1) Can I mount my own scope?
2) Should I mount my own scope?
3) How do I mount my own scope?
4) Will I regret mounting my own scope?

Can someone please tell me if I should do this and, if so, please give me some pointers?

Thanks

I am considering mounting an IOR 16x42 30mm tube in a Larue SPR mount......

Quoted: 1) Can I mount my own scope? 2) Should I mount my own scope? 3) How do I mount my own scope? 4) Will I regret mounting my own scope? Can someone please tell me if I should do this and, if so, please give me some pointers? Thanks I am considering mounting an IOR 16x42 30mm tube in a Larue SPR mount......

1) yes
2) yes
3) set on rail or carry handle, tighten screws
4) no, but you might regret this post

Seriously, could you really screw this up?

Let me get the fire extinguisher, I think I'm getting ready to get flamed......

I wasn't sure if you could overtighten the screws. Is there an order to tighten them in (i.e. like mounting a tire)? Is there a scope specific section on the tube for the ring placement (the round part....I can hear it now)?

I might be a pu$$y for asking but I would hate to loose $800 with an 18/37ths of a fuk'n turn of a screw.

Thanks in advance......

20" RRA Varmit.......got a good deal on the scope from another member....

Gidds,

Scope mounting is no problem at all, assuming that you have the allen wrenches or proper screw drivers.

I would heartily suggest that you do this operation, as a 16 power scope is probably gonna be pretty picky about eye position, and you will want to get this correct.  A day on a prairie dog town with a scope poorly mounted will turn into a very long day.

First, you will want to mount your base/rings on the flat top with the top of the rings off.  I have no experience with the Larue, so bear with me on this one, although it should go similarly.  With the lower portion on the gun, set the scope in the base to check for clearance of rear irons if you have them.  If they are clear, then what you want to do is set the eye relief, roughly.  This is simply laying the scope in the open rings to make sure that the turrets will clear the rings, and you have the eye relief that you want.  Once you have checked the eye relief, and are sure that everything will work, remove the scope.  Wipe all of the surfaces with a solvent to remove any grease or gunk.  Set the scope back in the lower base, and add the top halves.  Start all of the screws, and tighten until you can still move the scope, but it is not excessively loose.

Now the "hard" part, getting it level/plumb.  The trick is to get the flat top level, and the cross hairs plumb to the horizon.  A vise can work, or a bipod, anything that can hold the gun steady.  A string line hanging from the cieling, or the corner of a wall or a reticle leveler can all work to get the crosshairs plumb.

Now you can tighten the screws.  Generally, I like to tighten them all evenly, keeping the ring gap about even on both sides.  It is very important to have the proper allen wrench or screwdriver tip for slotted screws. Just go slow.  I like to say use the universal torque setting, one quarter turn before they strip, but you may not find that funny, while doing it. You do not have to go crazy with the torque, as the 223 is not hard on scopes, even big 16x scopes.  You can distort a scope tube with high quaility rings and excessive force.  A lot of folks like to use loctite on the screws, and I do as well.  I would just suggest that you not loctite them until you have fired the gun enough to know that it is good to go.  You can always do this later, by just loctiting one screw at a time, one ring at a time.  And, never red loctite, unless you want to have to heat things up, and a "little dab will do ya" .

An easy check on the fit after shooting is to mark or record the gap distance between the front or back of a ring, and a point on the scope, like the turret base, or the line where the front or back of the scope bell, before you shoot it.  If the scope shifts, it will move forward in the rings (as the gun shifts to the rear from recoil).

You should have no problems doing this if you are only a little handy.  For the price of taking it to a gunsmith, you can probably buy the reticle leveler device, which is pretty cheap.  You did not say whether or not this was your first scope, but I will throw this out.  It is pretty easy to get things on paper by doing the poor mans laser bore sighting.  At the range open the action on the gun so that you can see down the barrel.  hold the gun very steady (perhaps a bipod and sandbag), and rest the gun so that you can see down your barrel to the target.  carefully raise your head up to the scope, and check where the cross hairs are at.  Make adjustments, and you should be pretty close to being on paper for a standard size target.

Good luck,

Craig

Craig,

Thanks for helping me out.....

Take it easy.

BG

Quoted: A lot of folks like to use loctite on the screws, and I do as well. <snip> And, never red loctite, unless you want to have to heat things up, and a "little dab will do ya" .

hence, Loctite BLUE is the way to go.

all the info on the pics below is here:
ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=12&t=231558

aside:
note that i trued up my larue mount using a 30mm scope lapping bar.  i know someone is going to chime in and say "LaRue mounts are the shiznit and don't need no lapping" but i am here to tell you that you will see where the high spots are -- especially where the threaded bushings are pressed into the top of the C section clamps.  in those areas the aluminum is deformed somewhat by the manufacturing operation and this is instantly evident after just a few passes with the lapping bar.

i'm not saying you have to lap the Larue mounts; they come pretty good from the factory.  

lots of good thinking in the post above.  one other helpful hint.  make sure you tighten the screws enough.  i know you don't want to bork up your scope; however, if you don't clamp sufficiently, the scope will move when you shoot.  it will travel forward (in line with the barrel axis), scratching or otherwise scaring up the scope tube.  BTDT before.  so get it "gutentight" as the germans say.  this must be done carefully at the range while you are adjusting eye relief.  for this reason i suggest you take your new scope to the range when you have an entire day to kill and without anyone else with you.  the last thing you need is some buddy egging you on, "c'mon ace, when you going to hit the 600yd gong with that thing?" -- this will lead to stupidity on your part and possible damage from under or over tightening of the rings.   take your time and get it dialed in right.  every time you go to the range with a undoped scope you are just wasting time and ammo.   do it right the first time and understand what you are doing.  loctite blue is not permanent, it just keeps a good hold on the fastener.  so don't fret if you get it doped and then you find that the relief is too long etc.  take your time.  the one thing i will suggest is making a pencil line (god forbid) alignment mark someplace where the scope barrel meets the mount; this will assist you in keeping the reticle level when adjusting eye relief.  otherwise, ESPECIALLY with target scopes with big knobs, as soon as you loosen the Larue mount screws the scope is going to want to "fall over" (i.e. rotate in the mount).  hence the need for an alignment mark.  you can easily rub the pencil mark off when you are done with alignment.

ar-jedi

Well you can but, the simple fact that you had to ask means you probably can't do it right.

This is not rocket science.

Quoted: Well you can but, the simple fact that you had to ask means you probably can't do it right. This is not rocket science.

i must be missing something here.

you were born all-knowing about firearms in general, and mounting scopes to flat-top AR receivers specifically?  you popped right out of your mama knowing how to select, lap, level, mount, and dope a precision scope -- hence the first time you mounted an expensive tactical optic you thought nothing of the process, as if you were simply turning a doorknob or squeezing a toothpaste tube?

fascinating.

ar-jedi