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Guestimates on cost for rail mount/scope install

FSbyTheC

FSbyTheC

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Ya i know, i should do it myself. Got that out of the way.. But anything involving pin removal is a 50/50 i will a) ruin it, b) stroke out, c) both.

M1A Standard Walnut. Springfield rail mount. Vortex 30mm rings / scope.

How much we think for labor? All parts new and in hand.

And yes, again, i know i'm a pathetic loser etc 😝 Thanks!
 
No shame in not wanting to screw things up.. Hell, if I would have done it I wouldnt have scope ring marks on my S&B because the bolts werent torqued prooerly.

Shouldnt be any amount over $25, so my guess is $75 :)

Budget $100, should have at least half left over for ammo.
 
I'm in the same boat. I just bought a PRS rifle and this will be my first time mounting a scope. I bought this tool to assist. It's not cheap but I imagine I'll need to mount a scope or two in the future, and I prefer to do things myself whenever possible.
 
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I have a scope lapping setup for both inch and 30mm with my gun stuff. Very simple to do. For mounting, you'll also want that torque wrench and bits mentioned above, mine can use the ones from my gun smith screwdriver set if needed and a good gun vice.

As it's a scope mounting thread, I thought I'd throw this one out as it's pretty nifty if you're into mounting scopes for yourself and buddies to get the vertical level without bubble levels. It has it's limits as to what you can use it on but just treat it as another tool in the box to make things simpler.

Arisaka
You do want the combo set if you get one.
Video but there's a bunch of others
 
If you want to mount properly and precisely, you need quality tools or pay someone to do it.
 
FSbyTheC said:
Ya i know, i should do it myself. Got that out of the way.. But anything involving pin removal is a 50/50 i will a) ruin it, b) stroke out, c) both.

M1A Standard Walnut. Springfield rail mount. Vortex 30mm rings / scope.

How much we think for labor? All parts new and in hand.

And yes, again, i know i'm a pathetic loser etc 😝 Thanks!
Click to expand...
Seriously I encourage you to give it a try yourself. It's not a difficult task, and a great learning experience. Don't know where your located, but i'd be happy to show you how. I have a the M1A loaded , and I ocassionally shoot 600 yds with the Bassett mount and an old skool' Redfield 3x9 . It was a bit of a challenge to obtain my correct line of sight but I have it working very well.
 
Matt_SERE said:
Let us not forget it also protects your scope body from badly aligned rings.

That first step with these could be what tells you if you need to lap.

View attachment 641759
Click to expand...
in a practical reality with any $50+ rings - and some even chinese rings in $30 range this is never needed nor provides any benefit at all.
if one simply get steiner products and sticks to them - the scope mount is a no big deal whatsoever.
but lapping rings like it is a barrel - well, to each his own.
 
I dont skinflint on guns ... but $400+ for rings?

GTFO ... did they send a robot on a multi year mission to an asteroid to mine the materials for the ring?

Were they forged and quenched using the blood of virgins?

Did the pope bless them?
 
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paul73 said:
heh?
it is 200-100. a $109 right now. it depends. but it is worth it.
Amazon product ASIN B01BE83FX0View: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BE83FX0


or skinflinting - those $54 are also just fine.
Amazon product ASIN B08SSCPNP4View: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SSCPNP4


the chinesium UTG may or may not work out. usually are fine for lesser things like ARs etc.
Click to expand...
I forgot to add the acreenshot earlier.
First link I saw:

(I must have clicked the one site with retarded prices, all other sites the most expensive I see is $299, followed by $199)

Screenshot_20220725-114619_Chrome.jpg
 
Broccoli Iglesias said:
I forgot to add the acreenshot earlier.
First link I saw:

View attachment 642210
Click to expand...
an interesting thing, dunno if i ever saw it at this price level.
usually a $70-$100 for good rings is a reasonable enough thing to do, if you intend to have your finer optics sitting there properly and rings to be properly machined.
steiner, vortex, athlon, arken - most brands make them OK. a chinesium is a chinesium, nothing is guaranteed. UTG, still, i think i had only one mount i had to return, it was obvious right away it was not aligning properly on the scope.

most cheaper UTGs are just shameless carbon copies of the Aero ultralight mounts.
 
Broccoli Iglesias said:
I forgot to add the acreenshot earlier.
First link I saw:

(I must have clicked the one site with retarded prices, all other sites the most expensive I see is $299, followed by $199)

View attachment 642210
Click to expand...
What is their target customer demographic? Who on earth is both smooth brained enough and rich enough to drop half a grand on rings? HA III aluminum is the same shit anywhere you get it. UTG airsoft rings, or even Leupold rings you can find for $20 off Amazon. Get a little bottle of blue locktite and you're gtg.
 
G4Y4HK said:
What is their target customer demographic? Who on earth is both smooth brained enough and rich enough to drop half a grand on rings? HA III aluminum is the same shit anywhere you get it. UTG airsoft rings, or even Leupold rings you can find for $20 off Amazon. Get a little bottle of blue locktite and you're gtg.
Click to expand...
I can't find the link now, so not sure what I clicked, but that was the price. Someone must pay that.

Anyway, the Amazon prices are more reasonable and if people say the rings are good, I would get them.
 
G4Y4HK said:
both smooth brained enough and rich enough to drop half a grand on rings
Click to expand...
those who buy a $12k scopes? there is no upper limit to shit like that.

$12,000 Scope Among Hendsoldt Optics Line from Carl Zeiss « Daily Bulletin

We first ran this video a couple years back, but now that Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has taken over North American distribution of the super-premium Hensoldt line of optics, we thought our readers might enjoy another look at the remarkable Hensoldt 6-24x72mm SAM sc...
bulletin.accurateshooter.com bulletin.accurateshooter.com

at certain level any object looses its utilitarian purpose and becomes a status symbol, that`s all.

that is why i am in no shame saying my $500 arken ep5 is much better than somebodys nightforce. :)

PS. steiner still makes very good rings and at a $100 level it is worth it.
 
FSbyTheC said:
Ya i know, i should do it myself. Got that out of the way.. But anything involving pin removal is a 50/50 i will a) ruin it, b) stroke out, c) both.

M1A Standard Walnut. Springfield rail mount. Vortex 30mm rings / scope.

How much we think for labor? All parts new and in hand.

And yes, again, i know i'm a pathetic loser etc 😝 Thanks!
Click to expand...
I just installed one on my M1A I was also nervous …but it worked out very easy order or get the correct size punch for the pin my suggestion is to drive it out from the bottom to the top the video shows top to bottom don’t do it that way you need to buy the correct punch. TEKTON 3/32 in. Pin Punch 66052
home depot or Amazon I then bought. Bore sight for 9 bucks got me close.
just take your time
 
FSbyTheC said:
Ya i know, i should do it myself.
Click to expand...
do not overthink it.

1) open front door
2) put rifle on any table pointed through the open door at anything known to be decently horizontal in the view - like the house wall or vertical as a light post.
3) put level on the rail making sure rail is horizontal, put rings on the rail and tighten them while pushing rings forward.
4) put scope on the rings, ideally keeping level on the rail making sure it is still horizontal, look through the scope at anything of the reference to make sure reticle is aligned with vertical or horizontal object. while looking hand tight the rings bolts gradually, one side then other making sure scope remains aligned with the object.
5) torque it to the suggested force, 12-15 ft/lb.

if you do this process at least once you will never think to pay for that shit to anyone else.
just remember that the level on the top of the turret cap is not a necessary guarantee for the actual reticle to be where it needs to be - especially for lower grade vortexes etc.

PS. lower priced vortex rings are trash, btw. medium level priced ones are ok-ish, but no better than UTG or monstrums in $30-$50 level and probably made by same chinese folks at same factories. with cheap rings once you placed scope on the rings - rotate it to feel if it gets proper contact - it is not difficult to see if it is misaligned or sits on edges. and it is unusual for a severe misalignment to be there. a minor one does not matter. again - it is why a good rail matters. also why a good quality upper matters, for ARs. etc.
 
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