I appreciate high value guns like NEF single shots, Stevens 200 bolt guns, etc. Lots of capability and reasonable quality for the dollars invested.
When scoping a modestly priced firearm, quality, top-shelf mounts and quick detach rings can approach half of the cost of the gun. Sometimes, that's hard to justify. There are lots of good values in traditional scope rings from Weaver, Millet and others, but when you want QD rings, particularly with a tool-free, lever style release, the choices are limited and expensive.
Recently, while doing some home gunsmithing on an old milsurp to set it up as a scout rifle, I looked at all of the available QD rings on the market. For the milsurp, I ended up using lightweight Millets, but during my research, I came across NC Star's weaver compatible QD rings, models RB31 (low) and RB32 (medium). The height descriptions are a bit misleading, as RB31 is really a medium height, and RB32 is tall. I found these around the net priced as lows as $11/set. I ordered two sets of RB31, to try them out and keep handy for various projects.
The rings are all steel and heavy. These aren't appropriate for a lightweight stalking gun, unless you want some additional weight to tame recoil. As expected, the machinework is not Leupold or Warne quality. The screws don't thread as smoothly as top dollar rings, and the rings appear to be painted rather than blued, making them more susceptible to finish wear. Those are the negatives.
The positives are: These are hefty, solid rings, and the QD feature works well. Each upper ring half is held on by four Torx headed screws (a Torx wrench is included with the rings). I have mounted these rings with several different scopes, and the screw heads are not prone to stripping, which can be a problem with some low cost rings. Dimensionally, the rings mated solidly to several different Weaver rails I tried. The scopes I tried stayed rigidly in place while shooting 308 Win out of a moderately kicking 7.5 pound rifle. Based on the mounting experience, I would trust these rings on a heavier recoiling gun.
Would I use these on a Rem 700 CDL sporting a Leupold VXIII? Absolutely not. Even though they might do the job, they'd look out of place on a $1200 rig. For a utilitarian rifle or shotgun, where I wanted the QD feature without the $60 price tag of a set of Leupold or Warne QDs, these are just the ticket.
http://www.ncstar.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=215
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When scoping a modestly priced firearm, quality, top-shelf mounts and quick detach rings can approach half of the cost of the gun. Sometimes, that's hard to justify. There are lots of good values in traditional scope rings from Weaver, Millet and others, but when you want QD rings, particularly with a tool-free, lever style release, the choices are limited and expensive.
Recently, while doing some home gunsmithing on an old milsurp to set it up as a scout rifle, I looked at all of the available QD rings on the market. For the milsurp, I ended up using lightweight Millets, but during my research, I came across NC Star's weaver compatible QD rings, models RB31 (low) and RB32 (medium). The height descriptions are a bit misleading, as RB31 is really a medium height, and RB32 is tall. I found these around the net priced as lows as $11/set. I ordered two sets of RB31, to try them out and keep handy for various projects.
The rings are all steel and heavy. These aren't appropriate for a lightweight stalking gun, unless you want some additional weight to tame recoil. As expected, the machinework is not Leupold or Warne quality. The screws don't thread as smoothly as top dollar rings, and the rings appear to be painted rather than blued, making them more susceptible to finish wear. Those are the negatives.
The positives are: These are hefty, solid rings, and the QD feature works well. Each upper ring half is held on by four Torx headed screws (a Torx wrench is included with the rings). I have mounted these rings with several different scopes, and the screw heads are not prone to stripping, which can be a problem with some low cost rings. Dimensionally, the rings mated solidly to several different Weaver rails I tried. The scopes I tried stayed rigidly in place while shooting 308 Win out of a moderately kicking 7.5 pound rifle. Based on the mounting experience, I would trust these rings on a heavier recoiling gun.
Would I use these on a Rem 700 CDL sporting a Leupold VXIII? Absolutely not. Even though they might do the job, they'd look out of place on a $1200 rig. For a utilitarian rifle or shotgun, where I wanted the QD feature without the $60 price tag of a set of Leupold or Warne QDs, these are just the ticket.
http://www.ncstar.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=215
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