New Ruger American problems! Arrgh!

[Blammer308]

Got my new Ruger American in 308 Win out to give it the new gun cleaning routine.

Take it all apart, clean degrease and then oil with my stuff I use.

I started taking off the scope bases. What a nightmare!
Broke two #10 torx head and stripped the threads on two of the bolts. Needless to say it sucked. One on each scope base of course. I suspect at the factory they really really tightened them down.

I wound up drilling them out. I didn't damage the weaver bases or the rifle at all. i was lucky I felt.

Now to the real question.

I want to put on some Leupold two piece scope bases.

What ones do I need?

I found everything from Mauser to Rem 700 an Win 70 etc, but of course no "Ruger".

Does the screw holes on the ruger rifle match any other existing set up?

Thanks

 

[Bearhands]

They are Weaver bases from what I understand....I'd bet rather easy to find too.. Something about #44 or 45 rings a bell..

 

[SteelShooter]

Plenty of people out there are selling Picatinny (spelling?) style bases for these, and gobs of people then sell rings for there.

Give you much more mounting options in terms of eye relief, etc.

 

[hammie]

Go to page 25 of your owner's manual where it states that the appropriate two piece bases are weaver #46. I believe that the savage 10/110 round tops take weaver 46 bases. Therefore a leupold two piece standard dovetail for the savage 10/110 round top should work on the ruger american. (The round top refers to the newer savages. The rear part of the receiver on the older savage was flat and lower. The new ones are round and level across.)

Anyway I think the savage 110, two piece bases will fit, but double check me.

 

[gramps]

Those are the reasons I sight them in and shoot them. If it isn't broke leave it alone I say!
gramps

 

[Blammer308]

hammie, how right you were, I contacted Leupold and they suggested some bases for me. (I misspoke earlier, Ruger made no recommendations for any base other than the ones supplied.)

Loopy bases are on the way now.

 

[hammie]

@Blammer: "Loopy's". LOL. I've never heard that before and I will have to remember that. I always prefer leupold standard bases myself. I just ordered a leupold standard base for my new remington 597 yellow jacket. I'm an old timer and I think of scope bases in terms of either "weaver" or "redfield". The picatinny thing is new to me.

Have fun with your american.

 

[Blammer308]

ok, update time.

got my leupold bases and rings in today.

went to put the bases on, which by the way, were for a savage 10-16 round receiver.

Well the rear sight base won't mount with the screws in the rear, as the bolt handle won't open or close when in position. Arrgh! So I mounted them "backwards" so the tension screws that hold the rear sight base in place are Forward. IE I just turned it around.

Yes the scope will fit nicely in it still and all else looks good, except it's backwards.

Yea I still have the peg and hole one towards the front of the action.

so, we'll see how it works, I'll see about getting some pictures up later.

 

[robertkirksey]

I hope my American has the same problem as yours.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

So help me out here, please: what was the reason the factory bases even needed to come off for a "cleaning" anyway? Was replacement already in the plan? Or was that an unplanned mod after tweaking the first ones?

BTW, my old gunsmith boss suggested ALWAYS putting a bit of heat to the screws if you weren't the one who installed 'em and knew for sure what kind of locking "stuff" if any there was in there. He'd also take the driver, hold it firmly in place while torquing it ever so slightly counterclockwise, and give it a tap or two w/ a plastic or leather mallet. Kinda like a cheap and dirty impact driver. Never saw him ruin a screw, though he lived in fear the very first set of base screws he'd ever installed would show up one day for removal, some 30 years after he put 'em in w/ red Loc-tite!

Rick C

 

[Blammer308]

I always strip down a new gun to get rid of the factory "oil" and sometimes I've found some gunk there that would surely lead to rust.

Plus to make sure the bases are properly tightened down and set the way I want them.

I was also planning to use Leupold bases and rings so removal was a must anyways.

In this case the screws were TALLER than the weaver base and was just plain ugly, I suspect they were the wrong screws to begin with.

 

[Rick Courtright]

I always strip down a new gun to get rid of the factory "oil" and sometimes I've found some gunk there that would surely lead to rust.

Plus to make sure the bases are properly tightened down and set the way I want them.

I was also planning to use Leupold bases and rings so removal was a must anyways.

In this case the screws were TALLER than the weaver base and was just plain ugly, I suspect they were the wrong screws to begin with.

Hi,

Gotcha. Thanks!

Rick C

 

[Blammer308]

update again.

got the scope on it, bore sighted it, and was zeroing it in.

loaded the mag, 4rnds, cranked the bolt on first one, bang, cranked bolt for second one. The round would not feed up from the mag, huh? Took out mag banged it around poked and prodded and the round surfaced, inserted mag cranked bolt, bang, cranked bolt, did it again!

sheesh..

Tried Winchester ammo, Federal ammo and NNY ammo, all did the same thing.

contacted Ruger, explained problem they have a new mag on the way. Hope it works.

 

[randlmarin]

Need Help,
Just bought a new 270 American and a VX 1 3-9x40 Leupold scope and Picatinny/Weaver Rings.
Rings do not fit the factory rails (Taper on rings are different than the rails) nor could they be moved close enough to fit the scope.
Can anyone make any suggestions?
Thanks,
Bob

 

[Tensaw]

Blammer308, I sure hope you get your problems workout. For whatever it is worth, a couple of weeks ago a new guy is at our local shooting range with a new American .308 that his wife gave him for Christmas. He needed help mounting and sighting in his scope. Local member who knows a lot about rifle shooting help him through the process. Once sighted in this gun was shooting one inch groups multiple times. He was shooting some Hornady 165 gr. match ammo. I was impressed.

 

[Blammer308]

Yep, made it to the range and was using 175gr PPU ammo, standard and match and it was shooting 1" groups or less at 100yds and about 2-3" groups at 200yds. Quite a nice shooter for sure!