Ken Farrell Bases and Rings?

[dog caller]

Does anyone have any input on Ken Farrell bases and rings? I am rounding up items to use on a custom I'm doing and I am thinking of using these on a flat top Savage short action. A good friend in the sniper community said he heard something about having to bed these bases to the action. The Sharp Shooter Supply website says nothing to this effect. How would you bed a base to the action anyway? I know Badger or Nightforce bases would be better but I am trying to keep cost down without sacrificing a great amount of quality. Any input appreciated.

dc

 

[Ridge Runner]

complete directions come with the bases, its not hard, and you use JB weld or a simular 2 part epoxy. I did mine and only takes a few min. to do.
JS

 

[dog caller]

James,

Why is it necessary to do this with the Ken Farrells but not with some of the others? I'm afraid that if I decide to swap the components to another rifle or swap another rifles components to this one, the top of the action will be a total disaster.

 

[James Jones]

Bedding the base to the action is not uncommon with any of the makers out their.
On my duty rifle that I know is never gonna get screwed with I actualy glued the bases to the action. I cleaned the hell out of the action where than base goes and lightly scuffed the bottom of the base and cleaned the same way then use used a super strong 2 part epoxy and screwed it down.. The action scope mount holes were opened up to 8-40 and the base used is an IOR unit.

I'm not to sure if their is realy any positive outcome from bedding the bases , never realy checked it out just always did it

Anyway use a realy good release agant on the screws and the top of the action , use a thin even coating and let it dry totaly (i use Brownells accra release) then apply the epoxy to the bottom of the base , its not gonna take much at all just an even coat then screw that rascle down snug then back off about a quarter turn
A word of advise, mask off the area around the action where the base is not gonna be use plenty of tape as some epoxy alway ends up dripping someplace and their will generaly be a good bit squeeze out from under the base when it is tightend down.
After doing several guns with bases from IOR ,Badger ,Ed Brown and Farrel , I can tell you that their will only be a paper thin layer of epoxy.

 

[dog caller]

Ahhh! I never thought about using a release agent! I was picturing an action top after using an air chisel to get the base off! Not a pretty mental image /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I don't know that there would ever be a need to remove the base but you never know. The release agent thing makes sense, though. Can anyone attest to the quality of the Farrell's?

 

[James Jones]

I have used two on friends guns and they both took the standard Picatinny rings although I have heard on more then one occosian that the rings would not mate properly.
From now on though I will probably not use the farrel bases as for the same price or realy close you can get a Badger , IOR or Near. But from the guys I know that use the Farrel produts they like them.
I don't like the way Farrel rings look though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Ridge Runner]

actally they come off rather easy, I replaced my farrel bases with a 0 MOA set and they basicly fell off when I removed the screws. and I didn't use any release agent, just whatever oil was on the reciever when I mounted them. even the screws came out easier than I thought, I just put the torx driver in the slot and tapped the driver with a small hammer as I turned the driver to loosen the screws, they broke loose easily.
JS
BTW I bedded the bases because it was reccomended by the maker. and will bed all weaver type bases in the future.

 

[James Jones]

Be careful whith what type of oil and epoxy you use some oils will not allow the epoxy to cure properly

 

[dog caller]

[ QUOTE ]

From now on though I will probably not use the farrel bases as for the same price or realy close you can get a Badger , IOR or Near.

[/ QUOTE ]

JDJones,
I'm finding that the Ken Farrel's are quite a bit less expensive that the Badgers, IOR, Nightforce, etc... I can't find the NEAR's to fit the flat top Savage, only the round top accutrigger action. Maybe Kirby or someone can fix a 20 MOA picatinny rail out of a rail blank? I have some Talley rings I can use if I need to. Any suggestions there?

 

[James Jones]

well if its a one piece tactical base your after your gonna be limited basicaly to the Farrel base. Warne also makes one thats a one piece multi slotted rail and it s around the same price ($60 range)as the farrel and they are said to be good bases , I've never actualy looked at one though. Now Lightforce USA makes a two piece set for your gun that has the 20moa built in and their around $75. Mounting Solutions also makes a one piece base and its cost is around $75

Like I said , I'm not sure what it is that yout gonna be asking of your scope mounts but if you plan to leave the scope on their and you don't need the 20moa then the Leupold Dual Dove tail rings and mounts are pretty **** strong , if you knock one loose your scope is gonna be FUBR.

If you say exactly what it is that your wanting then maybe we can help you out a little more

 

[abinok]

Ive got a couple of the 1pc bases. Very nice, and plenty cheap. I bedded mine with JB Quick with a thin coat of my locking lug grease under them. They pop right off, but don't move once tightened down. I figure ill just order one for every rifle I get from now on.
Good stuff.

 

[speedbump]

DogCaller, I have both on a 700SA in a little wildcat caliber called 264RLB. NO complaints on the rings or bases - they've held true....

 

[halvey]

I have the Farrell bases on both my Rem 700's varmints in 223 and 308. Great solid bases! I bedded mine with JB Weld and used Silicone grease - the stuff you find at any home center to use as a release agent.

I've heard of others having good luck witht he AcraGlass stuff, but it needs to be warm and I bedded my guns in a 55 degree basement in the winter, so it didn't cure right. So I went to the JB Weld.

After bedding, I also used red loctite on the 4 screws so that base is solid! It can be removed however. My friend did the same on this guns and when he rebarreled, the gunsmith got them off. He used heat, a lot, but they caome off.

I then used Badger rings, lapped them, then used an adjustable torque wrench to sinch everything up just right.

All in all, easy to do, just go slow and follow directions closely! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[HoytemanPA]

I like the Farrell bases. Never used the rings. I have topped them with TPS Tactical precision TSRW's I think they are called, Burris Extreme mounts with the three screws (just because I couldn't find anywhere that actually has the new Burris High 30mm Signature rings yet) And the Burris Signatures with offsets.

I especially like the 20MOA Farrell base with the Signature rings on a 6.5x20 1 inch scope. I mix and match to use the full travel of the scope. Return to zero is crank it down till it doesn't crank any more and then look down and back about 4 MOA to the "0".