Weaver 301 scope mounting base for Blackhawks.

Help Support Ruger Forum:

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
I just bought one of these for my 45 Colt Blackhawk and am wondering how many members have been using it.
If you have one, please let me know what your experience has been. Did it mark up the finish on the barrel or the frame very much? Did it mount the scope securely?
Thanks.
 

Tellico

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
1,219
Location
Hamilton Montana
I have one that has never been removed since I installed it so I don't know if it is marking anything. When you install the mount remove your cylinder! I did not do that and the rear screw was a bit long and made a little circle on the cylinder. :oops: :evil: I had to file the screw a bit shorter. The mount has stayed tight. Most folks do not use the rings that Weaver supplies with the 301. They sell them either way. I bought the one without rings as I had some good ones. YMMV.
Fred
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
Wow! Thanks for the warning about the cylinder, Fred.
I did not get the Weaver rings, either. Which ones did you use?
I am planning to mount a Leupold 2X handgun scope with a 1" tube.
Andy
 

rkrcpa

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
352
Location
SE Pennsylvania
Here's mine with the Weaver mount. I also swapped the rings to the style with screws on both sides I've been using this mount for 20+ years without any problems.

 

RICHP

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
238
Location
TEXAS
I had one for a while, on a .41 mag.. I sighted it in one summer but didn,t have an opertunity to soot it again until the next yext year, it was 18 in off windage wise. Suspected the mount so I removed it and had the topstrap d&t,d. Turned out the turrent on the early Redfield was coming out of the scope when I tried to unscrew the cap. But the Weaver mount didn,t mare the finish on the Ruger, my buddy tried another brands like mount with different results.
 

Varminterror

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
513
RugerSBH_zps209712ba.jpg


Been using mine off and on for several years. I applied 2 layers of duct tape to line the inside of the barrel mount. It's not really of any benefit on a stainless revolver, since I can simply repolish any markings it leaves, but I got tired of doing so (mostly it just rubs a bright line, not any real damage). I'd estimate on blued guns, especially gloss blued, it wouldn't even be noticeable. The tape seems to protect against any marking at all. I've always meant to pull the tape and skim bed the mount with epoxy, but it's so easy to just lay on new tape, the epoxy would be too much elbow grease :p

I forget exactly, but I think mine are Millet rings. Suppose I'd like to have better rings on there, but I bought them about 10yrs ago for a rimfire rifle because they were cheap, available the day I needed them, and they were silver. Had them in the 'parts drawer' then when I bolted a scope on this SBH and they've been tied to that mount ever since.

Downside to the Weaver 301 is that even with low rings (I believe those are mediums in my pic), the scope rides pretty high over bore, and the overall form is rather large. The 7.5" SBH is already a behemoth, let alone with the Hogue Monogrip, then having a "lift kit" beneath your scope is kinda ungainly. BUT... It shoots dang straight...
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
Did you guys use any kind of liner on the rings, such as electrical tape, to prevent the scope from moving under recoil or did you just use the bare rings?
 

RICHP

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
238
Location
TEXAS
andyo5 said:
Did you guys use any kind of liner on the rings, such as electrical tape, to prevent the scope from moving under recoil or did you just use the bare rings?
I did not. Just got a brand new 310 set complete rings and all yesterday off that auction site for $10 to the door.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,653
Location
Kentucky
I have one on a Maximum. Took a little careful shimming to get it secured without putting anything in a bind, but I got 'er done. Haven't shot it much, and I don'r know if it's marking the barrel. The tape sounds like a good idea.

I used the Weaver rings that came with the base, but I really think I'd rather have the "four-screw" type.

Got this setup put together not too long after the Maximums came out. The "normal" Model 301 for Blackhawks won't work on a Maximum due to the longer cylinder frame. Took me three tries to get the proper, longer base even though I dealt directly with Weaver after the LGS didn't have a clue.

:)
 

gpoldblue

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
3
I have a Weaver scope mount on my Super Blackhawk. I installed it in mid 80's. I also found that batter's resin dusted inside the scope rings prevented the scope from moving. Never have a bit of trouble with it and I have run some very heavy loads(240gn Hornady Silhoutte bullets @ 1500+fps) through it.
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
I mounted the scope this evening, without tape. I used Weaver 'Quad' rings, medium height. Four top caps with 8 screws total. I'll get a photo and post tomorrow.
 

Varminterror

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
513
andyo5 said:
Did you guys use any kind of liner on the rings, such as electrical tape, to prevent the scope from moving under recoil or did you just use the bare rings?

I align and lap all of my rings when I install scopes, whether it's a rimfire rifle or Magnum DGR or big bore revolver.

The full contact bearing surface in most rings seems to do the trick just fine for me. I had a few revolvers and rifles that had 3 rings to prevent slip, ever since I 'invested' in a Wheeler ring lapping kit, no slippage.

If you need tape, it means that either your rings aren't machined correctly (i.e. are bored too large), or you're not getting good bearing surface contact. The former is incredibly rare, and lapping fixes the latter.
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
OK. So here's mine:




I used Weaver medium height rings. Looking at the photo, I may have been able to use low rings, but I don't think I could have lowered the scope more than 1/4" or so before the front sight would have intruded into the sight picture.

I may be able to shoot it and sight it in this afternoon. I'll post regarding how that goes. Thanks for the helpful replies.
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
Well, I took it to the range yesterday, and after firing two shots I looked at it and realized that I had the scope incorrectly installed.
This is just one of those things that one must accept responsibility for. So after contemplating my own stupidity I put it back in the gun rug, shot another pistol for awhile, and returned home. I re-installed the scope last night and all is well. Shot it today and dialed it in.
One thing I can say is that although the scope improves my ability to see the sight picture on the target, it does not help me hold the darn gun any more steady than before. In fact, I'm wondering if the added weight may make things worse.
So on balance I am still not sure whether adding the scope will help me shoot this gun better than I did before.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,653
Location
Kentucky
andyo5 said:
Well, I took it to the range yesterday, and after firing two shots I looked at it and realized that I had the scope incorrectly installed.
This is just one of those things that one must accept responsibility for. So after contemplating my own stupidity I put it back in the gun rug, shot another pistol for awhile, and returned home.


Don't feel too bad. Nobody here pointed out the orientation problem . . . including me.

:lol: :oops: :lol:
 

Chuck 100 yd

Hunter
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
3,251
Location
Ridgefield WA
andyo5 , The scope will work fine the way you had it. The elevation just becomes windage and vise verse with the other adjustment knob. I have installed scopes that way on some rifles to gain room for my fat fingers to access the chamber area more easily on guns with little room in the port.
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
Chuck 100 yd said:
andyo5 , The scope will work fine the way you had it. The elevation just becomes windage and vise verse with the other adjustment knob. I have installed scopes that way on some rifles to gain room for my fat fingers to access the chamber area more easily on guns with little room in the port.

Yes, Chuck. I figured that would be the case.
But unfortunately I am an obsessive-compulsive person and would probably lay awake at night thinking about it. Knowing this, I remounted it to get it right and so I would sleep better.
"Know thyself' as Freud used to say.
Thanks,
Andy
 

5of7

Hunter
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
2,296
Location
SW. LOWER MICHIGAN
Chuck 100 yd said:
andyo5 , The scope will work fine the way you had it. The elevation just becomes windage and vise verse with the other adjustment knob. I have installed scopes that way on some rifles to gain room for my fat fingers to access the chamber area more easily on guns with little room in the port.

Yes, right is up, and up is left... :lol:

Actually I mounted a scope this way on purpose on a slug shooting shotgun once, in order to keep the ejected hulls from hitting the adjustment boss....it worked fine. 8)
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
Another issue is that as mounted the first time, the name 'Leupold' is hidden.
So what is the point of having a Leupold scope if nobody else knows about it? :lol:
 
Top