Posted: 12/24/2025 6:43:13 PM EDT
| Do you put a layer of electrical tape on your rings before you install them? I've seen this done before and probably 50% of my scopes are mounted this way. I will say it prevents marring the scope tube. |
Do epic shit.
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No. And I don’t read the flipping manual on my new torque driver. Attached File It is now properly torqued and won’t move. No tape. |
If life was easy nobody would quit.
| I think I remember some rings coming with tape or paper for that purpose. Nobody I know uses it. With good rings and proper torque you shouldn't have an issue. |
BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
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Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: I think I remember some rings coming with tape or paper for that purpose. Nobody I know uses it. With good rings and proper torque you shouldn't have an issue. Leopuld used to toss in some black paper with sticky back on one side for their rings. That was a long time ago. |
If life was easy nobody would quit.
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I know way too much about scope mounts. Ask away. The gist is this- Ideally, you need nothing beyond the optic and rings. In reality, it gets complicated by tolerances, surface finish, recoil, rust, vibration frequency (air guns vibrate forward), oils, and on and on. If we are talking about mounting a tube optic using traditional rings, here is how I generally do it- Buy Burris Signature bases and rings with their posi-align polymer inserts. https://www.burrisoptics.com/mounting-systems/signature-rings You can get them in Weaver, Traditional Dovetail, and some Pic Rail setups. They solve 75% of issues with the various thickness plastic inserts as no metal is touching the scope tube and you can torque to a higher spec without tube damage. I’ve never seen one slip, even on African hunting rifles with recoil that detaches retinas. If you don’t use those and buy regular rings from Leupold or whoever, you need to align and lap them. This kit is best.https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009245523?pid=816462 Align first, using the pointed tips. Then, lap until the bottom ring is about 50% silver. You will see when it’s flattening out. Clean fully with alcohol wipes including threaded holes and screws. Install scope, level, get eye relief. Loctite screws, tighten evenly so ring gap is even on all sides. I count turns and do both for 2 turns, then alternate. Go shoot…if there’s a problem, take apart and adjust. It’s a pain, but it’s solid. |
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Originally Posted By DVCER: Leopuld used to toss in some black paper with sticky back on one side for their rings. That was a long time ago. Originally Posted By DVCER: Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: I think I remember some rings coming with tape or paper for that purpose. Nobody I know uses it. With good rings and proper torque you shouldn't have an issue. Leopuld used to toss in some black paper with sticky back on one side for their rings. That was a long time ago. Sounds right. I was going to guess Burris or Leupold. It's been forever. I'm not super old but a few of the gun stores I was around were 
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BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
|
Originally Posted By DVCER: No. And I don’t read the flipping manual on my new torque driver. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/857/IMG_0535_jpeg-3681510.JPG It is now properly torqued and won’t move. No tape. OMG! Your tube is marred! |
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Originally Posted By dogrobber13: OMG! Your tube is marred! Originally Posted By dogrobber13: Originally Posted By DVCER: No. And I don’t read the flipping manual on my new torque driver. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/857/IMG_0535_jpeg-3681510.JPG It is now properly torqued and won’t move. No tape. OMG! Your tube is marred! Nobody who shoots a lot cares about that, but ring spacing is a thing. I won't mount a ring up against the turrets, and more is better when it comes to spacing. |
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Originally Posted By PortaJohnPicasso: Nobody who shoots a lot cares about that, but ring spacing is a thing. I won't mount a ring up against the turrets, and more is better when it comes to spacing. Definitely didn’t want it on the turrets, it ended up there lol. Attached File RTFM. This is 25 in/lb for the rail value. Not the bottom of the white, which was my first attempt at 20 in/lb for the rings. Oddly this is my first in/lb driver. Never used one before, always trusting my innate sense of touch and never saw an issue. Attached File |
If life was easy nobody would quit.
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Originally Posted By FedDC: I know way too much about scope mounts. Ask away. The gist is this- Ideally, you need nothing beyond the optic and rings. In reality, it gets complicated by tolerances, surface finish, recoil, rust, vibration frequency (air guns vibrate forward), oils, and on and on. If we are talking about mounting a tube optic using traditional rings, here is how I generally do it- Buy Burris Signature bases and rings with their posi-align polymer inserts. https://www.burrisoptics.com/mounting-systems/signature-rings You can get them in Weaver, Traditional Dovetail, and some Pic Rail setups. They solve 75% of issues with the various thickness plastic inserts as no metal is touching the scope tube and you can torque to a higher spec without tube damage. I’ve never seen one slip, even on African hunting rifles with recoil that detaches retinas. If you don’t use those and buy regular rings from Leupold or whoever, you need to align and lap them. This kit is best.https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009245523?pid=816462 Align first, using the pointed tips. Then, lap until the bottom ring is about 50% silver. You will see when it’s flattening out. Clean fully with alcohol wipes including threaded holes and screws. Install scope, level, get eye relief. Loctite screws, tighten evenly so ring gap is even on all sides. I count turns and do both for 2 turns, then alternate. Go shoot…if there’s a problem, take apart and adjust. It’s a pain, but it’s solid. There’s no need to lap modern rings/mounts. I’ve never done it across probably at least a dozen different sets and never had an issue. |
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Originally Posted By User55645: I've never heard this in my life. The entire point of lapping rings is to get a perfect fit. Now we're putting electrical tape in between that precision? Doesn't make sense. A very 1970’s thing to do. In short order heat or oil/solvent will cause the tape goo to lose grip and the scope will slide little by little. It’s just a problem sooner or later. |
The only hyphenated names I like are cartridge names......30-06, 30-40, 38-55 etc.
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Originally Posted By bluedog82: There’s no need to lap modern rings/mounts. I’ve never done it across probably at least a dozen different sets and never had an issue. Originally Posted By bluedog82: Originally Posted By FedDC: I know way too much about scope mounts. Ask away. The gist is this- Ideally, you need nothing beyond the optic and rings. In reality, it gets complicated by tolerances, surface finish, recoil, rust, vibration frequency (air guns vibrate forward), oils, and on and on. If we are talking about mounting a tube optic using traditional rings, here is how I generally do it- Buy Burris Signature bases and rings with their posi-align polymer inserts. https://www.burrisoptics.com/mounting-systems/signature-rings You can get them in Weaver, Traditional Dovetail, and some Pic Rail setups. They solve 75% of issues with the various thickness plastic inserts as no metal is touching the scope tube and you can torque to a higher spec without tube damage. I’ve never seen one slip, even on African hunting rifles with recoil that detaches retinas. If you don’t use those and buy regular rings from Leupold or whoever, you need to align and lap them. This kit is best.https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009245523?pid=816462 Align first, using the pointed tips. Then, lap until the bottom ring is about 50% silver. You will see when it’s flattening out. Clean fully with alcohol wipes including threaded holes and screws. Install scope, level, get eye relief. Loctite screws, tighten evenly so ring gap is even on all sides. I count turns and do both for 2 turns, then alternate. Go shoot…if there’s a problem, take apart and adjust. It’s a pain, but it’s solid. There’s no need to lap modern rings/mounts. I’ve never done it across probably at least a dozen different sets and never had an issue. Lap a set and see how imprecise they are. You can watch the high spots turn silver. It’s not just rings…it’s bases, receiver, and rings… |
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Originally Posted By triode: Did this as a kid for cheap scopes/ rings. Same. I had either slightly oversized rings or a slightly undersized tube: Wouldn’t tighten 100%. It was close, but enough that if you bumped to scope it would move a fraction so I put a single piece of tape on both ring bases. That was probably 30 years ago and the tape is still there. I haven’t fired that rifle in more than 20 though so I should probably see if the scope is still tight. Rifle is an Interarms Mini Mark in .223 and I think the rings came with it… |
“That’s not how it works. You buy more tools and power than you need and as you fuck everything up you gain the knowledge to become a better carpenter.”
Tveddy
Tveddy
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Originally Posted By MSC182: If your rings or mount need anything other than to be taken out of the box and installed you need to rethink your equipment choices. No quality rings or mounts need lapping or rosin or tape. I’ve probably installed 20-30 scopes over the last few years, mostly on hunting rifles like a 700 or similar bolt action rifle. Primarily dovetail type rings from Leupold, Burris, Talley, and a few picatinny rings from Nightforce. I lapped all of them and you could clearly see uneven contact with the lapping bar via surface finish during lapping. Had I not, that clamping force would have been unevenly distributed to the tube. It’s not the rings. It’s tolerance stacking from the receiver, base, and rings combined. |
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Originally Posted By MSC182: If your rings or mount need anything other than to be taken out of the box and installed you need to rethink your equipment choices. No quality rings or mounts need lapping or rosin or tape. Exactly. I have a lapping kit and used to do it to cheap rings back in the day. No way in the world I would lap my area 419 rings, etc. |
