Al,

If you don't lap or bed your top ring, how can you be sure you are getting positive, uniform contact by the top half in acting to press the scope down into the bottom ring half? Lapping and bedding the bottoms would certainly solve the question of whether the scope is straight in the rings and making full contact. If the tops are left in the raw wouldn't you run the possibility of only partial contact, or is this not a concern? Thanks --Greg