Solder on scope rail?

[rsilvers]

Has anyone soldered a scope rail on using 400 degree 'aluminum solder paste?'

Amazon.com: Made in USA Aluminum Solder Paste Solder-it Repair Pastes: Industrial & Scientific

Does it hold?

 

[NesikaChad]

Yep. Just make sure your surfaces are nice and clean/oil free. Your challenge will be to get enough even heat over the entire area without overheating it. I use a rod with orange flux. Don't recall the name or percentages as its stuff we use here on the bikes too. Works GREAT. I'm sure a welding supply vendor will know.

you can also TIG IT if your really paranoid. This is what I do to the tactical rifles I build.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I always wondered about this. Why I dont see it more?

Jon

 

[Chas1]

Chad, I have no idea but, if it works great, are there alot of folks that use it? I'm under the impression that alot of folks screw their bases down. Any thoughts on which you prefer?

 

[rsilvers]

Nesika actions have 6 8-40 screws and two dowel pins.

Rem actions have 4 screws - either 6-48 or 8-40 (M24 and a few others).

Does blueing or phosphate have to be sanded off? I suppose so - I sand before I solder copper pipes.

 

[NesikaChad]

Nesika target and sporter actions have (4) 8-40 screws and no dowel pins.

Nesika tactical actions have 6 8-40 screws and two dowel pins.

Not trying to pee in your soup, but there's a difference.

cheers,

C

 

[NesikaChad]

I would speculate you don't see it often because we've all had it beaten into our heads that if anything hot gets near an action it ruins it.

True, if you turn it into a 3 mile island cooling rod your probably going to draw out some of the hardness.

Sights are soldered onto barrels every day with no ill effects. Just don't go bezerk with the torch and you should be fine. Understand also that if you get a torch anywhere near a blued/coated finish it will ruin it and have to be done all over. In this case you shouldn't care because you'd have to get all the parts to bare metal anyway.

Make a heat sink. Turn a big ol fatty chunk of brass so that it slips down the receiver bore and screws into the action at the same time. leave a portion sticking out past the action as well. Just be very careful with the heat up in the receiver ring. Just hot enough to get the solder to flow. Use a solder with a low melting point. If you combine this with screws it's not going to move unless you habitually toss rifles from 10 story windows.

Another trick. When you mount your scope, if its a boomer magnum, use a dab of coarse lapping compound where the ring/scope meets. It'll bit the tube and the ring when clamped and it's not going anywhere. Best part is there's no epoxy mess to deal with if you ever pull the scope off for something else. Just wipe it and go on with life.

Good luck.

C

 

[Chas1]

Chad, your idea of using a dab of coarse lapping compound where the ring/scope meets. It'll bit the tube and the ring when clamped and it's not going anywhere.

As soon as I read that I had a thought immediatly fly through my head...Why do you suppose someone hasn't comeup with a keyway or some sort of indexing that the scope and rings line up and once tightened doesn't ever budge?

 

[NesikaChad]

If all scopes, rings, actions, eye reliefs, humans, and guns were identical then sure.

Change just one of these and it all goes to chit.

 

[rsilvers]

400 degree solder is 400 degrees F. It cannot hurt an action. I would not be too excited about using 1200 degree F silver braze on a custom action.

I ordered some and will try it out.

 

[mapsjanhere]

key slot? I'd be happy with a simple white centerline marker on the bottom to help with lining up.

 

[NesikaChad]

Jan,

I'm with you!

Here's my "trick."

I'll level the action across the scope rail. I have a brass plumb bob that I hang off a motorcycle handle bar at the far end of the shop. I'll then fiddle with the scope till the vertical wire on the reticle marry's up with the plumb string.

Not real scientific, is still a pain in the butt, but it does take much of the guess work out. MUCH easier to hold the gun level now that I bought a couple of these Berry's Manufacturing gun cradles. Just beware of the stupid sticky back velcro that doesn't stick so well.