Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics SWFA 6x42 sans the big f'ing windage knob

The thought of that tall windage dial got you down? Tired of it poking you in the wrist?

Minus 1/2" in height. Sorry, no weights.

That would sure help it fit in a saddle scabbard easier. Where did you source the windage knob cover?

7/8" Do-It-Best Hardware rubber leg tip, shaped down. Has a good matte look.

1" fit ok but looser on the "shaft" when the thin 'band' with the markings on it was intact. The 'band' spun right off. This is very snug. Original o-ring seems fine and sorta fills the gap between the rubber and the 'housing'. Took a couple shots to get the length desired.

A 7/8" vinyl leg tip may work without sanding, just trim it, however, it would protrude about 1/8" more due to the domed shape that can not be sanded flat like the rubber. I dug around a fairly well stocked hardware store and that's what I could find. I would have black-tapped the bugger if I had too. I wanted it gone and well, it's gone.


7/8" Rubber leg tip

Like this:
Cut tube. Cut brass post. File slot. Clean up. Sight in. Cap it.

Slicker than owl shat thanks a ton I wonder if the outer aluminum could be threaded for another brand of turret cover. On edit I wonder if you could shave down the stem then shave bottom of the turret cap and then end up,with a low profile elevation knob, still using all original parts

Yah, there's other ways to trim it. I was going for 1/2" drop and nailed it. I think you could drop 1/4" and still use the dial, sans the small o-ring.

Been thinking about this awhile and finally got the nerve up tonight. The material cuts easy with a 1 1/2" Dremel EzLock Thin cutoff wheel. There's a couple ridges the larger o-ring sits in. Just use the inner one as a guide; take it off. Nothing heated up noticeably. They could just thread a cap on there like a LRHS and have something.

Thinking of weatherproofing, this went together just fine. Originally, there's the o-ring that the dial spins around freely. This has at least thee ridges internally, and is snug as hell...

If nothing else I love the fact you not going to accidentally turn that dial anymore and with the zero stop kit out there you can always verify your in the right spot with the elevation turret.

Mtn Boomer. Thanks for the write up, interesting modification.

That's great.

Boomer has the biggest, balls of them all...

Did have a hell of a time zipping up this morning. LOL

I took off the turret to my fixed 20x SS scope it looks like to me there is the outer aluminum stem which has the revolution markings on it, then it has a brass insert in that goes inside of it. this has a bunch of ridges on it that must be what maintains the click action of the turret. the only problem that I can see with what you did is if you had to adjust bullet impact to zero a gun far to the right you might turn the turret outside of whatever is interfacing with those ridges on the stem. it looks like you actually removed the whole thing that holds the large o ring.

I really want to do this!!! but I admit I am chicken about doing it. for me I care less about being low profile and more about the knob not turning in inadvertently. low profile and not being able to turn it by accident are really nice things together.

Chopped second one. Pictures. I did not include the guts pics before... I am not advocating anyone do this, just that 'd prefer a low, capped windage dial on my SWFAs... Probably a good idea to center/sight in before. Did not on the first. No worries, it just threaded inward a bit further to come to center, however going the other way would not be best resulting in the brass disc sticking outside the protection of the 'splined turret house tube'.... The splines visible do indeed hold some stuff internally, I suppose, but, they do not turn when you spin the brass. That 'splined turret housing tube' is threaded into the scope body, righty tighty. I am no opticaloligist but certain you don't want to unscrew that. The thin sleeve that has the markings on it is just glued on the shaft, like with a drop of super glue. #2 took a little effort to loosen up but came right off, put the twist to it clockwise... The 7/8" cap fit is too tight with the sleeve intact but other capping solutions may work, to leave the sleeve on for whatever reason desired. I'd think, on the sleeve with the elevation marking, a guy wanting permanence may desire to glue it a bit more.
1

2

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4 Yes, CC I cut that chit off. LOL

5 Rather than use the thread file on this one I just cut the slot with the cut-off wheel. The cuts could be done neater. LOL

6 Don't turn the stuff left. Turn right. I felt this one move sligtly, tightening upon applying a bit o' force.

1 I like it. YMMV.

2 I think I ditched 9/16", maybe close to 5/8" on this one.

3

4 Shows how much the rubber got trimmed. I did try a vinyl cap again and it really doesn't fit as well as the rubber...

5

Good to have a right arrow...

why are you also removing the outer piece with the markings on it. couldn't you just grind that down too and leave it on there? its the part pictured with the pliers on it.

did you get what I was saying that if you had to adjust right quite a bit that you could turn whatever makes the clicking out of the splined part? I don't think the clicker is right at the top of it but it would be interesting to know how much there was to work with before you would damage something by turning it too far to the right/out

this is a great idea though.

The outer sleeve with the markings on it is the same length as the tube it's on that I cut. It runs to the inner o-ring lip... If you leave those lips, it'd never slide off... It does not need cut per se. But it is only secured by a drop of glue, and may get loose on you. Then your rubber cap, which is snug fit to it, would just slide off with the sleeve inside it, if the o-ring lips are gone, or spin around freely if intact.... Additionally the goods I am using to cap it don't fit well with the sleeve on. And would not work with the o-ring lips itact. Maybe there's better ways, such as SWFA engineering it. LOL If you like the sleeve, you could glue it on better, so it stays, then cap it with something that'll fit over it snug, or whatever.... Trying to grind the o-ring lips off, to leave the shaft longer etc would be a biotch. Figuring a cap that leaves the large o-ring groove intact is likely a better all-around, yet 1/8"+ taller solution.

Yah, wacking the splined tube off too short is most certainly not a good idea. LOL

I have not spun the brass way out to see what will happen as I have no need to go way left of center. Maybe you could twist yours way out (turn clockwise) and see if the brass doodad, that has the two small divots, is thin, thick or what? Or if you can tell what goods are secured by the splines. Dammed if I know. It'll just spin out and stop just like it does turning the dial unmodified... Maybe spinning out a bit extra first or not doing it at all is wayyy better.

I would not do this on a scope just used at a bench. Again, not suggesting anyone do this. I like the handling much better.

ok I am understanding now, I think you should be the one that checks how far you can spin out the turret maybe if you need to go out too far perhaps something is out of wack with the rings or something.

SWFA could come up with a much better looking and lower profile turrets than they currently use, as has been said even a capped windage would be sweet!

Exactly. Use it one time then it's there, sticking out, not 1/2", or even 3/4", heck 1" would be extremely lame but these darn things are 1 1/2". Love the price. LOL