Chokes rotate loose after 25 rounds. What to do?

I'm not liking the Loctite idea. There are different strengths of that....
Not meant for choke tubes....unless you want it to be permanent.

Use a thicker grease as a antiseize on the choke tube threads.

If you use Loctite not even a gun smith can get them out. The heat of firing will weld them into place.

A wrap of thread tape might be worth trying.

Blue Loctite is a serviceable thread locker, but I am not sure I would use it on a choketube. For what it's worth, back in the days of pulling wrenches, if one came upon a part that had threadlock applied, using heat was a way to break down the product enabling easier disassembly. Would not want a torch on my firearm!

Use some anti-seize compound, the same stuff you would use on your sparks plugs. It helps lock the threads in and makes it possible to remove easily.
Think of it as sort of a high-temp loc-tite.
But be aware that a little goes a long way.

Anti-seize and check them after every round of Trap. I find your experience isn't that unusal anyway. I wanted to check a kids choke at 4-H Trap, and it was just loose, I used just my pinkie to turn it out. Then I switched his Full for an IC, he hit more birds the next round. Better to chip 25 than smoke 15.

My chokes tend to loosen during a round also. I know this because I have developed a habit of checking them during a round. They usually stay put after a box or 2. They also become more difficult to remove after 8-10 rounds without cleaning them and I only apply grease to them.

I want to think that as the barrels/ chokes heat up during a round that the chokes will tend to loosen. Finger tightening and then letting the barrels cool seems to keep the chokes tight as I tend to believe that the barrels heat up (expand) faster than the chokes. Once they (barrels) get hot and I tighten the chokes and let the gun cool down this becomes less of an issue for me. The chokes tend to stay tight until I remove them. I've noticed this in several guns.

I would avoid locktite or thread lock of any kind. Curious, how often does OP cleans his gun?

I use Never-Seez nickel on my hunting guns where I do not change chokes in the field. If it gets on any clothing it is forever.
For targets I just use my fingers or a quarter every station. EZ habit to establish.
I have an acquaintance who uses purple Loctite. Been doing it for years with zero issues. If you ever do need heat just use a heat gun or hair dryer, no torch.
Your choice.

If I used any Loctite , it would be the purple , but I would try the anti seize first .

You can also use a wax type lube or anti seize.

The metallic anti seize compounds are great but have one very big draw back.

If you get the stuff on clothes it will stain them.

thread lock and let sit over night

I've heard of never-seize being used in that application but never tried it. Currently have only one shotgun with screw-in chokes; a Mossberg 500 set up for turkey and the extra-full choke that gets screwed in just gets a light coat of Lubriplate to also help guard the threads from rust and I don't know if that would help keep the choke from rotating loose. All I really know is that choke stays put until I remove it and there's never been any rust in there. Could Lubriplate help also with unwanted rotation?

Armored farmer said:

I'm not liking the Loctite idea. There are different strengths of that....
Not meant for choke tubes....unless you want it to be permanent.

Click to expand...

Yes, there are different strengths, as well as different compositions based on the evironment to be used in.

Blue Loctite is a medium strength Loctite which requires hand tools to disassemble. This will work for this application.

Purple Loctite is low strength. Personally, I'd recommend starting with this one first, as generally this will suit most gun needs in which loose threads are an issue. If better is needed, then move up to Blue Loctite.

I do NOT recommend using Red Loctite on firearms at all. This is a high strength application, and may require application of heat to disassemble.

There are other Loctite compounds, but there is no need to talk about any of them for this application.

I use Loctite often.
The color strengths are not an exact science.
Beware.

I can tell you that high temp brake caliper grease will let them loosen up after half a box. Think I might go with some of that copper based anti-size compound. Or maybe synthetic Mobil 1 wheel bearing grease.

Funny, back when I was a kid, the only "gun oil" we used was WD40 and lemon oil. Yes, like the furniture polish, but in a bottle. Our Winchester and Remington pumps & semis worked fine and did not rust. And the danged Winchokes and Remchokes did not back out.

Good thing about using lemon oil as a gun oil: no complaints about cleaning guns on the kitchen table.

The anti-seize fills the gaps between the threads any heavy grease will do the same thing.
Remember if you get the anti-seize on your clothes, you might as well use them for patch material, the metal
in the anti-seize will not come out, ever.

Try using a wax based lube as I've said before.

Try a wrap of plumbers teflon tape. I always use hoppe gun grease(it is thick) not oil on my shotguns. I do use anti seize on hunting guns that don't get chokes changed very often. too many guys don't realize that chokes need to be removed often to keep them from corroding and staying in permanently. Anti-seize is nasty if you get it on your clothes but better than paying a gunsmith to getting a stuck tube out.
Bull

A couple of drops of blue Loctite or any Loctite will give you a non-changeable choke.
What are you using to tighten the thing? Brownell's sells a 'Universal Choke Tube' wrench made by Colonial Arms for $2.95. $9.99 for the one with Remington stamped on it.

No biggie... I just check and tighten them occasionally.

I keep the choke threads clean and lubricated with Rem oil. I snug the choke up before each station as a ritual. No worries.

Anti-seize is the way to go. I've used it for years on a multiple of guns with screw chokes. I've never had a problem with chokes coming unscrewed or getting them out.