The factory offered scope mount for my Taurus RB clamps on the top of the barrel with small strips of metal passing through the vent slots. This system is marginal at best. I have significant machine shop skills and a retired father with a garage full of new toys.

My question is this, when I fabricate a scope mount should I attach it to the barrel like the factory or should I drill and tap the top strap? Either way will work but which one is better concerning the strength and reliability of the revolver?

Thanks in advance, Bill

TB--

Why not mount it as intended and then add the screws as secondary attachment? I haven't seen the mount but that would be the first thing I'd consider.

The top of the barrel is curved but not cylindrical, and the mating surface is also round but has a different contour. The mount rocks side to side if you don't get it just right.

Having access to a couple machines and looking for a project, my dad and I want to make a mount. I plan on it being all one piece instead of having the rings separate. This is favorable for obvious reasons and also gives me the freedom to set the rings as far apart as I wish and also set the eye relief where I want as well.

Discussions with shooters who have a lot more experience than I do with pistol scopes raised the question of mounting it on the top strap instead of the vent. The top strap option would get the mount's weight down a bit and also back farther, that 8 3/8" barrel is heavy enough!

So back to my original question, strap or vent?

nearly all smithy's are machinists. However, not all machinists are smithy's. In any case, if there isn't an existing mount that'd be cheaper, just drilling holes is not the answer.

Bill,
My brother was going to mount a rail to his little Taurus .17 but after I suggested just making fly cuts in it for Ruger type dovetail rings he decided to go for that idea.

He came back from the shop that afternoon with the scope mounted up that way, it worked perfectly "on that pistol". Looking at my "short barreled 454 Taurus RB, without looking at his, I'm not sure where I'd place the cuts at, or if it would work. It's a clean looking modification for sure and works great. I'll post a pic of it later when I get over there to get one of his.

TB---

I'm still puzzled at your post... I don't think I yet know what you're asking.

If its "where do I mount the scope?" the answer is "where it fits your shooting style and where you want it."

If you're making mounts you can do it however you want.

Don't drill all the way through the barrel and DON'T drill through the top strap at the barrel cylinder junction. That area takes a lot of hot gas abuse and a hole there weakens it even more.

TB,

Sounds like you are going to proceed with a different type mounting system regardless, so here are a couple of ideas to help keep you out of trouble.

Decide whether you want to mount the scope to the barrel or the top strap. Do not attach it to both. The Ruger mount is usually integrated with the barrel rib, but on occasion have been mounted on the top strap, where Smith & Wesson's attach, but either place should work fine.

For either a barrel or top strap mount, I would go with a picatinny style base because of the vast array of ring choices on the market. With this style, you can even mount 3 rings if you think you need it. Anyway, machine a picatinny style base to straddle the rib. No need to machine the channel any deeper than the thickness of the rib. Drill, tap and attach it to the rib posts rather than in between the posts. Machine a recoil shoulder in the base for the front ring to butt against.

For a top strap mounted scope, Remove the rear sight and go with the same picatinny style mount complete with recoil shoulder as above only make this base fit the entire length of the top strap including the area where the rear sight was. To reduce clutter, see if you can incorporate the rear base screw hole with that of the rear sight screw hole.

At a minimum with either configuration, I would use (3)6X48 screws to attach the mount.

Good luck,

Malm

I have found that the Taurus RB mounting system works great if you use THREE strong rings on the base, instead of two!!

Thanks for all the advise so far. I guess what I really needed to ask was, is it better to drill into the rib or the top strap? Most revolvers I've seen with a scope has the mount attached at the top strap. Since my barrel has a rib and the factory mount secures to it, I wanted to know if it's better to mount on the rib instead of the strap.

JBelk, thanks for the advise about staying away from the cylindar/barrel junction, that's exactly the kind of info I'm looking for.

Brent, I thought about fly cutting a rail on top as well, but I like the idea of a base/rings combo being all one piece. The weakest point to this set up will be how it attaches to the revolver.

G.Malmborg, thanks to you too, I was questioning where to drill the rib. Between posts would allow easier tapping of the holes, I could go all they way through to the vent slot. If I drill in to the posts, I can go a bit deeper but it's harder to tap a blind hole. How much should I leave for barrel thickness under the hole? I'll be machining the entire set up out of a single piece of stock so a recoil shoulder won't be nessessary.

Eldeguello, a third ring would more securely hold the scope to the mount but the mount/rib junction would not be effected, and this is where I find the flaw with the factory set up.

Last but not least, what material should I use? Steel or aluminum?

Thanks again for all the help. When I get this project going, I'll keep you posted and include pictures.

Bill

TB,

Sometimes the easy way isn't always the best. Yes it requires more skill to tap a blind hole than between the posts, but would look much better. You shouldn't have to drill any deeper than .150 with a #6 screw. If you can, make it out of steel. leave the aluminum for beer cans.


Good luck,

Malm

What type of steel? I'm looking at 303 stainless.