scope lapping

[chokestick]

who makes the best scope lapping kit or tools

 

[Terry]

I don't know who makes the best. I have used Wheeler Engineering. They work very well.

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=lapping+rings

Terry

 

[boltfluter]

Sinclair makes a nice one. Paul. 8)

www.boltfluting.com

 

[ridgeway]

I have one Shehane sells. The best bar would be Kokopelli.

http://www.kokopelliproducts.com/lapp.html

 

[NateHaler]

forget lapping. Use the Burris Pos-Align rings.

 

[BoydAllen]

Kokopelli

 

[butchlambert]

Terry,
The Wheeler laps ok, but an alignment tool doesn't work properly with 2 points pointed to each other. The Kokopelli alignment bars are much superior.

 

[Hippy]

Do you guys also lap the top of the rings as well as the bottoms?


Jim

 

[queen_stick]

Terry,
The Wheeler laps ok, but an alignment tool doesn't work properly with 2 points pointed to each other. The Kokopelli alignment bars are much superior.

Butch,

Can't you simply tun the bars around (in the Wheeler kit), so they will line up like the Kokopelli's?

 

[butchlambert]

Mine were made in OZ. Never needed to try to turn anything around. If the back end is machined right on the Wheeler, it might work.

 

[natdscott]

I do not recommend lapping your scope.

Possum Hollow's bar is functional enough...that said, I still prefer to just epoxy bed the rings.

-Nate

 

[BoydAllen]

Kokopelli.

 

[chino1969]

Yes you can, provided the ends are machined correctly.

 

[watercam]

I haven't even tried it but I like the glass bedding idea. Other than that Manson makes a reamer that if used carefully is fastest and easiest for me.

 

[natdscott]

I haven't even tried it but I like the glass bedding idea. Other than that Manson makes a reamer that if used carefully is fastest and easiest for me.

Not too bad, really. If you've done a stock bedding job, rings are a piece of cake.

I like to use JB Weld in rings, in lieu of Devcon that I'd use on a stock. JB seems to be a smoother epoxy, and really gets a nice slick bedding job.

I usually lap my rings into close alignment, then just "over lap" with a coarse abrasive a little bit to rough things up and make a tiny bit of room for epoxy. Make sure the rings are torqued to spec, then start the bedding process. Obviously make sure to acetone the inner ring bedding surfaces after lapping.

Oh, and tape off your action, and wax/release agent the screws for the ring halves, and the TOP half of the rings. ALL of it. And--of course--release agent/wax the scope tube.

Once the scope is in, put on the top halves, and torque down jussst until they start to feel tension on all screws, and some epoxy starts squeezing out. Think...5in/lbs or less. Make sure all gaps between ring halves are even, and you apply even tension to all screws.

At this point, clean up all of the epoxy from where you do NOT want it, and do the edging. Hang the rifle upside down in a chair, by the stock and barrel, and wait!

When it's done, take the top halves off. If you have a little epoxy bond, just pop it loose with a small screwdriver LIGHTly applying torque in the ring gap...they should pop right loose if you didn't use gobs of glue (also, make double-sure before you do this, that you have not lapped the scope in so far that you're scope is sitting BELOW center-line in the rings...if you do this, you just glued your scope on the rifle, permanent-like.).

Now, using no tools, pop the scope loose gently pulling upward at the rear ring, making sure to put your hand in between the scope's front bell and the barrel, so you don't damage it when the scope pops loose.

Now that you have a lovely bedded surface of hard JB after 24-36 hours, lightly chamfer the sharp corners ONLY with 600-1000 grit emery paper. I also then lightly polish the contact surface of the epoxy by hand with 2000 grit emery.

Cleanup everything, using your fingernail to pop loose any epoxy residue from waxed scope tube surface. Remount the scope with a little light grease on the lower ring halves to keep rain out, level, and torque top rings to normal 15-20 in/lb specification.

-Nate

 

[Ltdshooter]

Kokopelli.

+1 on that! I've got two of their kits (30mm and 34mm) and they are great.