Can I borrow a scope lapping tool?

[RVTECH]

Just saying that properly lapping your rings is not a skill set most people have without the proper training.

I agree but lapping scope rings does not require any specific 'training' - it's pretty basic and anyone with metalworking skills will understand the concept.
Heck making my own tool will take more time than it will to lap the rings!

 

[Member 5605]

Now that we are back on topic:

I have one you can use. I'm 4 miles north of Corvallis off Granger.

@Baseacegoku

If you'd like I can run over there myself, I've been wanting to see him for a while anyway (or I'll travel with). Need to ask him a couple Q's.

 

[osprey]

Are you mounting this on a pic rail or using the factory Ruger rings set up?
I doubt you would see any accuracy gains on your PCC by lapping your rings, but you could make the situation worse quite easily.



Absolutely more than just a casual shooter here for sure. Shoot in long range matches every month where precision is a must. Shooting out to a mile and then dialing back down to engage targets at 200, 600, and 1000 yards requires good if not the best equipment available. No Cabela's knucklehead touches any of my rifles or optics!

Just saying that properly lapping your rings is not a skill set most people have without the proper training. More harm than good can come from trying to do this at your kitchen table because you got a deal on a scope lapping kit on Amazon.

With today's manufacturing tolerances being as tight as they are, if you need to lap your rings, then some part of the mounting system may be out of specification and need to be replaced.

If lapping your rings works for you and gives you confidence in your system, then excellent, job well done! I certainly do not advocate this practice for everyone!

I don't think lapping rings rings is beyond the scope of most on the forum. See what I did there, lol . All that is needed is patience and the ability to follow directions. The idea is to take out the high spots until close to 100% contact area of the rings is utilized and correcting any slight misalignment along the way. One could go overboard but it would take some real effort and time to ruin rings to where the did not hold the scope properly. Maybe next time I lap a set of rings I will do a little pic tutorial for anybody apprehensive about the task.

 

[RVTECH]

Are you mounting this on a pic rail or using the factory Ruger rings set up?

I don't know what you mean by 'factory Ruger rings' as it did not come with rings but yes I am mounting standard rings on the Pic rail that is machined on the receiver.
I do not expect 'match grade' accuracy out of my PCC but with a scope I should at a minimum get the same results (or a little better) than I do with the stock sights and I am 'close' to 1" at 50 yards with them.
After three scopes and two sets of rings tried with essentially the same results (like 6" groups at 50 yards)
I am stymied by this and am racking my brain trying to figure out what the reason for it is and lapping the rings is just another 'grasp at straws' with it.
I am HOPING it is NOT an issue with the takedown aspect of it.
I cannot imagine it is as the barrel locks up incredibly tight with no movement so I am foregoing this for now.
I am going to give this one more try after lapping the rings and if nothing changes then it gets cleaned, put back in the box and goes up for sale and the money will go to something much more practical such as an 1873 Winchester - and I won't have to worry about scoping it!

 

[osprey]

I don't know what you mean by 'factory Ruger rings' as it did not come with rings but yes I am mounting standard rings on the Pic rail that is machined on the receiver.
I do not expect 'match grade' accuracy out of my PCC but with a scope I should at a minimum get the same results (or a little better) than I do with the stock sights and I am 'close' to 1" at 50 yards with them.
After three scopes and two sets of rings tried with essentially the same results (like 6" groups at 50 yards)
I am stymied by this and am racking my brain trying to figure out what the reason for it is and lapping the rings is just another 'grasp at straws' with it.
I am HOPING it is NOT an issue with the takedown aspect of it.
I cannot imagine it is as the barrel locks up incredibly tight with no movement so I am foregoing this for now.
I am going to give this one more try after lapping the rings and if nothing changes then it gets cleaned, put back in the box and goes up for sale and the money will go to something much more practical such as an 1873 Winchester - and I won't have to worry about scoping it!

Placing the alignment bars that come with the lapping kit in the rings will tell the tale if your rings are misaligned. I have come across a couple of really bad cases that could not be lapped in and new rings were in order. It would be fairly rare for picatinny style rings to be badly misaligned but anything is possible. I did have a rws pellet gun that was very accurate with irons but very inconsistent with a scope no matter what I did. In the end I determined it was the inconsistent lockup of the break action. The irons were both mounted on the barrel section, so they were not affected.

 

[RVTECH]

It would be fairly rare for picatinny style rings to be badly misaligned but anything is possible.

I agree - and IF rings were this misaligned it wouldn't take the alignment bars to see it as it would most likely be noticed by the scope itself not aligning with the rings, the top rings not screwing down smoothly - my point being some resistance would be encountered.
Typically when I mount a scope I start by making sure it nests in the rings evenly and then I gently slide it fore and aft to make sure it slides smoothly and 'seems' aligned.
Then I put the top rings on and this is where I have noticed problem on some as I have experienced top rings that have required a light 'push' to get them to set down on the scope tube.
It wasn't enough cause any problems but lapping would certainly eliminate this.

 

[Member 5605]

Placing the alignment bars that come with the lapping kit in the rings will tell the tale if your rings are misaligned. I have come across a couple of really bad cases that could not be lapped in and new rings were in order. It would be fairly rare for picatinny style rings to be badly misaligned but anything is possible. I did have a rws pellet gun that was very accurate with irons but very inconsistent with a scope no matter what I did. In the end I determined it was the inconsistent lockup of the break action. The irons were both mounted on the barrel section, so they were not affected.

View attachment 613415

I think the alignment bars would be my favorite part about the whole kit. Not that I'd just get the alignment spikes... Sometimes though, you gotta know if those Leupold twist locks are aligned.

 

[DirectDrive]

I recently lapped some Vortex AR rings.
They are pretty crappy rings....the lapping process told the tale.

I did it so I wouldn't mark up my scope barrel.

 

[Greenbug]

@RVTECH
My guess is your Ruger PCC has the front and rear iron sights mounted on the barrel correct?

So when you mount a scope up on your receiver your groups are not as consistent as when you use your barrel mounted iron sights, correct?

If the above two statements are correct, I would suspect that the take down barrel is shifting slightly between shots and cycling and is affecting your receiver mounted optic's zero. (Can't hold zero if your barrel is pointed in a different direction every shot.) Lapping the rings will do nothing to keep the barrel from shifting around.

I'd say shoot the iron sights if you like the PCC, if you are not that attached to it, then get the 1873 Winchester instead!

 

[RVTECH]

If the above two statements are correct, I would suspect that the take down barrel is shifting slightly between shots and cycling and is affecting your receiver mounted optic's zero.

Yes on both.

I really didn't think the barrel would shift as it locks up incredibly tight but this is a possibility.
If you have an opportunity to look at one take a look at the barrel lock system and tell me if you think it can shift.

 

[Greenbug]

Yes on both.

I really didn't think the barrel would shift as it locks up incredibly tight but this is a possibility.
If you have an opportunity to look at one take a look at the barrel lock system and tell me if you think it can shift.

If you have tried multiple optics and mounting systems with poor grouping results, but the iron sights remain consistent, then this is the conclusion I would reach in your situation.

Is there an option to mount an optic on the barrel itself?

 

[Member 5605]

Is there an option to mount an optic on the barrel itself?

Yes. There is a rear mount adapter that's made but for red dots.

But this is drifting the thread from the original intent.

 

[Baseacegoku]

Maybe next time I lap a set of rings I will do a little pic tutorial for anybody apprehensive about the task.

I mean you could, but.........

 

[Baseacegoku]

Thank you everyone for your knowledgeable input into why and how to lap rings. I enjoyed reading it all.

I have one you can use. I'm 4 miles north of Corvallis off Granger. Ken 541-753-3536

Ken, Thank you for your offer. I will give you a call a little later this week if that's ok.