Scope mount problem

Varmint Hunter

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Dec 26, 2001
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Long Island, New York
I've got a new rifle built off the Lawton 7000 action. It requires 2 front Rem 700 scope bases. However, the receiver is drilled and tapped for 8-40 screws. Lawton sent me a set of 8-40 screws but they have a large taperd head that is probably for their 20moa base. The head of these screws will not fit in the head recess of the Burris bases.

Does anyone know where I can get a set of 8-40 screws that will fit?
 
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You will either have to turn those down or ream out the scope base with a counter sink. Brownell's has the coutersinks for the 8-40.

Once upon a time their was gun that redrilled and tapped his action for 8-40 screws and diden't relize that he would have to enlarge the base holes so , he wrapped a thin piece of tape around the screw threads and put it in his corless drill leaving the head exposed , this bright youg lad then used a small file and with the drill running he filed down the screw heads taking care to stop every so often and measure them so he diden't go to far (ony after messing one up)
 
Seems like Lawton should have figured this out by now. How is the average guy going to deal with this nonesense? It would have been a lot easier if they left the holes @ 6-48.
 
V H

You can buy 8x40 socket head screws from most hardware stores
that should work, and just cut to length.

Stay with the 8x40 screws they are better !

Good luck
J E CUSTOM
 
V H

You can buy 8x40 socket head screws from most hardware stores
that should work, and just cut to length.

Stay with the 8x40 screws they are better !

Good luck
J E CUSTOM

I tried the ACE hardware store and Home Depot. Together they have millions of screws. No 8-40's with any kind of head. All 8-32. I'll keep looking around.
 
If the recoil of your weapon or your abuse on the weapon calls for the screws being upgraded to 8-40 you had better have one bad *** scope cause I sure that the optic will fail well before the screws do.

The 8-40 screw are gonna have bigger heads than the hole in the base was desgined for so you have two options 1-make the hole bigger 2-make the screw head smaller. Brownell's offers an 8-40 scew that uses the T-15 size torx head wich it better for that screw size because the T-20 wrench will snap off the screw , where the T-15 will snap off the tip of the wrench and keep you from a major head ache. The 8-40 heads are bigger though they have to have wider heads so that they will have the proper bearing surface in relation to the bigger hole so your best bet would be to have the scope base holes reamed to fit.

check here : SIGHT SCREW COUNTERBORE at Brownells

they are expensive little tools. if you need a square bottom hole you can use a 1/4" carbide 4 flute end mill to make the counterbore , BUT , you have to make sure that the base is dead center of the hole and held very rigid before you try to sink the mill into it , and use the shortest mill you can find so that it won't walk on you.
 
Thanks for everyone's input. Not sure which way I'll go just yet.

I'm a little annoyed by all of this because this problem should not exist in the first place. I may just have a base custom made.
 
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