All the goodies ready to go!

Mil-Dot = Military?

Point-of-fact: I own a red dot scope for a .22 lr pistol. I always forget and leave it turned on when I put it away. It never fails that the next time I want use it, and drive all the way out to the range, the thing is dead.

I take full responsibility for this shortcoming as I should be intelligent and responsible enough to turn a switch to the off position when I am done playing with my toys. At least that is what my dad used to tell me.

On another yet related topic:

Have you used the Read the Review(s) function that MidwayUSA now offers for every single item that they sell?

On every web page that lists a product for sale you will also find product rating information that is contributed by none other than YOU and I.

If you have something positive or negative to say about a specific product that you have purchased there are links so you can contribute comments.

Remove the barrel and receiver from the stock.

I think the idea is really great. It helped me decide whether or not to purchase the scope that I purchased from them for this very project.

Most folks rated the scope 4 out of 5 stars and gave great comments. Only two folks had problems, but overall it appears as though the scope is a pretty good deal for the price.

Drive out pin holding in stripper guide.

Example:

Average Customer Rating:
Read the Review(s)
Used this product? Rate It

Back to the Project

The M1A/M14 scope mount that I chose (John Masen M1A/M14 Late Model Scope Mount) is made by John Masen. I did my research and read the reviews in both message forums and MidwayUSA and finally decided that it seemed to be a quality enough item to take a chance on.

Drive the clip guide off of the receiver from right to left.

Think of it this way: It took so long and so many resources to purchase my M1A in the first place that all I can afford to spend is a $150.

Figure 7 shows the receiver after removing the clip guide.

I found that the new clip guide needed some filing to fit properly.

Tap in the retaining pin.

You can quickly bore sight the typical bolt action rifle before going out to the range with the following steps:

1) Place the rifle in a secure and padded gun vise and lock it down so it will not move.

4) Remove the bolt.

5) Peer down the barrel through the receiver and align the center of the bore so it is directly over the x (the center of the target).

6) Don't move the rifle at all.

7) Now peer through the scope and align the mount and/or scope until the windage is directly in line with the center of the target. The elevation should just be in the general area.

8) Look through the barrel again to make sure it is still in alignment and then check the scope again.

9) Now go to the range. You will have to make minor windage adjustments and some elevation adjustments, but you should be in the ball park and not waste a lot of ammo.

Guess what? You cannot perform this same process on an M1A rifle. I had scoped a couple of other semi-auto rifles with success, but I guess I was lucky.

I went out to the range and tried to sight in the scope. I shot cartridge after cartridge and I found that the scope mount's large thumbscrews kept becoming loose. Even after repeatedly tightening them.

Disgusted, I packed up and went home.

Next, I purchased some semi-permanent loctite that works well at high temperatures and applied this to all of the mount's screws. This took care of the  thumbscrews loosening, but I still had not resolved my first problem of zeroing in the scope.

Loctite Threadlockers

Invented by Henkel Loctite as a revolutionary method to lock and seal threaded fasteners, LoctiteŽ Liquid Threadlockers have found wide acceptance in a range of applications - from delicate electronic components to heavy construction equipment. LoctiteŽ Threadlockers are available in varying viscosities and strengths for virtually any application, including exposure to extreme environments.

I returned to the range the next weekend and attempted to sight in the scope again. I found I had made an error with the positioning of the thumbscrew lock nut and bushing. This caused the windage of the scope mount to be really off and the scope was not capable of compensating for the mistake. I was faced with having to remove the thumbscrew and readjust everything.

I could almost hear a voice in my head saying "Didn't put enough dirt down. Saw it.....right off" (Just for the mountain men out there - a Jeremiah Johnson Movie Reference).

I was just about to pack up again and head home. A very nice range officer allowed me to use the club's gun vice and my own tools to readjust and relock down the thumbscrews. Loctite on my fingertips and a crooked smile on my face: Yahoo! I thought that I was back in business! 

After getting my rounds to finally place on paper again and then just when I was starting to zero the scope suddenly I was no longer on the paper.

What the hell happened this time?

To top it all off I stripped out the cheap allen screws supplied with the scope rings I was using.

Rule of thumb: Don't use scope rings that cost less than the cost of the gas that you will expend driving to the range.

Completely disillusioned and disheartened, I went home and removed the scope. I installed it  on a bolt action Savage rifle I had not shot in years. I vowed never to touch this project ever again!

I was content with my decision and was moving onto to something else. This project would soon be behind me and pushed from my memories.

I positioned the scope.

I know you all think that every single project we produce for Surplusrifle.com is successful and actually makes it to being published.  No way! Trust me!

I have several Island of Doctor Moreau projects that I have turned out to pasture, out into the garage. I am reminded of them every time I build up enough confidence to go out into the wild uncharted regions of the garage known only to my family as the dark corner.

I installed the upper halves of the scope rings.

Every once and a while I look over and peer into the darkness and yell out  - What IS the law? and I can swear I hear answered back in a very animal like guttural voice - To not embarrass Jamie on the Surplusrifle.com website.

That IS the law!

I was so disheartened the last time I came home from the range with the scoped M1A,  I had committed the cardinal sin:

I had not cleaned my rifle.

Next I installed the allen screws in the rings.

My better nature finally won me over and I went to the safe and took out the M1A and proceeded to clean it.

This is when the mail came. Like a lightening bolt hitting me I was looking at my MidwayUSA catalog and right in the first couple pages was an ad for a Leupold magnetic bore sighter.

Next I tightened the allen screws.

Several days passed. I thought...and I thought. Still the scope mount clip guide was on the rifle. I had to make a decision.

I read about bore sighting tools. A little hobby of mine and also a way that I can easily put myself to sleep at night. Through all of my extensive nocturnal studies I have discovered that bore sighting is kind of a controversial topic. Some folks swear by bore sighters and some folks swear at bore sighters and the people that use them.

And....tadaa! The almost finished job or so I thought.

I was waiting for either one side to win the conflict or the technology to become so fantastic that the war just ceased.

Leupold Magnetic Bore Sighting Tool

I finally broke down and purchased a magnetic bore sighter. It was less than $50 and in my opinion and I guess I am now picking a side - it was well worth it. I wish I had bought the dang thing the first time around. I went to a friends store and purchased a good set of scope rings for around $20 and set off for home with renewed vigor and determination. After setting up everything in my workshop, this time I followed the instructions correctly stopping to use the bore sighter to adjust the thumbscrew lock nut and bushing and the scope.

The next time I went to the range I was able to get on the paper quickly and every thing stayed locked in place while I shot my little heart out.

I was finally able to produce  groups that were what I expected to achieve with this setup.

I feel as though I have made it through some rights of passage type of event and now am the better for it.

The journey that started out with the intention of only being enough material for a short little article on mounting a no-gunsmith mount on an M1A rifle had taken almost a month to complete and had gone almost $100 over budget when you count the bore sighter, gas, and ammo.

Would I do it all over again?

Yes, I would perform a condensed version of my adventure only including the parts that were successful.

Plan out your projects and make sure you take everything into consideration. Don't be complacent or cocky like I was when I approached this project. Brother, I will tell you that it is the simple little projects that will just knock the cockiness right out of you. I can attest to this. I had something knocked out me, repeatedly.

You are reading the words of a humbled man.

Yeah, right!

Five shot group at 100 yards.

Am I pleased with the mount and scope? Yes, I think the setup is quite the bargain for what I paid for it in dollars (and not sweat and aggravation - but that was my own fault).

Do I think it is one mean looking rifle now?

Hell yes! My M1A is the baddest looking mofo in the school yard. He is ready to drop out of a Blackhawk helicopter in Mogadishu (he better be for all of the loctite I poured over the thumbscrews) or travel the mountains in Afghanistan.

Don't get me started.....

Five shot group at 100 yards.