CalNewbie ...believe their vertical rings are powdered metal that is machined after at least that is what I read somewhere. I had their old rings which were more expensive actually at the time then the new ones are and Ihad a lot of problems with them quality wise. If you like them and they hold your scope properly without slipping then they finally changed their design and made them better. I could not get my scope from slipping in them under 7MAg recoil...and I tried rosin,small pieces of sandpaper etc etc.