School me on Loc-Tite

[Cougfan2]

Was at the range this weekend with Keaner and doing among other things sighting in my Win. M70 in 30-06. Hadn't shot it in quite a while and after the first shot I notice the vertical cross hair looks about 5 degrees off of being centered with the bore. Apparently the scope rings had loosened enough to let the scope move under recoil. I realigned the scope and tightened the rings up and it ended up printing a nice MOA group at 100 yards 2" above dead center.

One of the other guys on the range asked me if I had Loc-Tited the rings which I hadn't. I have never used Loc-Tite and don't really know which kind to buy and how to apply it. Do you put it down the screw holed and then insert the screws and tighten? Do you put it on the screw threads before inserting in the rings and tightening.

I know it may seem like a silly question, but I am always a little leary of using any chemical or compound I have never used before.

Please school me on Loc-Tite!!!

 

[Mt Shooter]

loc-Tite is a brand name, can be picked up at any automotive store. comes in red or blue, red is kind of the super hold not to be undone easily. Blue holds very well but can be undone. Blue should do what you want. But remember a little goes a long way!

 

[12Bravo20]

You will want to buy/use Loctite 242 which is removable without using heat. Just put a little bit on the screws and the install them. The blue stuff usually sets up in about 10-15 minutes but takes 24 hours to fully cure. Be warned that 242 is removable but on 1/4" or smaller bolts/screws it can be tough to remove them once fully cured. DO NOT USE the red loctite on such a small screw because you will never get it back out with out breaking/stripping.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

LocTite will tell you all about its many products.

LocTite will tell you all about its many products. There are far more than the simple by the colors discussion here.

LocTite brand name is also used for additional products such as cleaners and primers. The base original LocTite is an anaerobic resin that hardens or sets up in the absence of air. Like any such it pays to avoid a hydraulic lock by filling a screw hole completely and then inserting the screw but it also pays to fill all the gaps completely so as to exclude all the air.

Because it is a resin the setup LocTite will break down in the presence of sufficient heat so local heat from a soldering iron or whatever is convenient will usually break down the LocTite and allow removal with normal tools as though the LocTite had never been applied - mechanical lock excepted. Similarly glued in rifle barrels can often be removed by putting an automotive dip stick oil heater down the barrel and so it goes.

There are other techniques for mounting scopes, rings and bases. FREX on the bases it has long been a tip to screw the bases down hard then tap the driver handle and turn a little farther. Proper fit including line up bars has become common and it pays. See e.g. Brownell's or other literature on technique.

Brownell's sells 14 different products by LocTite.

 

[rcmodel]

Blue Loctite #242 is the only grade that normally would be used for any firearms application.

But be aware that Blue #242 Loctite comes in a red bottle!

Look for good old #242 and you have the right one for 99.9% of all firearms applications.

BTW: If your scope ring screws came loose without LT, you didn't have them tightened in the first place.
The only place you should normally need LT is on the base or mount screws, not the ring screws or clamp screws.

rcmodel

 

[Cougfan2]

Thanks for all the good advice particularly ClarkEMeyers and rcmodel. Based on your input I think I will do a complete remount of my scope bases and rings and do it right this time. I am convinced that rcmodel is right saying I never had the scope ring screws tightened properly in the first place. I am just really scared of stripping threads; maybe a little to scared.

 

[rcmodel]

Heres another tip:
Loctite doesn't work well unless you start out will clean threads.

Buy a pack of pipe-cleaners and use rubbing alcohol to de-grease the screw holes in the receiver, as well as all the screw threads. Also the receiver top and base bottoms.

Apply a film of LT to the bottom of the bases and a small drop to each screw, then mount them.

Tighten the screws fully, then put the screwdriver blade in each slot, and whack the screwdriver with a small hammer.
Now, tighten the screws again!
You will get another 1/8 to 1/4 turn.

Wipe off any excess LT that squeezes out from under the bases.

After the LT cures overnight, your bases will be one with the receiver.

rcmodel

 

[DWARREN123]

Use the "BLUE" removeable type and just a tiny little dab. You can also use clear fingernail polish. Good screws and holes should not need any type of locking compound unless under extreme stress. Maybe your rings need to be upgraded.

 

[Cougfan2]

Maybe your rings need to be upgraded.

I honestly don't think it is the rings. They are Leupold stainless rings and bases. I tend to think rcmodel hit the nail on the head. I don't think I had them tightened sufficiently from the beginning.

 

[Jeff F]

Heres a trick to remove those small screws that have been locktited. Use a soldering iron on the screw head for a minute or two and the concentrated heat will make it come right out. This has saved me more then once.

 

[GREENONION]

My Two Cents On The Subject

Loctite used to make a product called Guntite........however I haven't seen it around for awhile. BTW, it was blue.
That was one cent.
Now the second cent is that:
Per the product descriptions in MIDWAY's catalog the critter you want to use now is Loctite 222 .
The 242 is described as for 1/4" screws up to 3/4".
The 222 is for 1/4" and smaller.
And that's the sum of my two cents.
Before I go, I did a quick Google on Guntite and VOILA....
Here's the link, it's still available..
But at any rate per rcmodel's advise, don't use it on ring screws.

http://www.straightshooters.com/Cleaning/guntite.html

 

[Clark]

1) I never see rings to scope loose.
2) I sometimes see rings to mounts loose.
3) I often see mounts to receiver loose.

The first two are easy to check.
The last one is hard to check.
I put loctite on the last one.