!

[boing]

The nut that screws under the carry handle may have holes along it's circumference, probably for use with some sort of very tactical "torque deployment tool" (aka "wrench"). I stuck a very un-tactical "normal allen wrench" in one of the holes and used it for leverage.

Kept my $20 mount secure through several hundred rounds, and required tools to break it free when I got tired of it.

"When in doubt...force it."

[CWL]

Use BLUE Loctite, not RED, I found this out once the hard way.

You can also replace the locking nut with a better washer/nut combo from a hardware store.

If you want to spend the bucks, get a mount made by ARMS or GG&G to replace your current one. Mine are QD but stay in place when mounted with just finger pressure -haven't lost zero yet after thousands of rounds.

[Bottom Gun]

I put a flat washer and a split ring lock washer on mine and they solved my problem. put the flat against the carry handle so it helps the lock washer compress and it will keep you from marking your handle.