Springfield Armory 3rd & 4th Gen scope mount problems.

Many thanks for the feedback guys.

I maybe should've mentioned that I'd already printed & read Different's FAQ which was VERY informative. It sets out the facts on the various types of mount really well.

However, he steers away from giving personal opinions/experiences on each type (a good thing for an FAQ IMHO) which is what I was after here.

Overall it sounds like I'll be better off spending the extra $$ & getting the Smith mount. A classic case of "You get what you pay for".

Thanks once again.

John.

P.S; emperor91108, I was thinking a similar thing re. the iron sights with the Smith mount & possibly Warne QR rings.

my .02

Just my .02...

I used my "Loaded Coupon" I went with the SA Scope mount (I didn’t know better)... IMHO the SA scope mount is AWFUL!! They use a metal MUCH softer than the receiver and after about 500-600 rds I began losing my zero! And I noticed that the upside down "T" channel that it mates to my SA M1A receiver began to Mushroom/Gall over. Since then I have found that to mount the SA scope mount the proper way you should use a LEATHER mallet on the knobs of the mount. I mean you REALLY have to whack em hard and tighten whack and tighten whack and tighten (you get the idea). This way it seats properly and will have no mushrooming of the SOFTER metal or a loss of your zero from the vibration of firing your weapon.
BUT... now you do not have the option of "easy" removal of you scope and a remount with out going through that whole ordeal of "proper mounting"

If I where you I would save up for one of the higher end mounts like an A.RM.S. or Smiths Ent. these two are VERY LOW profile. The SA Gen III mounts a bit higher. If you have a scope with a 40mm objective lens you should be OK but if you are mounting a scope with a 50mm objective lens it will mount a bit high... unless you have a neck like a Giraffe you are going to have to use a cheek piece to raise the comb of your cheek weld.

And finally I have the ARMS #18 mount and #22 LOW rings... love em.. I have never lost my zero. VERY VERY good quality and is constructed of a metal that is very close to the hardness of your receiver so you will not have to worry about galling.

Good Luck
Doc

Thanks guys!

The extra info, personal opinions & experiences are very helpful.

Based on what has been said here I've ordered the slightly cheaper Weaver version of the Smith mount from Brownells.
Slightly more expensive than from Smith themselves but a couple of my shooting buddies have used Brownells before & told me good things about their international mail order service.

All the best.

John.

P.S; Sorry TEA it looks like I won't be writing the first review of that new Leatherwood mount now. :wink:
Sounds interesting though, particularly as its cheaper!

Doc, the whacking with the rubber or leather mallet is supposed to be done only the first time you install the mount. Its supposed to form the aluminum (yes - aluminum and not steel) to the receiver so that you don't experience galling and to help ensure a closer return to zero when you take off and then reinstall your mount. Of course, because no two receivers are exactly the same (especially in the areas of the clip guide dove tail and the relief cuts on the side of the receiver), once you've form fitted an SA Inc mount to one rifle it is mated to that rifle for good (or ill).

I noticed that the M14s that TSRA was using to train the 7th Cav's SDMs had SA Inc mounts (or at least the one on the cover of the TSRA newsletter did) and that they'd painted co-witness marks on the knobs and mount to better ensure a return to zero when reinstalling the mount. I think I'll have to try this on my SA Inc mount and let y'all know how it works. I still think the main problem is that the mount is made out of aluminum, so will expand at a different rate than the receiver when they heat up or cool down, which would cause shifts in zero. Overall, I think its an OK mount for occasional use at the range or in a deer blind, but I wouldn't want to expose it to any hard use or bet my life on it.

I also noticed the the trooper in Afghanistan with an M14 and ACOG that was in the American Rifleman article a year or so ago also had what looked like an SA Inc mount. I wonder if we'll ever hear or read any reports from the field about realiablilty problems with this mount.