Scout Scope Mount

Ammunition, reloading, shooting, etc
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GBertolet
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:01 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Scout Scope Mount

Post by GBertolet »

I inherited a 1899 Krag carbine from my grandfather. He said he paid $1.50 for it from the DCM, way back when. It had been semi customized, with a Springfield front sight and a Rice rear sight. Anyhow my aging eyes just could not focus and see those pesky gongs at 100 yards. I had a Leupold 2x EER scope laying around, and deceided to see if I could use it on the Krag. I contacted one vendor who sells scout mounts for the Krag, and never got a respone. So I decieded to make my own. The two rear sight holes, were #8 screw size, appearing to be 8-32 thread. I retapped them to 8-40, without issue, and adapted an old Weaver base. The hole spacing on the Krag, is 2.340, so that's where I drilled the holes in the old base.

Unfortunately, the untapered base made no allowance for the tapered barrel contour, and the Krag still shot high with the elevation adjustment pinned down. A .060 shim was added to bring the elevation down to a more optically centered point. The Krag shot good, but looked like crap with the plastic shim there, so I went a hunting for another base. I found a suitable donor base on ebay for $9. It was a Weaver #88 base for a Mossberg shotgun. It had plenty of meat on it, so a taper could be cut to match the barrel contour. I have access to a mill, so cutting the taper was easy. A little trial and error, got me the right taper. I finished up, by running a pass using a 3/4 ball mill to get a channel down the middle, to fit the rounded barrel better. I located the center and spacing for the holes, drilled and countersunk them for the screw heads. Now time for assembly. I have a gunsmithing kit of screws, so finding a 8-40 screw was no issue. I had to shorten both screws a bit, and with some blue loctite, I was in business. The screws held up under considerable tightening, despite having the holes retapped. I did not feel a third screw on the mount was necessiary, as the scope is pretty light weight, and the rings are very close to the existing screws.

The rifle now has a new lease of life. Smacking the gongs in now much easier, since I can see. My current load is 18 gr 4759, with the Lyman 311284 bullet @ 1510 fps. If I do my part, 1.5" groups at 100 yards are not uncommon. All it cost me was $9.

Here are three photos. I hope the forum members find this post informative.
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butlersrangers
Posts: 9827
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: Scout Scope Mount

Post by butlersrangers »

You created a very nice Scout Rig. Have fun!

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Scout Scope Mount

Post by FredC »

Nice looking sporter there. Since you less than $10.00 invested in the rig any chance you would sell it for $20.00 and put a big profit in your pocket? :-)

Well, I did not really thinks so.

I have made several Weaver bases from bar stock for other rifles and milling the radius to the exact size is fairly easy with a smaller ball nose end mill. This involves figuring the coordinates for making several passes to approximate the larger barrel or receiver radius.

I do have to ask, did you try KragHaus for the scope mount? In the past they have been good supplier. Just looked at their website and it looks like they are trying to find a supplier for the screws. Just emailed them again with an offer to make them.

Attached a photo of making a Savage base with a smaller end mill. You can see the cutter is offset to make the larger than cutter radius.
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GBertolet
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:01 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Scout Scope Mount

Post by GBertolet »

I did try to contact Kraghaus, but I never got a response back. I did not know if they were still in business. They accept only checks, no credit cards, so I wasn't about to just send money, unknowingly. Anyhow, the alternative worked out just fine.

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Scout Scope Mount

Post by FredC »

I sent an email to them yesterday and got a reply, they are still there. I take credit cards in my business and it is a pain sometimes. You have to pay for a really secure website to take online orders. We did not cross that bridge so customers have to call us with card numbers and it is still a pain sometimes.
Glad you got where you need to be on the other route.

madsenshooter
Posts: 1176
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:00 am
Location: Upper Appalachia aka SE Ohio

Re: Scout Scope Mount

Post by madsenshooter »

Looks good. Ocular bell right where it's needed. Some of the pistol scopes I have tried have to be really out there. Then there's the ones called Intermediate Eye Relief, like one old Redfield I tried. It would be over the receiver. Must be nice to have the skills and tools needed.

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