German Claw Mount | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd. - Page 1

The German claw mount is possibly the finest detachable scope mount ever created and if you already have a set of operable bases on your gun then you have over half of the mount and the expense behind you. The claw mount is truly a hand fit mount where the base and ring tolerances vary enough that they are not interchangeable and not one you can simply assemble. Therefore rings are not an "off the shelf" item and require machining and fitting in order to complete the mount properly.

Avoid the temptation to purchase a scope with claw rings attached and expect to find mount bases to mount on the scope. The odds of being successful are slim. More than likely the labor costs, to fit bases that will mount that scope will outweigh the value of the piece. Also be cautious when trying to buy a “period” scope without claw rings as many of the early scopes have odd tube diameters and new commercial rings are not available. We have access to 1” / 26mm and 30mm rings for the main tube diameters. The front objective diameter should not be a problem but contact us and give us the actual measurement of the objective to confirm the availability of the front claw ring.

Existing bases: If your gun is equipped with Suhler style German claw mount bases then their position on the gun will dictate the size of the scope which can be comfortably mounted. The design of the mount is such that in order to detach the scope the rear ring is released by sliding the rear locking bar back and lifting up on the rear of scope which in turn unhooks the front claws from the base plate recess's. If too much of the new scope protrudes beyond the front base it may tip down and hit the rib, rear sight or barrel of the gun and hamper its removal. Guns with short base spacing often need a smaller straight tube low power scope such as a Leupold 1.5-5 or one of the European 1.25-4x20 or newer 1,1-4x24 scopes both of which sport 30mm tubes. When choosing a scope you must find one that provides you with comfortable eye relief yet one that will be position it over the bases.

When fitting a new pair rings to the original bases, if no original scope exists, we will remove the front dovetail base plate and fit a new base plate that comes mated to a new front ring. (Should there be an original scope and we are fitting a second set of rings we will need to machine the claws to match the original base plate. This is an additional charge.) Once we have the new front ring and plate fit to the base and aligned for windage and elevation we will than machine the rear ring and its claws to fit the existing rear base openings and lock up. Once the mount is functional we will shape the new front plate to resemble the original and engrave it to match and then blue the new components to blend in with the gun and scope. Average price to fit claw mount rings to existing claw mount bases: $800 or $985 if we are fitting a second scope to be used along with an original scope. Rings fit to existing bases on the Mannlicher-Schoenauer run on average $990.

Complete mounts: We do offer complete Claw Mount installations as well. The scopes overall size and configuration will dictate where the bases go. Please keep in mind that if mounting a scope on a combination gun or drilling that the gun is a hunting gun and a lower powered more compact scope will work best and do not be tempted to overpower the scope as it will be bigger and bulkier. Do not chose a scope with an adjustable objective, oval Widefield objective or a new Leupold VX-L series with elliptical objective as claw mount rings are not made for these scopes. If a bolt action rifle is being scoped please note that the base may go out on the barrel and not nessacarily on the receiver ring. Average price for a complete installation of a German Claw mount is $1,800+.

Before shipping: Please give us a call to discuss the options and to get an idea of the delivery time. When a gun is being sent to us for fitting either a complete mount or just rings to existing bases we suggest that you first acquire the scope you want mounted on the firearm. Then, with a friends help, you hold the gun in a comfortable shooting position and have the scope set on its highest power setting held over the gun starting out away from the eye pull it back until you achieve the full field of view. Then mark the barrel of the gun with a piece of masking tape so that the back edge of the tape lines up with the front end of the scope objective. Once the gun arrives we will align the scope with the tape as a reference point for the final position of the scope in the rings.

We hope this brief overview helps you understand the time and effort that goes into one of these mounts. Should you have any further questions please give us a call at 603-287-4836.