BrainOnSigs
Member
I've had a few e-mails asking me for info on how to lap
scope rings....so I thought I would share this. This was
what I was taught by a very experienced shooter. It's
free advice so take as such.......
To assure alignment...which in turn protects your scope.
....I always lap my rings.
If you buy a rifle and it comes with Leupold bases and
you are using Leupold rings....here is some more free advice.
Spend the $7-$10 and buy a Leupold ring wrench.
Before starting any of this, I make sure that the bases are secure,
and will torque them.
I suggest installing the rear bottom ring first. I apply some
Break-Free to the base and ring bottom, where they engage, and wipe off
excess with a rag. I then position the rear bottom ring so that it is
centered and aligned (as best I can). Tighten the two screws, being
careful to keep the bottom ring aligned. Take your time. And, tighten
it. I don't use a torque wrench for this. I make them tight. You don't
want the rear ring to budge. I know that it is designed for windage
adjustment, but it's best to do that via the scope. (I wish that there
were Leupold Dual Dovetail bases available for Cooper Arms rifles).
Now, do the same with the front bottom ring, in terms of applying
Break-Free to both ring and base. The ring will be perpendicular. The
Leupold ring wrench has an opening that will fit the ring. Actually, it
is designed to handle both one-inch and 30mm rings. You need to put the
rifle in a rest or vice so that it will not move.
Back to the front ring. I use the wrench to turn the front ring 90
degrees. It is tight. And, you may need to do a bit of minor
back-and-forth to get the front ring aligned. To check alignment, I use
the lapping kit's 30mm steel rod (my scope is 30mm). I lay it on
each of the ring bottoms, and move it right up to the other ring
bottom. You may find that the rear ring bottom may need adjustment
after you get the front one aligned. Take your time with this step,
because the better you have them aligned, the better you'll be able to
lap the ring bottoms.
The ring lapping procedure.
You don't need much lapping compound. I use a Q-tip to get a little
bit, place it on a folded paper towel, then put a couple drops of
Break-Free on it. I use the same Q-tip to apply the mixture to the
surface of the bottom rings that engage the scope tube. A very thin
later is all that is needed. I then attach the handle to the lapping
rod. Placing the lapping tool on the rings, I apply back-and-forth
motions, making sure that the rings are always being engaged by the
tool. I also rotate the tool as I am doing this. After 5 or 10 minutes,
I use a rag to wipe off the engagement surface of the rings, to see the
lapping effect, which is a smoothing. The black will become smooth and
silver. It does not all need to be silver. Ideally, the wear (lapping
effect) will be uniform. If it's not completely uniform, it's not a
problem. You're still aligning the rings.
I sometimes apply more lapping compound, and repeat the process, until
I see the effect I desire. At no point during this procedure should you
adjust or otherwise disturb the alignment of either ring. Doing so will
negate any lapping done up to that point.
I use MPro-7 (or other cleaner) to remove the lapping compound, which
turns grey. I take the time to make sure that all is removed, and then
I dry the surfaces. Before mounting the scope, I apply a thin layer of
Break-Free to the engagement surfaces, then wipe off excess with a rag.
You sould be good to go. If you ever remove your scope it will have zero
marks on it. As long as you don't move the lower rings you can always put
a scope back on and it will be automatically aligned.
scope rings....so I thought I would share this. This was
what I was taught by a very experienced shooter. It's
free advice so take as such.......
To assure alignment...which in turn protects your scope.
....I always lap my rings.
If you buy a rifle and it comes with Leupold bases and
you are using Leupold rings....here is some more free advice.
Spend the $7-$10 and buy a Leupold ring wrench.
Before starting any of this, I make sure that the bases are secure,
and will torque them.
I suggest installing the rear bottom ring first. I apply some
Break-Free to the base and ring bottom, where they engage, and wipe off
excess with a rag. I then position the rear bottom ring so that it is
centered and aligned (as best I can). Tighten the two screws, being
careful to keep the bottom ring aligned. Take your time. And, tighten
it. I don't use a torque wrench for this. I make them tight. You don't
want the rear ring to budge. I know that it is designed for windage
adjustment, but it's best to do that via the scope. (I wish that there
were Leupold Dual Dovetail bases available for Cooper Arms rifles).
Now, do the same with the front bottom ring, in terms of applying
Break-Free to both ring and base. The ring will be perpendicular. The
Leupold ring wrench has an opening that will fit the ring. Actually, it
is designed to handle both one-inch and 30mm rings. You need to put the
rifle in a rest or vice so that it will not move.
Back to the front ring. I use the wrench to turn the front ring 90
degrees. It is tight. And, you may need to do a bit of minor
back-and-forth to get the front ring aligned. To check alignment, I use
the lapping kit's 30mm steel rod (my scope is 30mm). I lay it on
each of the ring bottoms, and move it right up to the other ring
bottom. You may find that the rear ring bottom may need adjustment
after you get the front one aligned. Take your time with this step,
because the better you have them aligned, the better you'll be able to
lap the ring bottoms.
The ring lapping procedure.
You don't need much lapping compound. I use a Q-tip to get a little
bit, place it on a folded paper towel, then put a couple drops of
Break-Free on it. I use the same Q-tip to apply the mixture to the
surface of the bottom rings that engage the scope tube. A very thin
later is all that is needed. I then attach the handle to the lapping
rod. Placing the lapping tool on the rings, I apply back-and-forth
motions, making sure that the rings are always being engaged by the
tool. I also rotate the tool as I am doing this. After 5 or 10 minutes,
I use a rag to wipe off the engagement surface of the rings, to see the
lapping effect, which is a smoothing. The black will become smooth and
silver. It does not all need to be silver. Ideally, the wear (lapping
effect) will be uniform. If it's not completely uniform, it's not a
problem. You're still aligning the rings.
I sometimes apply more lapping compound, and repeat the process, until
I see the effect I desire. At no point during this procedure should you
adjust or otherwise disturb the alignment of either ring. Doing so will
negate any lapping done up to that point.
I use MPro-7 (or other cleaner) to remove the lapping compound, which
turns grey. I take the time to make sure that all is removed, and then
I dry the surfaces. Before mounting the scope, I apply a thin layer of
Break-Free to the engagement surfaces, then wipe off excess with a rag.
You sould be good to go. If you ever remove your scope it will have zero
marks on it. As long as you don't move the lower rings you can always put
a scope back on and it will be automatically aligned.
