1. Summarize the procedure you followed to mount, align, and lap the scope rings. At the end of your summary, explain whether or not you “over-lapped” the rings. If you did, what will you do in the future to avoid doing so?
This week I will discuss in short the procedure I followed to mount, align, and lap the scope rings for my AR-15 scope mounting project. To start mounting the rings to the picatinny rail already provided on the upper receiver of the AR-15 platform was as simple as tightening down a few retention screws after the rings were placed in position for the West Hunter scope I was mounting. Then I place the alignment pins in the rings and look to see if they are off and in most cases they are by a little bit. Then I applied the lapping compound, laid in the lapping bar and worked it back and forth making minor adjustments in tightness as I went. If you took your time and did this correctly when you clean the lapping compound off you should see the original black finish has been sanded away and now your alignment pins line up perfectly. Then its off to mount and zero the new optic.
2. Explain what the author means when he says that lapping rings aligns them to each other and the base they were mounted to. If rings have been lapped on a quality base, shouldn’t they be aligned if transferred to a different mount on another gun?
If the rings are mounted to a specific base and then lapped, those rings are now in alignment with each other and the rifle to which it was mounted. However, if something as simple as tightening, loosening or moving one of the scope rings occurs then everything may fall out of alignment even if just by a little bit. This means that if the already lapped scope rings are removed and put onto another platform, you may need to rework the rings or even better use new ones. You want to be sure that you don’t overwork the rings where they no longer hold the scope tight enough.
3. If asked by a customer to mount his or her scope, when would you recommend an up-charge for alignment? Are there instances when you wouldn’t recommend this process, such as the purchase of specific rings? What other procedures would you complete for the customer?
If a customer would like me to mount a scope and rings to their rifle I would usually ask how they would like that done. By offering more than one type of service the customer has the option based on things like budget or specific need. Your precision shooters usually ask for the total package to include the lapping of the scope rings where your indoor 25yd range shooters don’t need this step because they only ever fire at distances too close for lapped or unlapped rings to matter. The only time I would recommend not lapping the rings at all is when I place my alignment pins and they are already perfectly in line. As far as what other services I can offer the customer, doing the majority of my gunsmith work at a live fire facility, I would usually then offer a zeroing service once the scope and rings have been mounted. Being able to hand back a ready to use firearm for the customer is always a good feeling because I know the quality of work that went into achieving that for them.
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