How Do You Change Barrels and Not Damage Your Scope?

[MBrenner]

This thought has bothered me for years. Breaking loose a barrel on a gun in a barrel vice sometimes requires a lot of torque, especially one that is very tight. What about the scope if left mounted in the rings? I was taught that scopes are engineered to go front to back, not sideways, and that damage was possible in the loosening and tightening process...not good for the expensive scopes we use.

What method do you guys use? To prevent scope damage I was taught to either: (1) loosen the mounts and slip the scope assembly off the action, then replace once the barrel switch was complete. But in doing so, does this put any torque twist on the scope tube, and would it really preserve the original point of aim/impact? or (2) remove the top rings and scope, then replace after the barrel is switched. The logic being if the mounts are untouched, replacing the scope and leveling the cross hairs, even though a bit of a pain, puts no torque twist on the scope tube and point of aim/impact should be fairly close...and no scope damage in the process. Personally, I have used the second alternative but would also appreciate any good advice from you guys with a load of experience.

So, what is your considered wisdom on this issue?

 

[Dick Grosbier]

Just take the scope off.
Not really necessary but not a big deal.

 

[alinwa]

This thought has bothered me for years. Breaking loose a barrel on a gun in a barrel vice sometimes requires a lot of torque, especially one that is very tight. What about the scope if left mounted in the rings? I was taught that scopes are engineered to go front to back, not sideways, and that damage was possible in the loosening and tightening process...not good for the expensive scopes we use.

What method do you guys use? To prevent scope damage I was taught to either: (1) loosen the mounts and slip the scope assembly off the action, then replace once the barrel switch was complete. But in doing so, does this put any torque twist on the scope tube, and would it really preserve the original point of aim/impact? or (2) remove the top rings and scope, then replace after the barrel is switched. The logic being if the mounts are untouched, replacing the scope and leveling the cross hairs, even though a bit of a pain, puts no torque twist on the scope tube and point of aim/impact should be fairly close...and no scope damage in the process. Personally, I have used the second alternative but would also appreciate any good advice from you guys with a load of experience.

So, what is your considered wisdom on this issue?

Get a hunk of thinwall schedule 40 four feet long to use as a cheater.......now you can ease the barrel off with no snap. The outfit pictured in my post on the barrel vise thread never snaps a scope or requires any sort of brute force.

Oops, edited because I just realized, I'm wrong. I've been doing a bunch of work on actions with no scopes, using the outside action wrench.

Just ignore my advice, an action can/will generally snap sideways when using a rear or side entry wrench.

Sorry, I posted without thinking.

 

[Boyd Allen]

I would not take off a factory barrel with the scope mounted, because the preferred action wrench for this (for round actions) clamps around the front receiver ring. For removing non factory barrels, I have never had to snap anything. I just apply slow steady pressure, using a suitable internal wrench, increasing force until the friction is overcome. The same holds true when installing a barrel. I seat things by partially tightening the barrel a couple of times, and then apply pressure up to the amount of subjective torque that I want, which is substantial. No snap, or jerk is involved.

 

[CMaier]

Leave the rings on, just loosen the bottom of base tightening screws, leave the ring screws alone

Get a hunk of thinwall schedule 40 four feet long to use as a cheater.......now you can ease the barrel off with no snap. The outfit pictured in my post on the barrel vise thread never snaps a scope or requires any sort of brute force.

Oops, edited because I just realized, I'm wrong. I've been doing a bunch of work on actions with no scopes, using the outside action wrench.

Just ignore my advice, an action can/will generally snap sideways when using a rear or side entry wrench.

Sorry, I posted without thinking.

 

[jackie schmidt]

I have had most of the major brands of Benchrest scopes apart, and my question would be,......"what gets damaged". There simply isn't anything inside a typical Benchrest scope that a side to side shock would affect anymore than the shock from recoil, or bouncing down the road in a gun case, for that matter.

 

[r44astro]

I do not know if necessary, but I always remove scope, I also remove scope for transportation to match.

 

[zippy06]

Last year, I banged a scope on someones barrel. Left a nice mark. At first, thought it was a dent.
Fired 3 on sighter. Big group so I ran back and got, other scope, off another rifle. Shot my group. So-so.
Later in the week. Made sure both scopes were good and tight and all that.
Did the square test. 1" square and a 2" square. All good. That mark was rubbed off with a rag.....
If a scope is damaged removing a barrel, it should be sent in for repair. I know Leupold is real good about repair or replacing(real old and they don't have parts........).

 

[Wilbur]

I don't think I've ever removed the scope when changing barrels. Probably should have! If you swap barrels, the point of impact hardly ever stays the same so it takes a few clicks anyway. Now and then you won't even be on paper with a different barrel. Sooooo...the concern here is scope damage. To that I'll say I never damaged a scope while swapping barrels but I suppose I could have. Take the darn thing off! It just takes a moment and you don't lose anything.

Came back to add....Don't take the rings apart, remove the scope from the bases. If that causes some sort of difficulty, then just leave the scope alone.

 

[martin zuck]

And then there is the one fellow I have seen at matches carrying h rifle around by the scope. He told me it's a good carrying handle.
Then there was the one time at WWCCA that Jim Hutchison and I were next to each other and we were doing well. As we were waiting for the target crew to get back we mentioned scopes and I don't remember who started the conversation. Oh, he started it. I had a two inch mirage shield on my scope. He said I should take it off because any added weight on a scope is bad. He said just look through your scope and look at the difference in POA while you are pushing down on the scope as he was pushing down on his. I asked, "Is that a bad thing"? He said "Yes", so I didn't touch my scope. His first shot that target was way high and his next four were way low. After we both were done I checked his group and saw the massacre. He said, "I knew I shouldn't touch my scope when I did that". I said something like," That's why I didn't push down on mine". After the weekend I took the shield off my rifle and never put it back on.

They tell me that the late Tom Gillman occasionally carried his gun around by the scope. I certainly wouldn't recommend it but I guess it never hurt him any!

 

[Bart]

Gene Buckeys told me a long time ago that he takes his off the gun when he changes barrels. Ive been taking mine off ever since. Good scopes are a lot harder to come by then people realize.

Bart

 

[alinwa]

Keep some busted pieces of feeler gauge in your box........run the base screws clear out and put it in from the wrong side, now a little tweak with the driver and the bases open up and slide off, like buttahh.....

 

[Boyd Allen]

For Kelby rings and others of that type that are too tight to slide without force, that IS the way to do it.

 

[Hunter]

Keep some busted pieces of feeler gauge in your box........run the base screws clear out and put it in from the wrong side, now a little tweak with the driver and the bases open up and slide off, like buttahh.....

I can visualize the part about "run the base screws clear out"; however, I can't visualize what you mean by "put[ting a piece of feeler gauge] in from the wrong side, now a little tweak with the driver" -- can you add some clarity?

 

[Wayne Shaw]

You slide the feeler gauge through the ring slot above the dovetail, and use the screws to push against the feeler gauge and slightly spread the ring base open.

 

[Boyd Allen]

On one side of the gap which is above the dovetail cutout in the bottom of the rings the hole is threaded, on the other it is larger and not. In normal configuration the clamping screw pulls the sides of the ring together to clamp on the dovetail shaped base. By removing the clamping screw, threading it in the opposite side, and inserting something into the gap that it can push against (the piece of feeler gauge) it can be used to push rather than pull, widening the gap, and increasing the clearance between ring and base so that the ring can be easily moved.

 

[mwezell]

On one side of the gap which is above the dovetail cutout in the bottom of the rings the hole is threaded, on the other it is larger and not. In normal configuration the clamping screw pulls the sides of the ring together to clamp on the dovetail shaped base. By removing the clamping screw, threading it in the opposite side, and inserting something into the gap that it can push against (the piece of feeler gauge) it can be used to push rather than pull, widening the gap, and increasing the clearance between ring and base so that the ring can be easily moved.

Someone use to make and sell such a tool. I have no idea if they're still in business, or even who it was. I made my own using some metal banding material for the thin shim part. It needs to be made out of tough stuff and the banding works well. I'll try to post a pic.

And works like this...

 

[HFV]

Some say

Gene Buckeys told me a long time ago that he takes his off the gun when he changes barrels. Ive been taking mine off ever since. Good scopes are a lot harder to come by then people realize.

Bart

Some say Bart's Bullets will straighten a scope out.