Should both sides of the rings sit flush?

Power Pill

Power Pill

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I've got Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 sitting in a pair of Burris zee quick detach rings.

The scope fits in no problem. However when I tightening them down i've noticed that the top half of the ring only sits flush on the one side. The bolts are snug on both sides and I fear stripping them or damaging the scope if I tighten them anymore. I haven't had any scope movement, but i'm wondering if they should be sitting flush on both sides?

pic:

2d9bqfm.jpg
 
I tighten them slightly at first having mind to keeping both sides gaps even, then progressively snug down each side to keep them even. How tight you make them is quite important. I prefer to use an inch lb torque screwdriver.
 
yes

if they sit flush and are touching, your probably not holding the scope very tightly inside the rings

as mentioned, there typically should be a gap all the way around, hopefully as even of a gap as possible
 
Power Pill said:
so having a small gap is normal?
Click to expand...

Yes. If the upper half ring contacted the bottom half ring that would mean you are tightening the ring together and there would be no clamping force on the scope tube. There has to be some clearance in the ring split line in order for them to function properly. As stated before, keep the gap even on both sides.
 
Undo the rings and start over. The gap should be equal on both sides. Go back and forth abit one side at a time until they are all the same. Try to support the rifle in some sort of stand if you can. The torque is not really that high on these screws. Use a good screwdriver with a proper fitting bit. The gap sort of has a spring tightness effect and will not let the scope slip. Take your time and don't over tighten. Cheers
 
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You can't be serious with that suggestion!? How many times have you "created" these spacers for scopes, and how well did they work for you?

Pics would be oh-so-informative.
 
yes, of course I am serious ... it could be anything as simple as a washer... just something to use as a shim to get it placed as close as possible to the way it was before it came off
 
Danimal247 said:
yes, of course I am serious ... it could be anything as simple as a washer... just something to use as a shim to get it placed as close as possible to the way it was before it came off
Click to expand...

Okay, I see that you are serious, so I'll just say that your idea, even if it were practical (and it isn't) would defeat the entire principal upon which scope rings work. RoscoeP and cdnredneck explained it perfectly...the gap is not only normal, but allows the rings to tightly grip the scope tube. Putting some kind of spacer into the gap would result in the same problem as rings that contacted each other, i.e. improper or inadequate pressure applied to the tube.

The gap can be evened easily by loosening the ring top and then retightening by alternating from one side to the other so that the ring top tightens straight down, with an equal gap on both sides. If the gap is still larger than desired (a cosmetic problem) the scope rings could be lapped to reduce the gap to an acceptable level, as long as you don't overdo it to the point where the top ring halves actually contact the bottom.

I suppose that the gap could be filled in with some kind of soft material (if you decide that you must be correct) but I've never seen or heard of such a procedure in 40+ years of shooting, buying, selling and swapping guns. If you believe that doing so would allow you to remove the ring tops and scope, and then reassemble them to achieve the same POI without adjustments to the sight settings, you are in for disappointment.

I'm always ready and willing to learn something new, so, as stated earlier...pictures please.
 
I did a similar technique with my motocross bikes, for the handlebars to attach to the triple clamps you want the front side of the clamps tighter than the rear - so I notched washers which would allow me after removing the bars (or crashing) to very quickly space my bars back to what they were at before (sometimes inbetween races or practice/moto 1/etc)

just thinking the same idea could be applied to scopes and rings
 
Space is normal, but as mentioned you need to alternate between sides as you tighten so the gap is the same. It doesn't take near as much to tighten the rings as you would think. When I first started installing scopes I would tighten them as much as possible, and actually stripped some rings. Talked to the guys at Corlanes and at P & D and they both advised 22-25 in/lbs, so this is what I now use. Haven't had any problems with that torque.
 
Not the same

Danimal247 said:
I did a similar technique with my motocross bikes, for the handlebars to attach to the triple clamps you want the front side of the clamps tighter than the rear - so I notched washers which would allow me after removing the bars (or crashing) to very quickly space my bars back to what they were at before (sometimes inbetween races or practice/moto 1/etc)

just thinking the same idea could be applied to scopes and rings
Click to expand...

I have a DRZ 400 e and have had a few other bikes. Sometimes the front fork clamps and handlebar clamps have one side all the way down then torque the opposite side. Scope rings are always (as far as I know) torqued even on both sides, same space. I just eyeball it or count the number of threads I can see. I suppose you could measure the gaps with a feeler gauge if you are real anal. Cheers Roscoe
 
Make it as even as possible, go as far as using a level if your a perfectionist, if the pressure is uneven your scope with not be lined up with the barrel resulting in you having to max out the dials to get remotely close to poi
 
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