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SHARPSHOOTER282
04-04-24, 06:43
I have an LMT AR with a nightforce optic, I will be getting an another AR which will most of the time will have a red dot. However on some occasions, my plan is to swap out the nightforce optic and put it on my second AR. Would the continued taking off and replacing the night force optic damage the LMT pic rails over time?
The night force optic is on a night force XTRM - Unimount

Red*Lion
04-04-24, 07:26
So you plan to swap out optics between two AR's over and over again? I guess I would question as to why you would do that? With that everything will wear with use, but I doubt you will do any significant damage/wear mounting and unmounting optics on occasion.

Dr Dues
04-04-24, 08:32
You will have different barrels so your dope for each will be unique for each.

So, you need to grind out the numbers for each barrel with that scope..........and reconfirm when replacing the scope.....each time.

for me...the juice isn't worth the squeze.

YMMV

markm
04-04-24, 08:44
No. You won't damage the rail if you're not doing anything ridiculous. The finish wear may accelerate, but If it were me, I wouldn't care about that.

If I were going back and forth, I'd prefer to leave it on one gun for a while due to the reasons mentioned above.

202
04-04-24, 13:52
Why would you do that? What’s the purpose?
Perhaps you do that a couple of times to decide which of the two ARs is better suited for long range shooting and which one is for shorter ranges and home defense. But at some point, you would set them up for a specific purpose.

markm
04-04-24, 14:05
Why would you do that? What’s the purpose?

There was an instructor, maybe with Magpul's training thing they had going. Todd something?.. a real good long range shooting instructor. He made the point that if you had limited funds for Glass, it was better to move 1 good scope, than say 2 Vortex scopes for example.

tangolima
04-04-24, 14:24
I do that quite often. Why? I have other bills to pay, and I still owe people money. :)

Wear and tear are there but minimal. There are a few practical issues to overcome.

I use scopes with exposed turrets exclusively for this purpose. I zero the turrets for one rifle and will keep the zeroing unchanged ever, even when the scope is moved to other rifles. I have a new dope table printed out and taped to backside of the eyepiece cap. That table is based on the indicated w/e figures of the scope. It may look like this

W +3
100yd 4.00
200yd 6.25
300yd 9.50
...

For the new rifle, windage set to +3 moa for no wind. Elevation set to +4 moa for 100yd etc.

To minimize error, I torque the mount screws to the rail with torque driver. Still I test fire a couple shots to verify dope, and make adjustments to the table if needed.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Uncas47
04-04-24, 14:31
Nightforce, Badger, Geissele, mounts, no worries.
Edit to add Reptilia, maybe Scalarworks if Marks replacement holds together.

markm
04-04-24, 14:43
maybe Scalarworks if Marks replacement holds together.

Mine? My failed mount's weakness was specific to the old 30mm RDS hinge they had. I don't think any of their other products shared that flaw.

lysander
04-04-24, 15:02
You'll lose your zero, son!

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/wp-content/uploads/foggy4.jpg

titsonritz
04-04-24, 18:10
Only if it is a LaRue mount.

202
04-04-24, 19:45
There was an instructor, maybe with Magpul's training thing they had going. Todd something?.. a real good long range shooting instructor. He made the point that if you had limited funds for Glass, it was better to move 1 good scope, than say 2 Vortex scopes for example.

I understand that point. I guess one can do that if one has multiple rifles for long range shooting, for example. But the OP has only two rifles, wouldn’t make more sense to set them up each for a specific purpose?
I’m not criticizing. To each their own.

markm
04-04-24, 19:54
Only if it is a LaRue mount.

Now those were supposed to "Laruin" your rails according the the homos at AAC back in the day. They were having a sissy feud with nut case Mark LaRue however.

lysander
04-05-24, 06:56
Only if it is a LaRue mount.

I find it impossible to believe that two different rifles would have the exact same zero, no matter how repeatable the mount may be on a single rail.

Therefore, you will loose your zero on one of the rifles.

tangolima
04-05-24, 08:45
I find it impossible to believe that two different rifles would have the exact same zero, no matter how repeatable the mount may be on a single rail.

Therefore, you will loose your zero on one of the rifles.It works if you accept the different zeros and have different dope tables.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

markm
04-05-24, 08:47
It works if you accept the different zeros and have different dope tables.

You could do that, but the windage is still a variable.

tangolima
04-05-24, 09:11
You could do that, but the windage is still a variable.The dope table has windage setting for no wind too. See post #7.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

markm
04-05-24, 09:38
The dope table has windage setting for no wind too. See post #7.

That works!

My brain doesn't work calendars or windage adjustments. I just doesn't. I'm all for sharing one good scope if you have a system.

tangolima
04-05-24, 11:04
That works!

My brain doesn't work calendars or windage adjustments. I just doesn't. I'm all for sharing one good scope if you have a system.Yeah I also took time to accept that the dope table is just "expected values". There are variables at play in the field, wind, temperature, atmospheric pressure etc. One needs to be flexible and adaptive, and be quick to adjust dope to compensate.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

titsonritz
04-05-24, 11:10
I find it impossible to believe that two different rifles would have the exact same zero, no matter how repeatable the mount may be on a single rail.

Therefore, you will loose your zero on one of the rifles.

I was poking fun at LaRue mounts allegedly chewing up pic rails and the ensuing meltdowns from back in the day.

markm
04-05-24, 11:11
I was poking fun at LaRue mounts allegedly chewing up pic rails and the ensuing meltdowns from back in the day.

Those were fun days! Two douchey companies sissy fighting on the internuts!

titsonritz
04-05-24, 15:12
Those were fun days! Two douchey companies sissy fighting on the internuts!

Yep, all sorts of fun like this oldie but goodie…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fUTDU3Zj6I0

Stickman
04-06-24, 15:11
Now those were supposed to "Laruin" your rails according the the homos at AAC back in the day.



The "Laruin" (which is also what I've heard it called) mounts are not allowed to be used at a bunch of police departments due to individual testing and departmental policies. LT is an old design. Its been awhile since I've heard of anyone using them on serious weapons.

You've got to remember, Pat R did not pick LT as his first choice to pick up goodies and give them away during courses.