The Firearms Forum banner

How to mount a pic rail?

1K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  goofy 
#1 ·
My buddy wants to mount a piece of picatinny rail on his 10/22. His questions, also mine, is how to find to dead center? He has no machinist tools. And I have no idea. I was thinking, put the receiver in a vice and plumb it. Then soot the barrel. Balance a piece of thin metal and there is the top. Then I thought, this is stupid. Help please.
 
#4 ·
Without having a few machinists tools, I don't know what to tell you. I'm surprised that it didn't at least come predrilled. MsMads 10/22 came with the rail already attached.
 
#9 ·
This is what I came up with. I'm just going to have him send it to me. I have a mill that is accurate to seven decimal points past 0. For those who are interested this means that when an object, such as a barrel, is viced up, I can measure the diameter of the barrel with incredible accuracy. It's interesting, you start at one side of the barrel and zero this axis. Move to the other side. Take this measurement, which is the diameter and push a button which tells you exactly where the center is. Tap this point, change to end mill, tap hole.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Check this out:


Of course, if you don't have a mill with a cross-slide, you can adapt the concept to whatever tools you do have.

Oh, and never mind the second half of the video where he verifies how close he got it. You just don't need to be within a thousandth.
 
#11 ·
I have a scope base jig made for doing this.
But if you have too you have to find the center on the top of the back of the receiver then make a loop on the end of a piece of fishing string loop it over the front site pull it back put it on the mark you made and mark the receiver.
If you do not have any tools for this you need to use a small ruler that has mm and inches hold it on the receiver and find the center. I use a little aluminum ruler that can bend to fit the top of the receiver.
With out the proper tools to do a job then you either put up with it not being dead center or pay a gunsmith to use his tools to do it right.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top