How NOT to lap to much

[DartonJager]

I have watched every scope YT lapping video I could find and searched "HT scope lapping" here and are confident I understand how to lap my scope rings. Just concerned that none of the videos gave any info on how NOT to over-lap scope rings.

My only question is IF my scope rings need to be lapped, how do I know when I have sufficiently lapped them so I do not remove to much material from the rings?

Rings in question are steel 30mm Warne horizontally split PA rings.

 

[Dosh]

Lots of opinions on this. Some ring mfgs say don't lap, but if really needed I try to only remove 70% or less. Haven't needed to lap very many.

 

[DartonJager]

Thanks for the reply. I am only considering it because I only have tools to check ring alignment and lap 1" rings but are about to install my first 30mm scopes and both are the most expensive I have ever purchased and 90% of my scopes sit in made in USA Burris rings with the plastic inserts so lapping was not a consideration and the few other NON-Burris rings I used didn't need to be lapped. I am very impatiently awaiting the arrival of a 30mm scope lapping kit that should have arrived yesterday, so I do not even know if I will need to lap my rings or not.

Since Burris moved their production line to Communist China I have chosen not to buy their rings otherwise I would just use them and not bother with lapping. I have older made in USA Burris Signature Z rings on my 338wm, 300wm, 7mmstw and three 12ga slug rifles and they have never failed me or left a mark on one of my scope rings. Just a shame they placed profits above patriotism.

My horizontally split rings of choice these days are Warne 514's.

 

[L.Sherm]

Forget about the lapping and bed them.

 

[-WARDOG-]

Lapping takes so little off you would have to lap for a week to take too much off.
If you have seen the videos then you know what to look for.
There is a built in gap between the top and bottom rings so the two don't bottom out and lose their clamping force. You would have to lap out that gap to make it too much.

 

[DartonJager]

Lapping takes so little off you would have to lap for a week to take too much off.
If you have seen the videos then you know what to look for.
There is a built in gap between the top and bottom rings so the two don't bottom out and lose their clamping force. You would have to lap out that gap to make it too much.

Thanks for the information it has been of great help.
L.Sherm,
The rifle is a Tikka TX1 22lr and the receiver top is so narrow I am hesitant to bed the one piece base.
I am also putting a new scope on.my dedicated long range trainer a 10FCP and will bed the one piece scope base on that.

 

[P7M13]

Lapping takes so little off you would have to lap for a week to take too much off.
If you have seen the videos then you know what to look for.
There is a built in gap between the top and bottom rings so the two don't bottom out and lose their clamping force. You would have to lap out that gap to make it too much.

+1
If you're the kind of guy who buffs through the top coat on your vehicle, don't try lapping.

On bedding the scope, it's not the base, it's the scope in the rings. Here's an example:

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I have always like the concept of the Signature rings and have them on several rifles. I'm surprised that other manufacturers haven't produced their own version of a pivoting insert ring.

 

[DartonJager]

I have always like the concept of the Signature rings and have them on several rifles. I'm surprised that other manufacturers haven't produced their own version of a pivoting insert ring.

I couldn't agree more strongly. I thought for absolute certain at some point someone would come out with their version of no-lap inserts rings.

I have them on 90% of my rifles, slug rifles, inline ML's and turkey guns, but those are ALL 1" tubes. I now are using 30mm scopes and Burris moved it's production line to Communist China. I have 4 sets of NIB unused 1" made in USA Burris Signature rings but I didn't know Burris had gone commie until I went to buy several sets of 30mm Signature "Z" rings.
Somethings I MUST buy in Commie-China but if a choice I do not.

 

[WapitiBob]

Continual use of lapping compound on a lapping bar will absolutely blow out a set of rings.
If you lap past the coating you have crappy rings or a ring alignment problem.

SCOPE RING ALIGNMENT TOOL KIT - 30 mm and 1 inch. (includes One Set Of Each) | eBay

This includes 2 sets of rods and collars. One set for each size. Long ring with 0.002" clearance (0.001" on each side of ring) ensures that rings are aligned.

www.ebay.com

 

[DartonJager]

FWIW, the one set of horizontally split Warne rings I am using on my T1X lined up perfectly and I mean perfectly, at least that's what my scope alignment tool said after four tests.
I had gone ahead and lapped them and removed 90% of the black coating from the bottom ring half. Checked and they still line up perfectly. I was very surprised how well my first attempt went lapping steel rings.

To my great disappointment, the other set was defective and I had to return it. I then checked a set of Vortex 30mm rings and Vert/split Warne rings I have and both had misalignment issues. The Warne's was so slight I wasn't sure they were misaligned than I confirmed it courtesy of using a 3x lighted magnifier, but were still off. The Vortex were way off. I triple checked both sets.

I am wondering if the design of the vertically split rings induces more alignment error VS a horizontally split design.

I am very very concerned about the current Quality Control of Warne horizontally split rings. I absolutely love Warne rings and they have become my go-to rings since Burris went Communist. I currently have no less than 5 sets of vert/split rings in use never had one fail me. I decided to give the Horizontally split rings a try as they looked great and got 5/5 82% of the time and a 4.7/5 OA rating.

I have ordered three sets of the 514's and one the finish came off after a 5 minuet timed soak in denatured alcohol (I could literally scape it off with my finger nail with minimal effort) The second set one ring the clamp wedge that holds the lower ring half on was missing its entire lower half. It literally looked like it had been cut dead in half across the center of the two holes in it. The one that survived the 5 minuet soaking in denatured alcohol worked as expected.

But a 66% product failure rate is utterly unacceptable and absolutely inexcusable.

 

[parshal]

Bedding the bottom ring is faster, covers the entire ring, grips the scope better and is not permanent. None of those apply to lapping. Really, try bedding it first.

 

[emp1953]

I had trouble mounting a scope on a SIG 970shr. I wanted to extend my range so I installed a 20MOA picatinny rail. My alignment tool said I was perfectly aligned down the centerline of the barrel. But it was off a little bit from the front to the back of the rail. Bedding fixed that but in my case , with the rail, it added an additional place to get misalignment. I had to bed the back ring and not the front.

 

[Philward]

I just installed a new scope to one rifle, using EGW rail and rings, and moved the removed scope to a different rifle. Wanted to install a one piece base on second rifle but didn't like the fit so kept the 2 piece bases that were on it and installed low rings instead of mediums. When I put my 1" round stock alignment pieces in and got them centered horizontally they were misaligned vertically. Considered lapping, but instead I made a shim from brass stock I had on hand and put under the front base. Alignment near perfect now, lapping not needed.