NcStar Quick Release Scope Mount - 5/2 Maybe they'll work

[FWiedner]

At the time it seemed like a great idea.

I'd recently had a good experience with a quick release type mount, a GG&G Accucam type on my LR-308. Mount was a cinch, on and off was easy, didn't lose zero in the process. I was happy.



I decided that I needed several more quick-release mounts. I found a discount mount at Sportsmansguide.com and bought several of them. The NcStar Quick-Release Scope Mount. Weaver/Picatinny mount with integral 30mm rings and 1" adapter inserts.



Broke out some compact scopes I had and set them up like so:



I thought that I had it made. I'd set up 2 carbines with these inexpensive mounts and scopes and another rifle with one of the NcStar mounts and a 8-32x-44 for varmint hunting. I wanted to be able to swap those scopes off for iron sights or a night-vision scope on the rifle.

Took the rifle to the range to check it out and it was shooting hard right. About 10in right at 25 yards. There weren't enough clicks built into the scope to compensate. I figured I just had a ring too close to the turret or adjustment ring housing or some such so I carried it back home not particularly worried about it. A few days later I loosened up the rings and moved the tube about 1/4in, set up my indoor mini-range and plugged a bore laser into the muzzle. Had the windage set about half/half and was ready to see my red dot centered 2in below my point of aim. Nope. It was still more than a foot to the right. The detachable iron sights work fine and I've had the scope on another rifle. Conclusion, the mount is defective. At this point I checked the 2 carbines with the bore laser and they both look to be aiming hard right as well.

Anybody else ever used these mounts? I looked 'em over pretty thoroughly I think and I didn't see a way to adjust "windage" per se. Barring some helpful advice I think I'll just write this off to a lesson learned by trying to take the cheap way out.

In truth, 99% of the stuff I get from Sportsmansguide.com is good stuff, so don't take this as a slam at them, rather, I'd question this one product that they sell that's made by NcStar.

I thought that I could avoid buying $200 worth of mounting hardware for my varmint rifle. Now I'll purchase what I should have in the first place, and I've spent another $100 on some cheap junk that I'll never be able to use besides. Looks like the carbines will wear iron for a while.

I guess you can't win them all.

[Pitchy]

Never tried one but looked like a good plan, sorry it didn`t work out seems like a person pays more and get less on a lot of stuff now days.

[awp101]

NcStar is one of those companies that is really hit or miss QC wise. If you live by the adage "Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chances" then NcS isn't a safe "chance".

[rbertalotto]

Amazing! I bought two of these for my GSG-5SD from Sportsman's Guide and both of them are WAY far right, and my scope and my Red Dot do not have enough clicks to get back on the paper.

I took them and "tweaked" the rear ring a bit. I mounted a piece of scope rail in the vice and used a 1" piece of steel round in the rear ring and gave it a firm nudge. The front ring is removable, I made a couple of shims out of a Coke can to move whole ring over a few thousands. Now my scopes only needed a couple clicks to get on target.

[86er]

I just got a flat top rifle and it has the mil-spec front sight tower. I was looking for a detachable mount that will give an optic enough clearance to be over the front sight. I saw those NcStar's. I'm glad I saw your post, thanks for the heads-up. Have you thought about bending it a few mils to see if it'll move enough to be usable?

[Old No7]

My quick-release NC-Star mount has actually worked out pretty well for me, but she's "only on a 22"...

M&P with 10-rnd Mag (Medium).jpg

But I've removed it to use the BUIS (back-up-iron-sights) on my M&P 15-22, and she's been close enough for some serious plinking when put back on.

If I remember (has been awhile since I first used the mount), there was a provision for tightening up the mount windage-wise. I recall there was a plate which had some lateral movement to it. And I have to wonder, can you reverse the rings and mount the lever on the opposite side, and adjust that plate -- and if so, will all that partially solve the windage problem?

Tight groups.

Old No7

[FWiedner]

Amazing! I bought two of these for my GSG-5SD from Sportsman's Guide and both of them are WAY far right, and my scope and my Red Dot do not have enough clicks to get back on the paper.

I took them and "tweaked" the rear ring a bit. I mounted a piece of scope rail in the vice and used a 1" piece of steel round in the rear ring and gave it a firm nudge. The front ring is removable, I made a couple of shims out of a Coke can to move whole ring over a few thousands. Now my scopes only needed a couple clicks to get on target.

Interesting. I can't imagine how you got the idea to 'tweak' the rear ring, that rear support looks like 7/16 -1/2" solid steel bar to me.

Makes me wonder if I can do something like shim the right side of the back ring and the left side of the front.

If I remember (has been awhile since I first used the mount), there was a provision for tightening up the mount windage-wise. I recall there was a plate which had some lateral movement to it. And I have to wonder, can you reverse the rings and mount the lever on the opposite side, and adjust that plate -- and if so, will all that partially solve the windage problem?

I did do some fiddling around with the lock plate, but I didn't want to get the thing so tight that it damaged the rail on my rifle. I didn't think about reversing the front ring or turning the mount around.

Thanks for your help!

[rbertalotto]

Makes me wonder if I can do something like shim the right side of the back ring and the left side of the front.

The mount is made out of soft, non hardened aluminum. It will bend quite easily.

The rear ring is fixed, the front ring is moveable (if you set it up with the lever opposite the loading gate)............Shiming the movable ring is the only way you are going to solve the issue.

[FWiedner]

I just got a flat top rifle and it has the mil-spec front sight tower. I was looking for a detachable mount that will give an optic enough clearance to be over the front sight. I saw those NcStar's. I'm glad I saw your post, thanks for the heads-up. Have you thought about bending it a few mils to see if it'll move enough to be usable?

Joe, you're in the neighborhood. If you want one of mine to fool around with, just come and get it. Free.

I've got 4 of them.

[FWiedner]

The mount is made out of soft, non hardened aluminum. It will bend quite easily... Shiming the movable ring is the only way you are going to solve the issue.

We have discovered that that I know zip about metallurgy.

Shim inside the ring?

[AJMD429]

You also may be able to use a square file to remove material from the 'V' part of the ring that attaches to the picatinny rail, on the side that needs it. The screws should then bring the scope to the proper position (or at least closer to it) when tightened. I've done that one other similar setups a couple times. Usually plenty of material there to remove, though like others mentioned, it isn't very tough stuff.

I'd use the 'cheapie' stuff on lower-stress or less-critical firearms applications. I use an NcStar clone of the LaserMax on my Ruger 10/22 NightScout gun that shoots minute-of-feral-cat, but for the more 'critical' Rossi .45 Colt NightScout that could be used in an emergency for defensive use, only the real LaserMax need apply.

[rbertalotto]

Shim inside the ring?

No.....A small strip of aluminum can material is placed in the fixed bevel of the front ring. I used super glue to hold mine in place. This will shift the front ring to the right, thereby giving you more left windage.

I'll try to photograph what I did on mine and post the pictures tomorrow.

[FWiedner]

Shim inside the ring?

No.....A small strip of aluminum can material is placed in the fixed bevel of the front ring. I used super glue to hold mine in place. This will shift the front ring to the right, thereby giving you more left windage.

I'll try to photograph what I did on mine and post the pictures tomorrow.

Hey Roy, did you find any spare time to take those photos?

Seems a shame to let these mounts (and my money) go to waste.

Thanks!

[rbertalotto]

Stay tuned I'll have them up within the hour..........

[rbertalotto]

This picture shows the shim just poking out from the front ring


This little shim was enough to get my scope back on center


The front ring is removable, therefore allowing you to shim it a bit.

[FWiedner]

Thanks for your photos. I appreciate you taking the time. Makes the whole thing seem simple.

There's not a tremendous amount of bearing surface there, and I imagine if you get the screws on the dovetail sufficiently snugged down there's no problem, but how solid has that mount been for you with the shim installed?

Both you and 86er mentioned 'tweaking' the rear ring on the mount, were you actually able to turn it or do you think the shim accounts for the larger part of the correction you were able to achieve?

[rbertalotto]

I have this mount on a GSG 5SD (22RF) so the recoil is negligable........I'm not sure I'd consider using this mount on an AR-10 or 50BMG. So far it has held up great.

I think "Tweaking" the rear ring takes some of the stress off the scope tube.

To Tweak, put the top ring on the rear mount. Tighten down the four screws around a piece of 1" round steel or hardwood. But the base of the mount in a padded bench vise and gently apply pressure. Twist the rear mount a degree or two. It doesn't take much.

[FWiedner]

So I finally got to try rbertalotto's advice, and I am happy to say that the fix looks like it's going to work for me.

I started here, at 14 yards with the scope reticle centered on the target bull, my SL100 bore laser was an inch or two different from the center plane that the scope was on.



I used most of rbertalotto's suggestions. I turned the front moveable ring and pedestal so the the screws are on the other side of the mount, and I place a shim behind the removable screw plate used to tighten the pedestal down. I couldn't 'tweak ' the rear pedestal because I don't have my heavy bench vice set up. I worked on two of these and on the second one I had to grind a little bit off the bottom of one of the dovetail 'feet' of the front pedestal to permit a bit more elevation adjustment.

When all was said and done, I ended up here, with my bore light centered (kinda ) and about 2 inches below the line of sight.



Thanks for your help and advice Roy.

Next stop for the two carbines is the range.