About.com Rating



The Bottom Line

These scope mounts are strong, solid, and made in USA. They're also heavy, and this particular set doesn't allow for easy removal and replacement of the scope. That said, I have no regrets and I trust them to keep my scope zeroed.

Pros

• Made of steel, and thus very strong.
• Made in USA.
• Powder coat finish is tough and good-looking.
• Bases have full-width slot to allow full engagement with rings.

• Square recoil keys in rings engage these bases very well.
• Wide rings can grip the scope well.

Cons

• Steel is strong, but makes them heavy.
• These rings can't be removed from bases quickly (but they offer other models that can).
• I had to alter the rear scope base to make it work on my custom rifle.

Description

• Steel scope rings and bases, machined from steel in the USA.
• The ones reviewed here have a matte black powder coat finish; electroless nickel (silver) also available.
• Base set is M898/829M; Rings are 201M.
• These rings are fixed - so the scope can't be removed easily and won't maintain zero if it is removed.
• Removable Maxima rings are available.

Solid, All-American Scope Mounts

When I began working on rebuilding an old 1893 Mauser rifle, I had many decisions to make. One of those was what kind and brand of scope mount to use. I'd had good experience with Warne mounts in the past, and had written about them more than a decade previously, so I decided to give them another whirl and see what their current products were like.

The Basics

These days, scope mounts are much better than they used to be. The development and widespread use of Weaver-style scope mount systems are largely responsible for that, because it's a simple system that works, and it's even been expanded into the "picatinny" rail system that tactical people dearly love to use for mounting everything from scopes to lasers, handles of all types, lights, and much more. My point? The Weaver system works.

As far as the basics, these Warne mounts work just like other Weaver-ish mounts; a crosswise slot in each base engages with a steel key in the ring, which anchors it and prevents it from moving forward or rearward.

The steel key makes contact across the width of the slot in the base - and the slot in the base is full-width, unlike other brands - which gives it greater strength.

Bases

These bases are simple and well-made. I was a little disappointed that, on my custom rifle, I had to grind away the right rear corner of the rear base, so it would clear the bolt handle. This was certainly not a tragedy for me - and to be fair, these bases are sold for the M96 Mauser, not the M93.

I applied some cold blue to cover the bare steel where I ground away the corner of the base, and I'm very pleased with the result. The steel alloy took the blue very well and even months later it's difficult to tell where the original finish ends and the cold blue begins. That's impressive.

Rings

The rings, too, are simple - and fewer parts means there's less to go wrong. Each ring has a right and a left half; these go together to sandwich both the scope and base at the same time. Four Torx-head screws per ring provide tension to clamp the scope in place and provide purchase on the bases.

Dependable

Compared with other rings of similar style, these Warnes really shine. Because they are steel, the threads are much less likely to become stripped - a problem I've had with more than one set of aluminum rings.

Conclusion

I'm pleased with these bases and rings. The finish matches my scope and the matte black Cerama-Coat finish that I used on the rifle, so they look good while providing a strong, solid connection between my rifle and scope - and let's face it... without that connection, the rifle wouldn't be much good.

- Russ Chastain



Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.