Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold tube thread repair

This a Competition Hunter series used for Hunter Benchrest class (fixed 6X, A.O., target turrets and a 1/2" dot reticle). The occular thread/tube thread interface is marginal at best due to the very shallow threads on both pieces. This is compounded by the narrow lock ring. In short, it's pretty common to gall the threads on the tube...then you end up with an immoveable occular or worse...an occular that shoots loose despite the lock ring being tightened. Having owned a few of these when I last competed in Hunter Class (2013 being my last season), I was aware of the issues. For the 2024 season, I put together a Hunter gun and wanted to add one of these to the inventory for possible use on it. A friend had this one and I was suspicious of the threads when I purchased it. Since Big Louie no longer supports this model scope, (so much for the lifetime warranty), it was time for a home remedy.

The locking ring was jammed on the tube. A couple of careful cuts 180 degrees apart and the ring was able to be peeled off. Rummaging through the big box of scope parts, I found a lock ring that was virtually identical to the original. The thread pitch was the same but the ring fit the tube pretty snug. A bit of 400 lapping compound on the galled threads and running the lock ring back and for a few dozen times straightened out the tube threads and the lock ring fit very nicely. In the picture, you can see the flattened threads compared to the sharp threads at the bottom of the tube. Some Aluma Black on the tube threads worked pretty good.

The occular is smooth on the threads and it comes up tight against the lock ring. Having good uncorrected vision, I don't have to run the occular way out so the lock ring is on good threads both in front of and behind the galled area.

Good shootin' -Al

Looks as good as new, like to see it when attached to rifle!

Nicely done, Al.

I've shot LOTS of oculars loose and one of many reason for 3M '88. Hint..................(grin)

I used 3:1 heat shrink tubing on the others....worked good. -Al

Good McGiver! Actually, maybe too elegant to call a McGiver.

Putty ‘n paint’ll make ‘er what she ain’t….

There's a 36X Sightron on it now for load work. Once that's finished, one of the four 6X A.O.'s here will go on for competition.

3M '88 is like 3M 5200...you can glue air together with it. Hint..................(grin)

Used lots of 8008 (black) and 8001 (yellow) prior to the anerobics. It still has it's place.

I've never been anywhere,with salt in the air,in which 5200 wasn't THE default for EVERYTHING. Hint...............