Help with Leupold Variable Power Adjustment

[smoky]

Yesterday after remounting a vari x III and shooting at the range for awhile, the power adjustment is noticeably harder to twist.  What gives?

Also, it seems to me that the "tightness" of this varies a good bit from Leupold to Leupold.

Any comments/suggestions.

Smoky

[Redhawk1]

I can bet you have the ring mounted close to the adjustment ring. When you tighten the rings down, you squeezed the outer tube on the adjustment ring on the inside of the scope, making the adjustment ring hard to rotate. Move the scope back toward your eye, so the ring is not close to the adjustment ring. I did that once also.  

[TheOpticZone]

First, I would just try and loosen up the rings slightly just to see if that helps.

[Dave in WV]

Unfortunately it's a common complaint with the newer Leupold scopes. I know, mine is difficult to turn too. When I sent it to Premier Reticle this year I added a note asking them to check it out. It's a bit better now. You can send it back to Leupold and ask them to correct the problem. If the rear ring is against or very close to the power adjustment ring that could be your problem too. Mine is not near the rear ring and was stiff out of the box.

[smoky]

Thanks for the replies, guys.  Actually, the power ring is adequately spaced from the rear mounting ring and is in the same place that it was mounted prior to removal.  It was shot in that position for 3 years with no problems.

The scope was removed only because all of the guns metal was professionally recoated with KG GunCote, including the rings and bases.  I have had this done to several other guns with no problems, but could the ring coating be playing a factor?

Smoky

[Dave in WV]

Try lapping the inside of the rings. If you didn't have the problem out of the box I'd suspect the coating on the rings.