SADLAK or ARMS 18
- Thread starter jassoplau
- Start date
The cheaper one at Fab is aluminum, It'll work but I wouldn't recommend an aluminum mount, but hey that's just me. Aluminum distorts when you tighten things up and holds the distortion forever, not good if you move it from one gun to another. You find with this stuff, the temptation to go cheap is always there, and some of the stuff sold is ridiculously overly priced, but you don't want to go cheap on mounts or glass. Most of the problems people have with a wandering zero is on any rifle is attributable to those two things, cheap mounts and cheap glass.
Personally there's nothing I hate more than a gun that I can't trust to shoot in the same place consistantly. Having said that I learned the hard way too, though being on this site is a step in avoiding that mistake. Check out the thread at the top on scope mounts for other options.
Good luck.
Personally there's nothing I hate more than a gun that I can't trust to shoot in the same place consistantly. Having said that I learned the hard way too, though being on this site is a step in avoiding that mistake. Check out the thread at the top on scope mounts for other options.
Good luck.
- Location
- Virden, MB
Wolveine Sells the ARMS18 for $220.
Not that big of a difference in price. The ARMS sits nice and low too. The Sadlak is very, very high.
Not that big of a difference in price. The ARMS sits nice and low too. The Sadlak is very, very high.
The Sadlak sits high which may be a good thing (except for cheek weld).
The old ARMS mount with the cutout for brass ejection was a good one -
I have seen ejection problems on some guns with the new ARMS because it is so low , brass hits the mount and bounces - sometimes jamming-
The same situation exists with the AKM Sage clone scope rail . Cured by cutting out the rail ala the old Arms mount.
Messing with the recoil spring ,extractor lip and spring to change the angle and force of extraction direction is a pain -
The Sadlak is still the best M14 mount on the market - the bearing surfaces,mount screw size,adjustability etc. are the best on the market (check out the website).
The preferred mount by the U.S. military .
Unfortunately its also the most expensive M14 mount available (the titanium mount is $395 U.S.!).
Another advantage of the Sadlak Airborne mount, besides having no case ejection problems, is that it has a channel cut through the rail that provides an opening to use the iron sights up to about the 200 meter mark with the scope and rings attached.
I wouldn’t say the Sadlak sits very, VERY, high, but it is higher than the ARMS mount. An M14 cheek riser from Fabsports is a useful addition that looks great on these rifles anyway.
Whatever mount is chosen, I would suggest the purchase of a 12-32 taper tap to chase the threads on the rifles receiver to avoid possible damage to the mount bolt if the threads are a bit rough.
Fabsports was out of stock for the Sadlak Airborne steel mount when I wanted one, so I bought it from Brownells, item #100-003-841 $290 US, 12-32 taper tap item #395-123-201 $3.
I wouldn’t say the Sadlak sits very, VERY, high, but it is higher than the ARMS mount. An M14 cheek riser from Fabsports is a useful addition that looks great on these rifles anyway.
Whatever mount is chosen, I would suggest the purchase of a 12-32 taper tap to chase the threads on the rifles receiver to avoid possible damage to the mount bolt if the threads are a bit rough.
Fabsports was out of stock for the Sadlak Airborne steel mount when I wanted one, so I bought it from Brownells, item #100-003-841 $290 US, 12-32 taper tap item #395-123-201 $3.
The Sadlak sits high which may be a good thing (except for cheek weld).
The old ARMS mount with the cutout for brass ejection was a good one -
I have seen ejection problems on some guns with the new ARMS because it is so low , brass hits the mount and bounces - sometimes jamming-
The same situation exists with the AKM Sage clone scope rail . Cured by cutting out the rail ala the old Arms mount.
Messing with the recoil spring ,extractor lip and spring to change the angle and force of extraction direction is a pain -
The Sadlak is still the best M14 mount on the market - the bearing surfaces,mount screw size,adjustability etc. are the best on the market (check out the website).
The preferred mount by the U.S. military .
Unfortunately its also the most expensive M14 mount available (the titanium mount is $395 U.S.!).
Everyone that makes one will say there's is the best so that really doesn't mean much to me.
As for the US military, all the pic that I have seen of the M-14 are using the Smith mounts. Oddly enough, the Sadlak looks a lot like the Smith mounts as well.
The Smith has that as well plus it's made of the exact same steel as the receiver so when the conditions change and the steel heats up, they have the same properties and react the same. Not so with aluminum or titanium ones.
Trimming 2 coils off the over spec length of the chinese extractor and 3 coils from the over spec length chinese ejector spring has solved the oprod/mount/brass interference issue on evry rifle it's been performed on arms18/akm ect
Arms 18 is the lowest, solidest mount I've used and is my personal choice for a standard mount. I've spent hours behind arms 18 eqiuped rifles, both at the range and on many extended hunting trips. Set up with throw lever rings I can remove the optic and utilize the irons with zero issue or interference with the mount.
Sadlak and SEI are also excellent product, no one can argue.
The important things your vision of the completed rifle.
For large scopes with over 40MM bell end, with an ARMS you will have to decide, low, medium, high rings.
Mine is a 42 and I use medium rings and just get away with clearancing the HG
With a sadlak or SEI, you can fit the same optic using low rings
So.... Have a vision for your completed needs
Get your stock and other parts of your rig as you want them, all the while practicing with the irons.
Then, when she shoots as she should and feels as she should... According to the plan you set out on. THEN choose a mount and optic combo that fits, balances and completes your vision of your personal M14 type platform.
My 2 cents anyways
Arms 18 is the lowest, solidest mount I've used and is my personal choice for a standard mount. I've spent hours behind arms 18 eqiuped rifles, both at the range and on many extended hunting trips. Set up with throw lever rings I can remove the optic and utilize the irons with zero issue or interference with the mount.
Sadlak and SEI are also excellent product, no one can argue.
The important things your vision of the completed rifle.
For large scopes with over 40MM bell end, with an ARMS you will have to decide, low, medium, high rings.
Mine is a 42 and I use medium rings and just get away with clearancing the HG
With a sadlak or SEI, you can fit the same optic using low rings
So.... Have a vision for your completed needs
Get your stock and other parts of your rig as you want them, all the while practicing with the irons.
Then, when she shoots as she should and feels as she should... According to the plan you set out on. THEN choose a mount and optic combo that fits, balances and completes your vision of your personal M14 type platform.
My 2 cents anyways
Trimming 2 coils off the over spec length of the chinese extractor and 3 coils from the over spec length chinese ejector spring has solved the oprod/mount/brass interference issue on evry rifle it's been performed on arms18/akm ect
Arms 18 is the lowest, solidest mount I've used and is my personal choice for a standard mount. I've spent hours behind arms 18 eqiuped rifles, both at the range and on many extended hunting trips. Set up with throw lever rings I can remove the optic and utilize the irons with zero issue or interference with the mount.
Sadlak and SEI are also excellent product, no one can argue.
The important things your vision of the completed rifle.
For large scopes with over 40MM bell end, with an ARMS you will have to decide, low, medium, high rings.
Mine is a 42 and I use medium rings and just get away with clearancing the HG
With a sadlak or SEI, you can fit the same optic using low rings
So.... Have a vision for your completed needs
Get your stock and other parts of your rig as you want them, all the while practicing with the irons.
Then, when she shoots as she should and feels as she should... According to the plan you set out on. THEN choose a mount and optic combo that fits, balances and completes your vision of your personal M14 type platform.
My 2 cents anyways
Ditto on that.
The mounting points on the sadlak are superior to the smith -check out the website for the details -
Its the elite U.S. military thAt prefer the Sadlack - Airborne,Delta,Seals etc.
The steel mount with all the holes was unobtainium for a long while due to the entire production run going to the beanies -
And no - I am not a shill for Mike - LOL!
Very trrue -
The Sadlack allows for HUGE scopes and allowing irons underneath.
Trimming those springs IS A PAIN !
Its the stoopid GI tool for bolt disassembly that gives me nightmares -
I relive all those moments when the bolts went PING in the shower with the door closed ! (before I got the tool)
Trimming 2 coils off the over spec length of the chinese extractor and 3 coils from the over spec length chinese ejector spring has solved the oprod/mount/brass interference issue on evry rifle it's been performed on arms18/akm ect
Arms 18 is the lowest, solidest mount I've used and is my personal choice for a standard mount. I've spent hours behind arms 18 eqiuped rifles, both at the range and on many extended hunting trips. Set up with throw lever rings I can remove the optic and utilize the irons with zero issue or interference with the mount.
Sadlak and SEI are also excellent product, no one can argue.
The important things your vision of the completed rifle.
For large scopes with over 40MM bell end, with an ARMS you will have to decide, low, medium, high rings.
Mine is a 42 and I use medium rings and just get away with clearancing the HG
With a sadlak or SEI, you can fit the same optic using low rings
So.... Have a vision for your completed needs
Get your stock and other parts of your rig as you want them, all the while practicing with the irons.
Then, when she shoots as she should and feels as she should... According to the plan you set out on. THEN choose a mount and optic combo that fits, balances and completes your vision of your personal M14 type platform.
My 2 cents anyways
The Sadlack allows for HUGE scopes and allowing irons underneath.
Trimming those springs IS A PAIN !
Its the stoopid GI tool for bolt disassembly that gives me nightmares -
I relive all those moments when the bolts went PING in the shower with the door closed ! (before I got the tool)
I like the S&J hardware riser better than the Tac-pro one that fab sells. Wider range of adjustments, meaning you can lower to be almost flush with the stock (no gap between riser and stock) if you are not shooting with a scope. Also, the adjustment knobs and bolts are both black, and the knobs are metal (aluminium or steel, depending on which model you get.).
