Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Lappin' Rings....worth it?

Got to admit I've never done it. Not sayin' I've never needed to do it, mebbe I have and didn't recognize the need.

Never had the tools and haven't much thought about it, but as I continually progress upwards in this Rifle Loonydom I ponder such things. Should I try this or that..or shouldn't I?

My scope mounting ways so far have been mounting bases, always Leupy or Redfield, crazy tight. Securing front ring and aligning with rear. Applying rubber cement to rings interiors and securing front ring around scope crazy tight.

Leaving rear ring a tad loose from the base I secure rear ring around scope also crazy tight then tighten down ring to base.

So far this has produced good 'nuff accuracy that I've been able to live with and the scopes I've removed don't have any bad ring marks, so I'm thinking very little scope stress. Or is there?

However I'm left wondering, if I'm to eek out every available advantage in a rifle, should I be lapping the rings? And just how much will it gain over what I've been doing so far?

Also, is the store bought tool the only way or are there other ways for the DIY'er?

Thanks in advance.........

I just use Burris Signature rings and forget about it.

Should add the Ruger Ring Thing....

Been guilty of owning a couple three Rugers on occasion.....

I always check the rings with a lapping tool and give a light skim with valve grinding paste. It is almost impossible to see a set of rings that are both square and aligned and I cannot count the scores of rings I have set and checked over the decades.

The fact is that no matter how precise the rings are made, they are still being tightened to a mass produced action that has minute individual variation in finishing, to another sample.

This in itself, is enough to fix a perfect ring out of alignment even if only slightly. By running a lapping tool across the bottom rings, any burrs on the edges or imperfections in the squareness of the recesses is immediately identified and you can skim to the degree necessary to permit the scope tube to slide smoothly and effortlessly in the rings which will ensure there is no binding and tension created when the scope is locked down.

Stress free lock up is important because there are several layers of potential stress that can flex an action and cause flyers in a group.

1. The floorplate is screwed against the stock.
2. The action is compressed into the stock.
3. The bases are screwed against the action
4. The bottom rings are screwed or friction bound into the bases.
5. The scope is compressed against the bottom rings.
6. The top ring is compressed against the scope tube.

These 6 layers can, even if minute, compound to a stress level that causes shots to go wild and that does not take into consideration the fact that if scope rings are not lapped, square and parallel, the scope tube can be bent or flexed in the process.

Not lapping scope rings is a choice. I choose to check and lapp as necessary.

Also, another fact, Ruger rings are designed to fit onto an integral groove that also has a circular cutout/recess in the action sides to accomodate the tightening screw.

If you have a mis alignment with a particualr set of rings that contact the base of the recess before the ring is tightened, it caused the ring to rise up in the recess and lock under stress that cannot be alieviated by lapping. The rings must be changed for a set that fits the action, providing the degree of gap necessary around the lock screw to provide a stress free lock up.

Even after this is done and it all looks good, I still check the rings with a lapping tool.

My experience with Ruger rings is that they are usually very good and align better than most brands.

A cheap alternative in anticipation of all I have stated, is the newly designed rings from Sako for the model 75 rifles that include a plastic insert inside the rings that float to fit the scope tube and compress into position, when the top ring is tightened.

Tacky as this looks, it is very effective and works very well in my experience.

AGW

+1 Aussiegunwriter

Well said. Rick Smith convinced me to lap rings several years ago. It is now part of the regimen.

Thanks Aussie.

Very well written.....

I lap all my rings Roy.I saw your turret post good deal.Leupold has some pretty good service for sure.

I'm familiar with the Burris Signature rings with the inserts , but have not seen the Sako style yet. Are the Sako rings available for other than Sako rifles?

Roy,

I think that lapping rings is the sort of thing that 2% of folks do, whether they need to or not. Sort of like deburring the primer holes punched in brass, some folks think that it is worth doing, if for no other reason then to eliminated an issue of potential impact, while other folks think that it is a waste of time.

I use the Clymer ring alignment reamer, part # 184-002-000 from Brownells, and finish it up with the Wheeler tool. Does it work? Maybe, but it doesn't do any harm and it is just 1 more thing that you don't have to worry about once its been done.

Jeff

It depends on the rings and the bases. Badger, TPS and a few other makers recommend you do not lap their rings. These are typically within 0.002 or roundness, and lapping will only serve to take the rings out of round. With cheap rings, you probably won't do any harm and it may help.

AGW,

Great post! Personally I have never lapped rings. I have made it thus far and been satisfied with all. Work up my loads, shoot, get an accurate load, happiness. NOW! NOW I got one more blasted thing to tinker with and do or to blame and "fix" when a rifle refuses to cooperate! Thanks a lot!

This information provided to you is not correct because as I stated above, it does not matter how precise the rings are manufactuered, they are still being fitted to a mass produced action that will vary from action to action, through the finishing processes.

A perfect set of mounts can be made to misalign when fitted to an imprecise action ( which they all are to some degree) and lapping will prove the misalignment. It is no slander upon the ring manufacturer, it is just reality.

The point of lapping is to ensure that at least that aspect of accurizing is performed and can be forgotten about. It may be technically a waste of time if you do it on its own, but I always bed new rifles in Devcon Steel, float the barrels, lighten the trigger and in conjunction with the lapping, all these things contribute to determining the potential accuracy of the barrel. This also means being open minded to the fact that some scopes need to be changed if they influence inconsistent accuracy.

It is a package that is all you can do, but it works. If this routine is performed on a rifle, the handloads will generally have more uniform group shapes and make it a lot easier to tune for loads and group sizes, or to identify components that are not suited to your rifle set up.


AGW

Most of my rings are cheap Buehler, Conetrol, Leupold, Redfield, and Warne, so I ream/polish them all.

Jeff

AGW,

If you mount the bases correctly it's not an issue. If you screw them down to a distorted reciver, you'll distort the base. If you use a tool like the BaseBed and bedding compount on your base, alignment will be correct.

We looked at alignment issue with rings and bases, and more often than not lapping causes as many problems as it cures. It is impossible to maintain roundness in rings if you lap. If you are lapping split rings, it won't matter because they aren't round to begin with. But rings like TPS are manufacture with near perfect roundness, and iff you lap, you will actually take them out of round.


There are better ways to compensate for out of spec receivers.

http://www.tpsproducts.com/proddetail.php?prod=60100

I lapped a set of Ruger rings on a Target Gray 22-250 that were not even close to lining up. I sold the gun shortly after so I don't know if it helped or not. I checked several other sets with the lapping tool. Some needed it, but most didn't. The marks on the scopes and reading about torque on the scope causing problems got me to try it. The rings were easier to tighten and tightened evenly after lapping them.

The worst mounts I have ever seen during product reviews were always the rifles with integral bases with rings attached.

I have even had to give up and remove the scope snd shoot open sighted which does nothing for an accuracy assessment.

TOD:

The product you promote proves the case made for lapping, because it is a substitute for lapping and appears to base its concept and value to the shooter on the technical imperfection outlined above.

You can easily see the true value of any after market product to accuracy by simply looking around the bench rest fraternity. How many of them use gimmicks when they can lapp or bed the rings?

None that I have seen.

AGW

The rings need to be in perfect alignment to get the most out of the rifle. Lapping is one way to get there, correcting the issue with the receiver that causes the misalignment is another.

I don't worry too much about rings being ever so slightly out of round, since most scope tubes are as well.

IMO, the best possible scenario is to have a receiver that is true, then lightly lap properly installed rings to remove any sharp edges. Even the best rings (Badger, etc.) can have some irregularities due to the finish applied after machining.

I have a scope that on two different rifles, with three mounting systems including ones with inserts was going to be sent back. for $400 i was not pleased. i decided to get the ring reamer from Brownells and ring lapping tool from Sinclair. mounted on my .308 this combo shoots .2 groups. i definitely lap all of my mounts now.

Here's my post from when I lapped my first rings....I'll be doing more. When I ran the bar over them the first time I was maybe getting 15% contact, when I was done it was 90%+. It was enlightening and I got my rod and compound from Haydens for less than $20. I'd like a set of the pointy alignment bars for squaring dovetails prior to lapping, but they are not needed for Talleys.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...&topic=0&Search=true#Post1348706

J

If I recall correctly, Sako Optilock bases are available in Weaver/Picatinny, 11mm dovetail, 17mm dovetail and Sako configurations.

Link to Sako website