help with new scope mount

ramgto · 03-01-2008, 09:20 AM

I just received a new S&K scope mount for my Garand however when trying to install it It does net want go on very easy at all almost acts like it wants a little coaxing with a dead blow hammer to get it to slide all the way down in the groove is this common any advice from someone who has mounted one of these would be greatly appreciated thanks Mike

Stock Doc · 03-01-2008, 10:21 AM

Mike,
is it going into the sight base or on hand guard area? Remember allot of parts are cast so hammering them in may snap parts off. Rick B

ramgto · 03-01-2008, 12:40 PM

Rick it is mounting on the rear sight base

Stock Doc · 03-03-2008, 10:00 PM

You May want to carefully file away a little of the base if it will not slip in just to get it started. Try a light tap first.. Maybe some grease but I would not force it to much. It should be able to take some and it may be just to get the thing centered perfectly before pushing it in. Does it look like the mount is bigger? Rick

kygunsmith · 03-03-2008, 10:42 PM

As a gunsmith that processes several M1's per month, I agree w stockdoc,, just try and push it in by hand and you can usually tell if it needs file work or just gentle persuasion with a dead blow hammer. I keep a stock of fine files, and big hammers, for this purpose. Nothing as frustrating as having a sight, or base, wedge, and gall, about half way in!!!! It disturbs me to file at a fine M1's rear sight base to fit a scope base,though. Course, I do what I am told! I'd try to file on the BASE, first. Just a humble opinion. 2 times b-square bases = less than M1 Reeiver?? Be careful, but not afraid! Go ahead and trust your own judgement.

Stock Doc · 03-04-2008, 08:42 AM

There is also a way to heat one and freeze the other to get a tight fit but I am not sure of which. You may want to put the receiver in the freezer for a few hours then try to slip it in also. Just a thought and maybe someone will know better than me on this and chime in. Rick

Cyrano · 03-04-2008, 09:33 AM

You'd want to heat the rifle's rear sight base and freeze the scope base so you expand the area into which the scope base is going by a mil and contract the scope base by the same tiny fraction. If done correctly, in theory the two will lock into each other as they return to room temperature. I do not know what the temperatures involved in the expansion and contraction are, but I strongly suspect they aren't easily doable by the home gunsmith; that likely we are talking about heating up the rear sight base to at least 400 degrees F. and freezing the scope base down to minus 100 dgrees F. You could get the rear sight base up to that simply by parking the barreled receiver in your oven for an hour or so, but at the very least you'll need a small bucket of dry ice to freeze down the scope base for a hour to contract it. If you try it, do work with insulated gloves, and do tell us how well/badly it turns out.

MgMn48 · 03-04-2008, 04:27 PM

I would just file down the scope mount. Probably not a good idea to file the receiver or heat it up. You could screw with the temper of the metal if you heat it up. No room for oops on the actual gun. l was thinking about buying one of these mounts, so let us know how it goes and shoots later.

ramgto · 03-09-2008, 06:25 PM

Hello to all thank's for your reply's as they were most helpful I used just a dab of lithium grease and placed a folded up rag over the mount and gave it a couple of luv taps with a dead blow hammer and it slid into position giving the mount a nice tight fit thanks again.

M1D-Garand · 03-10-2008, 05:15 AM

But can you de-mount the mount after "tapping" it in like you did?
When the grease dries up it maybe become more like glue!?

Rob

kygunsmith · 03-14-2008, 05:58 PM

M1D, the base/sight fit will certainly be as tight going out as it did going in. The grease will not glue it in any meaningful way given the force needed to insert and remove (even best loctite won't resist this bludgeoning. I use a big (1X6inch) nylon punch followed by a similar size brass punch. My knuckles take a beating, sometimes, but they are tight when I get them in there. Sets of triangular files with dead sides can help fit the sight, or base, to the rifle, but you still want it to be tight.
Always use a nylon or as last resort brass punch, not the hammer itself! Hoppes and a toothbrush will remove all of the brass "tracks".

03-01-2008, 09:20 AM	#1
ramgto Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 10	help with new scope mount I just received a new S&K scope mount for my Garand however when trying to install it It does net want go on very easy at all almost acts like it wants a little coaxing with a dead blow hammer to get it to slide all the way down in the groove is this common any advice from someone who has mounted one of these would be greatly appreciated thanks Mike

03-01-2008, 10:21 AM	#2
Stock Doc Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North Middle Ohio I see water Posts: 844	Mike, is it going into the sight base or on hand guard area? Remember allot of parts are cast so hammering them in may snap parts off. Rick B __________________ If I cant fix it,, It must REALLY be broken!

03-03-2008, 10:00 PM	#4
Stock Doc Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North Middle Ohio I see water Posts: 844	You May want to carefully file away a little of the base if it will not slip in just to get it started. Try a light tap first.. Maybe some grease but I would not force it to much. It should be able to take some and it may be just to get the thing centered perfectly before pushing it in. Does it look like the mount is bigger? Rick __________________ If I cant fix it,, It must REALLY be broken!

03-04-2008, 08:42 AM	#6
Stock Doc Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North Middle Ohio I see water Posts: 844	There is also a way to heat one and freeze the other to get a tight fit but I am not sure of which. You may want to put the receiver in the freezer for a few hours then try to slip it in also. Just a thought and maybe someone will know better than me on this and chime in. Rick __________________ If I cant fix it,, It must REALLY be broken!

03-09-2008, 06:25 PM	#9
ramgto Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 10	thank's for your help Hello to all thank's for your reply's as they were most helpful I used just a dab of lithium grease and placed a folded up rag over the mount and gave it a couple of luv taps with a dead blow hammer and it slid into position giving the mount a nice tight fit thanks again.

03-01-2008, 12:40 PM	#3
ramgto Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 10	Rick it is mounting on the rear sight base

03-03-2008, 10:42 PM	#5
kygunsmith Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 146	As a gunsmith that processes several M1's per month, I agree w stockdoc,, just try and push it in by hand and you can usually tell if it needs file work or just gentle persuasion with a dead blow hammer. I keep a stock of fine files, and big hammers, for this purpose. Nothing as frustrating as having a sight, or base, wedge, and gall, about half way in!!!! It disturbs me to file at a fine M1's rear sight base to fit a scope base,though. Course, I do what I am told! I'd try to file on the BASE, first. Just a humble opinion. 2 times b-square bases = less than M1 Reeiver?? Be careful, but not afraid! Go ahead and trust your own judgement.

03-04-2008, 09:33 AM	#7
Cyrano Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New York Posts: 2,860	You'd want to heat the rifle's rear sight base and freeze the scope base so you expand the area into which the scope base is going by a mil and contract the scope base by the same tiny fraction. If done correctly, in theory the two will lock into each other as they return to room temperature. I do not know what the temperatures involved in the expansion and contraction are, but I strongly suspect they aren't easily doable by the home gunsmith; that likely we are talking about heating up the rear sight base to at least 400 degrees F. and freezing the scope base down to minus 100 dgrees F. You could get the rear sight base up to that simply by parking the barreled receiver in your oven for an hour or so, but at the very least you'll need a small bucket of dry ice to freeze down the scope base for a hour to contract it. If you try it, do work with insulated gloves, and do tell us how well/badly it turns out.

03-04-2008, 04:27 PM	#8
MgMn48 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 50	I would just file down the scope mount. Probably not a good idea to file the receiver or heat it up. You could screw with the temper of the metal if you heat it up. No room for oops on the actual gun. l was thinking about buying one of these mounts, so let us know how it goes and shoots later.

03-10-2008, 05:15 AM	#10
M1D-Garand Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Europe Posts: 383	But can you de-mount the mount after "tapping" it in like you did? When the grease dries up it maybe become more like glue!? Rob __________________ Time Will Not Dim The Glory Of Their Deeds Gen. John J. Pershing

03-14-2008, 05:58 PM	#11
kygunsmith Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 146	M1D, the base/sight fit will certainly be as tight going out as it did going in. The grease will not glue it in any meaningful way given the force needed to insert and remove (even best loctite won't resist this bludgeoning. I use a big (1X6inch) nylon punch followed by a similar size brass punch. My knuckles take a beating, sometimes, but they are tight when I get them in there. Sets of triangular files with dead sides can help fit the sight, or base, to the rifle, but you still want it to be tight. Always use a nylon or as last resort brass punch, not the hammer itself! Hoppes and a toothbrush will remove all of the brass "tracks". Last edited by kygunsmith; 03-14-2008 at 06:00 PM.