Loose scope base

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Sauer_Kraut

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Base is loose after 100 ish rounds. Only held on by a screw and some residual gunk. I have included a video which shows the movement. Anyone want to take a crack at this? I'd prefer to keep it local on Vancouver island, but I will ship.

https://youtu.be/gKgag9N40wQ
 
^^ clean screw hole/threads thoroughly, maybe using acetone (nail polish remover). Then use Loctite or such. I've had 'NIB' rifles come with oily mount screws that come off soon, too.
 
Take the scope off, loctite in new base screws and torque to specs. Thats all there is to it!

Unless a screw actually broke off...
 
One screw certainly is not enough. I would suggest cleaning the all threads well and a bit of blue Loctite on both screws and good and snug... let sit a couple of hours.

If you do solder it, soft solder only - not silver solder which requires too much heat on the action and will f uk it up.

Loose screws and recoil almost guarantee a broken screw... tight screws usually stand up to recoil.
 
jamesharrison said:
high mount, heavy scope.

That mount likely would have likely originally been silver-soldered or mounted via a dovetail cut into the front receiver ring.
Click to expand...

They originally were silver soldered. I wanted that from the start, but a lower heat adherence was suggested. It didn't hold up to 8mm mauser.

guntech said:
One screw certainly is not enough. I would suggest cleaning the all threads well and a bit of blue Loctite on both screws and good and snug... let sit a couple of hours.

If you do solder it, soft solder only - not silver solder which requires too much heat on the action and will f uk it up.

Loose screws and recoil almost guarantee a broken screw... tight screws usually stand up to recoil.
Click to expand...

These are not your average weaver screws. Thin little guys, with the main strength coming from the whatever is between the base and receiver. This style of mount was originally silver soldered.
 
Sauer_Kraut said:
They originally were silver soldered. I wanted that from the start, but a lower heat adherence was suggested. It didn't hold up to 8mm mauser.



These are not your average weaver screws. Thin little guys, with the main strength coming from the whatever is between the base and receiver. This style of mount was originally silver soldered.
Click to expand...

Well, there are holes holes in the receiver now. Maybe consider drilling and tapping the existing holes fitted for a better, bigger screw?

Soldering may fill the holes if fit tolerances between receiver and base are out.
 
Sauer_Kraut said:
They originally were silver soldered. I wanted that from the start, but a lower heat adherence was suggested. It didn't hold up to 8mm mauser.
Click to expand...

If they were silver soldered, how did they break loose? It was a poor soft solder job if that broke loose under recoil.
 
riversrest said:
Well, there are holes holes in the receiver now. Maybe consider drilling and tapping the existing holes fitted for a better, bigger screw?

Soldering may fill the holes if fit tolerances between receiver and base are out.
Click to expand...

I'd caution against removing material. Plus the bases themselves are not designed for bigger screws.
 
oldrodder said:
Too much heat generated by the GTAW (TIG) process. Requires melting of both base metal and the scope base.
Click to expand...

Silver solder requires red hot heat and some were done that way... I have seen bolt actions that had a silver soldered base on the front ring that ended up being too soft for the locking lug recesses... the locking lugs set back on recoil... basically the action was ruined.

I believe short bursts of MIG and waiting imparts the least heat.
 
I was talking with someone from the states who is familiar with this setup. I stand corrected as silver solder in a nomenclature, solder from back in the day was called that because of it colour, but it was still low heat. Anyways, the smith said he use 50/50, 300 Degree solder. All I have to do now is buy another screw and find someone who can apply solder correctly.
 
Sauer Kraut - maybe look up Brownell's Force 44 solder - is "silver bearing" - so like an alloy - eutectic - so is quite low melting point - similar to lead/tin solder - is NOT silver braze. But alleged to have much stronger shear resistance than common lead/tin solder. The real "bug in the bed" for me in Manitoba was that Brownell's would not or could not mail the specific flux for that solder to me. I found equivalent on Amazon.ca here in Canada - was mailed to me, apparently without issue, then - the silver bearing solder is brand name "Harris Stay-Brite" SB31 silver bearing solder and the specific flux for it is brand "Harris Stay-Clean" - relabeled with a sticker as "Lenco SCPF4" - has been a few years, but I think that solder was 3% or 4% silver.
 
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