I picked up a over and under 16/8x57jr. It has claw bases but no rings. Who do you guys recommend to do scope mounting for me. I would prefer some one in Texas if possible. Also what is the usual cost to have a set of claw rings made and mounted

Lee LeBas now lives in TX, but he closed his Carson City NV shop and is CEO of Mauser USA and Sauer of America, living in San Antonio.

Figure on about $650-800 to buy them and have fitted, if they are AKAH bases. If not...$1,100.00 or so.

Claw mounts have to be made to absolute perfection otherwise they will become every shooter's nightmare.

The biggest problem is finding a gunsmith who is at all capable of delivering such a piece of work. It needs experience. But as claw mounts have become rare, how should such experience be attained?

Secondly, IF you have found one of those rare specimen of a gunsmith, he will have to charge you lots and lots of hours. It's all hand made.

The best thing you can do is to have the claw bases replaced with pivot mount bases. This is less expensive than having new claw mount rings made and it is more versatile for future use.

You might give John Maples a call. He's located near Kerrville and can definately do the job correctly. His phone number is 713-412-5816

Ernest,
Call Tip Burns. Also you can call NECG order the rings for your mounts and have them shipped to either you or tip to have them put on the scope.

Thanks!!

Ernest

JJ at Champlins made a new set of rings for my Lang .360 No.2 a year ago. I wanted to use an old (1939) Hensoldt Dialytan 4x (rail scope). He charged $700. My recollection is that it would have been $100 less had the rings not required windage adjustment to be built in.

Two more sources:

New England Custom Guns (on the web)

and
Gustav Pfromer in southern Virginia (pfrommergunworks@hotmail.com) 540 484 5555
He is Austrian trained, I believe.

thanks

I thought I bought that gun.

quote:

The best thing you can do is to have the claw bases replaced with pivot mount bases. This is less expensive than having new claw mount rings made and it is more versatile for future use.

Ich stimme zu...I agree. Replace the claw mount bases with pivot mounts...I prefer EAW but there are several different makes.

Law Dag. No you silly that is the other one. It is a little like a card trick you know. mess around in the gun safe and another and different one comes out

Oh, thought they were a set.

quote:

Originally posted by JonP:

quote:

The best thing you can do is to have the claw bases replaced with pivot mount bases. This is less expensive than having new claw mount rings made and it is more versatile for future use.

Ich stimme zu...I agree. Replace the claw mount bases with pivot mounts...I prefer EAW but there are several different makes.

I think that would be a huge mistake! I have my DR off right now, replaceing the pivot mts going to claw! After having claw mts., i HATED the pivots.

DM

I think that would be a huge mistake! I have my DR off right now, replaceing the pivot mts going to claw! After having claw mts., i HATED the pivots.

DM[/QUOTE]

Why did yo hate them

They are more fragile than good claw mounts and sometimes temperamental.

Ernest

If it has existing claw bases it's a no brainer. Try and restore the gun back close to the way it was. I assume this is an older gun that was liberated during the war. The owner kept the scope but surrendered the gun. Perhaps a vintage Hensoldt, Zeiss, Ajax or Pecar would top it off very nicely. A modern scope will scream out that it is not original.

quote:

They are more fragile than good claw mounts and sometimes temperamental.

I would disagree...lived in German/Austria/Switzerland for years and most everyone is moving away from claw mounts...too expensive and offer no advantage. You can put multiple scopes on a gun much more easily with pivot mounts (I have a rifle with a scope for driven hunts and one for night shooting). Properly installed, you will have no problem with pivot mounts. Caveat...I have nothing heavier than a 9.3 in the safe...with DG calibers, I would have to defer.

quote:

Originally posted by JonP:

quote:

They are more fragile than good claw mounts and sometimes temperamental.

I would disagree...lived in German/Austria/Switzerland for years and most everyone is moving away from claw mounts...too expensive and offer no advantage.

Pivots mounts are about $350.00 and claws are about $700.00 and worth every penny they cost extra. "If" you sell the gun, you will get that $ back, and i've found claw mts. to be a good selling point that helps sale of the gun.

As for no advantage? Most times i carry my gun without the scope, and if needed i snap the scope on for a longer shot. I bet you i can put my claw equiped scope on and put a bullet im my target faster than you can get the pivot scope on and locked into place.

All i have to do is, push the claw in the mount,



And rotate the scope down,



Until it clicks,



Best part is, it ALWAYS comes back to zero! And no scope mount works easier or is faster or more accurate.

Like i already said, it's worth every penny of the extra $ it cost!

DM

Well...we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't walk around with the scope off. I will side with all the Euro hunters that have moved away from claw mounts...I'm sure that EAW, Recknagel and others would be interested to hear that only claw mounts return to zero.

If you have a vintage gun or a gun that has very tradiional lines and you want to maintain the most traditional look and funcktion then claws it is hands down.
Claw mounts are the Rolex of scope mounting systems. What I mean by that is that there are mounts that work just as well as claw mounts but the claw mounts have the (lets call it) name recognition.
I have in my collection 9 rifles with claw mounts, Also I have several swing mounts by EAW and Bock. I disagree that claw mounts work any better or faster. Actully they all seem to work to perfection.
I would also agree that the European makers are shifting to more of the swing type mounts and there are many practical reasons for that.

quote:

I bet you i can put my claw equiped scope on and put a bullet im my target faster than you can get the pivot scope on and locked into place.

With the EAW's I might think twice but with the Bock system I'll take that bet any day.

I think that the fascination with claw mounts is a North American phenomenon...more to do with the collectibility than practicality. I have sold several guns with claw mounts (most recently a very nice drilling on this site) and neither claw mounts or expensive scopes seemed to get anyone too excited. As far as I can see, claw mounts are merely another avenue to lose more money in the resale. They offer nothing more as far as function. I can put 2 or 3 scopes on one gun for FAR less money using swing mounts.

The only advantage I can see is if you use a gun without a scope...then the claw mount bases sit low and out of the way on the rib.

thanks for the replys

I really don't care what they use in some other country. I'm a hunter, i've stayed in the bush for weeks at a time, and i've owned/used many types of QD mounts. I own both claw and swings, and for me, the claws win hands down.

I'm FAR from a wealthy man, but i'll gladly give up some other toy, to have the few extra dollars it cost me, to have claws put on my "go to gun" and my DR.

I've been using the one on my drilling for over 25 years and it's worked "perfectly" without any adjustment or spl. maintance of any kind.

One time i pulled my scope out of my pack, snapped it on, and drilled a coyote through the ribs at 300 plus yards. I just have nothing but good things to say about claw mounts.

DM

I made a set of claw rings from a set of Leupold extra high rings, By just milling the feet a little oversize & then fitting/filing them to shape with engineers paste & a lot of patience. It can be done by about any good gunsmith with a knowledge of how they should fit & function. Took me an entire day & some crossed eyes & sore back, but they work as well as any claw mounts. I have (@ 8 others). I too love claws compared to other QD types I've used. A drilling is a double bird gun as well as a rifle & the claw bases are usually not obstructive...

I use both the recknagle swing out and claw mounts and find both to work equally well. My Merkel 160 Double Rifle in 8x75RS has the recknagel, my JP Sauer and Merkel drillings have claw mounts. All three guns hold their zero when removing and re-installing the scopes. Sometimes I hunt with open sights, especially when stalk hunting in thick cover, and sometimes I use the scope in more open terrain. Both systems work beautifully and always have.

As for aesthetics, I think my Merkel 160 with recknagel looks just as handsome and handles a low mounted Leupold 3x9x33 Ultralight scope. I do not have to raise my cheek off the cheekpiece with this set up.

But to the original question, if the gun already has claw mounts, then it deserves some new claw rings, and if properly done will work nicely. I would probably send to JJ at Champlin's for this. We know the quality of his work.


Mike

Speaking of JJ, i was talking to him about this very thing just the other day. Like HE said, it's all about money... claws cost more, so folks buy swings.

DM