Model 10 FCP-SR build thread
Good news - I sold my Saiga, so I’m going scope shopping tonight. I have my eye on a Sig Sauer Tango4 6-24x50 with the MOA Dev-L reticle. I looked through one at a few hundred yards last week and really liked it. I was also looking at a comparatively Vortex Viper. The Vortex turrets are better, but the Sig SBT is a nice option and I think I like the Sig FFP reticle better.
I need to find out what rings will work on a 20 MOA rail with that scope. It’s got a 30mm barrel.
Also, I put together my cheek riser template. It didn’t print exactly to size, but it’s close enough that it’s probably not worth messing with any longer. You can view and download it here.
Model 10 FCP-SR build thread
Two updates: I received my muzzle brake from Ross Schuler. It’s a really nice piece, matched precisely to the barrel diameter:
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I also put on a stock pack. I went with a combination of multicam and genuine suede. I’m going to update the other thread I started with the details about how helpful Bill from www.tacticalsharpshooter.com was in selecting this pack.
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Model 10 FCP-SR build thread
I received my scope last night, finally. It was a toss-up between the Athos ETR and the Vortex Viper, and in the end the Vortex won out for two reasons: the no-questions warranty and the price. The Athos is a better optic, from what I hear; I’ve never held one. But I ultimately plan to paint this rifle, and Athos specifically calls out “painting or coating” as a warranty no-no whereas Vortex doesn’t care if you drop your scope into a barrel of paint and light it on fire. It didn’t hurt that I also found a good deal on the Viper online.
I was happy to learn that the Vortex Tactical low 30mm rings worked just fine! Plenty of clearance at the objective (barrel) and eyepiece (bolt) ends, even with a 20 MOA rail and flip-up caps.
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I set eye relief in prone position with the scope turned all the way up to 25x.
I mounted and lapped the rings, then cleaned everything up and mounted the scope using some cheap bubble levels from Amazon.
I have the E-10 and O-44 Defender caps from Vortex as well. The objective end is really tight... [S]but that’s better than the alternative, I guess.[/S] I just ordered the O-50 cap. I didn't realize it, but I had the wrong size.
As it sits...
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One other observation: I’m definitely going to need more comb on this stock. It looks like I’ll be moving ahead with making a Kydex cheek riser.
Model 10 FCP-SR build thread
I played around a bit with the template for the cheek riser. Because the comb of the stock slopes downward from the scope eyepiece to the butt pad, I decided I would try to level it out with the riser... which means mounting it at a slight angle. I incorporated a 5-degree angle into the sides, back, and mounting holes to hopefully give me a comb that’s flat front-to-back and still follows the lines of the stock. Here’s the result.
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This looks like it’ll work. The top of the comb is more or less parallel with the centerline of the scope, and the slots are close to vertical so the riser won’t move forward or backward depending on its height. That’s what I was shooting for in this version.
Model 10 FCP-SR build thread
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rocketmandb
1) Are you going to bed the scope rail? It takes only a little time, is inexpensive/easy to do, and can alleviate some issues if the rail doesn't perfectly match the mounts (which it seldom does).
I wasn’t planning to, but I did lap the rings—which is sort of “downstream” of bedding the rail. I THINK any issues with the rail binding/bending would have showed themselves with the rings mounted and the alignment kit in place.. wouldn’t they? Out of the box with everything mounted, alignment was perfect. I lapped the rings anyway to remove any high spots, and only the inside bottoms were scrubbed away a bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rocketmandb
2) On the cheek riser you're building, try to get the sides as close to the stock as possible. The farther off the stock it is, the more you have to angle your head to line up your eye with the scope. I played around with a friend's and I had to angle too much. It forced my ear muff cup off my right ear. His was probably 1/4" off the stock.
I have a 1/8” thick sheet of Kydex I haven’t cut yet. Once cut, I’ll be using a heat gun to shape it. I’ll hit it on both sides, right down the spine, and then form it to the stock. So, about the bend: should I go for exactly the same profile as the rifle stock comb? Looking at it from the back, should I try to get more of an upside-down V, or an upside-down U? I’ll have the stock pack installed over the top of it, too, so that’ll push my face out a little further. I’ve played around with it while looking through the scope, and I think I have some wiggle room with my head to go “out” from the center of the stock... that is, I can stand to have my cheek weld pushed left a bit (right-handed shooter, right eye dominant).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rocketmandb
Looks like it's going to be a fun rifle.
I hope. I’ve been moving into a house over the past week and it’s been sitting in a box. I need to find some time to get it sighted in.
Model 10 FCP-SR build thread
Revisiting this thread after a move—still in progress—but I’ve made headway on the cheek riser, so I thought I’d post it.
I shaped the 1/8” Kydex with a Dremel. It cut easily enough, and I sanded the edges with 320 grit sandpaper. I’ll probably do some finer shaping with a dowel and some coarse paper, but the 320 is all I have on hand.
I cut the Velcro section that I’m going to adhere to the Kydex. I’m going to have to do some research on what epoxy holds best. Before I do that, though, I’ll be drilling holes for the adjustment slots. After that, bending. I’ll probably go with a rounder profile than what’s on the stock. I plan to use star washers between the riser and the stock for grip, but nothing else for spacing.
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As for the rail bedding... I think it’s a good idea. I will probably get the chance to tackle that in the next few weeks.
EDIT: The Internet says 3M weatherstrip adhesive is the ticket for Velcro-Kydex bonding.