A lot of the German scopes in my possession are light weight ones equipped with rails. Most of the rifles I use them on are German with claw or pivot mounts.

Is there a way to mount these scopes on American made rifles without resorting to the very expensive Recknagel adapters which NECG imports?
Some of the scopes are lacking in internal windage adjustment and would need a mount which can provide it, like a Redfield or a Leupold.

Yes, grind off the rail where the rings go; they are likely 26mm, check that.
If aluminum, file it.
Lathe turning might work.....carefully.
I would have to center drill the objective lens though!

If you center drill the ocular lens also, you can just fit a lathe dog at an appropriate place, and turn it between centers.
However, I had something else in mind.
Or did you plan to use a collet?

I would think twice before screwing up some good scopes. These are in demand in a small circle of collectors. Run it past Lee Le Bas out of Minden NV

Lee is doing some work for me right now. I didn't think to ask him, I guess because I associate him with claw and pivot mounts, but I certainly will.

Did a couple of scopes like this while in Germany as dpcd has suggested. My German friend who had hunted in NZ and found low mounted scopes in Weaver rings, which I used at the time, were more to his liking so wanted me to achieve this for him with a couple of his favourite railed scopes.

He only had a hacksaw and a couple of files so we sat the scope upside down in some Weaver ring bases to get the eye relief he wanted and carefully marked out on the rail where we needed to take out a section of rail. Lots of judicious hack saw cuts and filing to to remove the two sections of aluminium railing, bit of black paint and perfect fit, and look, in the 26mm Weaver rings.
One satisfied customer for him and aching wrists for me. One thing about it, the scope would never move in the rings .

Sorry I have not been into AR for six weeks, xausa, and didn't see this post 'til now.

While most of the post-war steel scopes had 26mm barrels, I've found the dural ones bigger than that but not of any common diameter.

If it is not too late to matter, is it possible anyone you know could make some female dovetails for you, perhaps with bottom parts that might fit a Leupold STD base?

I've found dovetails on the Internet with screws that fitted Optilock bases, but they probably only work with Sako or Tikka rifles.

Take say a leupold ring which fits the bases. At the bottom of the ring cut out an inlet to take take the rail - either cut it oversize and then use the rings to clamp, or cut it accurately to take the dovetail, cut the ring off, and drill and tap a cross pin as per the original. You can achieve most of this with a hack saw and good files and a little time and patience.

Good thought, SR20. I considered getting out a rifle with Leupold mounts to see if that could be done, but had a bit of other stuff to do.

If any extra meat were needed, higher rings might supply it.

In the meantime, xausa, as said in email, I have some dovetails you might be able to employ on one rifle.