Mounting the Picatinny or Weaver Rail (To Locktite, YES)

[contender]

"It's always an owner choice, to each his own."

Bingo! That was my point! I just wanted to put forth a differing opinion so that other people who may not be as educated about scope mounting to see they have options.

As I was typing this popped up!

"I've seen too many screws come loose and parts drop off at ranges with people who don't use anything."

Just yesterday,, at my range & during a USPSA match, I was given an aftermarket piece that came off a firearm. And I saw a holster where a screw & spacer had been lost.

If you shoot a lot,, and fail to do normal maintenance & inspection of your equipment,, then things can & will happen. In the case of the 2 things I saw yesterday,, one would have benefited from the use of thread locker, (the holster screw) while the part that came off,, has no holes or anything in it to where such stuff could have been used. It was an aftermarket thumbrest that had a serrated notched type of side that held it in place. BUT,, it may have also had other parts that failed that were not found.

 

[Sam Summey]

I agree with a lot of what you say.

I own a gun range. I shoot a lot more than most shooters. I also shoot USPSA competition. And actually hunting,, most of the time,, it's one of 3 different calibers. 7x30 Waters in a Contender, a few different .45 Colts, and a .357 Maximum.
The Contender is scoped, as are a couple of my .45's.
The last (2) times I was prepping for an elk hunt,, I shot almost daily for months,, burning through over 3000 rounds each time,, in .45 Colt. My .454 was loaded to equate my .45 Colt. Both guns daily.

Having been in the gunsmith business 15 years, I don't regularly use any locktite but I sure have removed a lot of it. People use an ocean of it when mounting scopes. Like Contender, I believe in the proper torque applied to the screws. I shoot Service Rifle monthly (90+ rounds) and have shot F-class monthly (100 rounds) for several years. Never had a scope or mount come loose, no locktite applied. I occasionally check the mounting screws for tightness but they are never loose, go figure.

 

[s4s4u]

Not to start an argument,, but I've not had to use any loctite of any kind on scope bases or rings. And I shoot some stuff with serious recoil.
I do make sure I have a good fit of the base to the firearm. I do mount a scope using proper tools to align the rings & lap them if necessary. And I use a proper torque wrench with the correct values as provided by the makers of the rings & bases.
If you can shoot a .454 Casull, or a .480 Ruger, or whatever a lot,, and never have scopes get loose,, then why add something else to the process?

I will say that if I'm planning a serious trip,, I double check the torque on my screws. Haven't had any issues.

Same here. I degrease the screws and holes and tighten 'em up good. If you use a torque wrench, loctite will affect the torque values as compared to dry as well.

 

[Deer Hunter]

I got my S&W 500 mag scope mount from Jack Weigand, and he recommended 'purple loktite'.

 

[Jeepnik]

I wonder what folks did before loctite? Perhaps they spent a little time cleaning mating surfaces and properly, read evenly, tighten fasteners. Nah, just because that worked for a century or so doesn't mean it would work today.

 

[Dan in MI]

So all of my factory Contender barrels with red loctited screws were done by amateurs?

 

[kmoore]

Normally a correct torque using a gauge works wonders. I did use a bit of blue on my 338 RUM and 375 H&H mag. Just because I don't want a hunt ruined by loose mounts., just as a backup.
Last year I removed the rail on the 338 and to install the lighter Tally ring/mount. The screws came out with a little more effort.

 

[Jeepnik]

Now repeat after me. Read and memorize, read and memorize, read and memorize.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RED AND BLUE LOCTITE THREADLOCKER?

Loctite threadlockers are primarily designed to prevent fasteners from leaking or loosening from vibration. The difference between red and blue threadlocker is a matter of strength and removability. Loctite threadlocker blue is designed to easily be replaceable with common tools, whereas red is a more permanent fix. If you have trouble keeping it straight, here's a helpful rhyme to jog your memory: "Blue, easy to make new. Red, full strength ahead!"

For a hold that can be easily removed, Loctite Threadlocker Blue 242 is the hero. It's perfect for motorized and nonmotorized parts that need occasional servicing, like car parts (oil pans, water pumps, etc), or even motorized yard equipment, bicycles, furniture and much more.

For parts that need a more permanent hold, like structural bolts in a home, auto suspensions and frames, or any other heavy machinery, Loctite Threadlocker Red 271 is the answer. This industrial grade threadlocker packs a stronger punch than the blue and can only be removed by heating the parts to 500F.

Directly from Loctite's web site.

 

[Dan in MI]

And purple 222 is for small machine screws. (think # screws) and is also removable.

 

[JAYDAWG]

1960, Ruger advertising for the Super Blackhawk:

"Ruger has solved the age-old problem of screws working loose from the shock of firing.
NYLOK SCREWS, made to Ruger specifications, may be reused time after time but always hold fast.
Ruger is the only handgun made with Nylok screws"

Advertising hype to sell guns??
Maybe, but there must have been a practical reason.
From what I've read, WBR didn't make a change for no reason other than to make his guns
the best tools they could be.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers,
JAYDAWG

 

[contender]

Nylock is not the same stuff as loctite.

And as noted above & it used to be shared a lot by our departed friend "Flatgate" that a simple piece of fishing line, inserted in a screw hole then the screw added can prevent screws from backing out.

 

[JAYDAWG]

Nylock is not the same stuff as loctite.

I am very aware of that^

It seemed to me the thread had a lot of discussion as to weather proper cleaning and torque were sufficient, or if a thread lock, such as loctite was necessary.
I just thought the old advertisement was interesting and relevant to the thread.
No dog in the fight here

Cheers,
JaydaWg

 

[Beezar]

For some things, I use purple Locktite, #222. Easy to break free without the need for heat or acetone.

Enough strength to do the job on rings, red dots, mounts - up to 1/4 inch screws.

Since using 222, I rarely find that Blue Locktite is needed.

 

[Hvymax]

Aren't there even different strengths of red and blue?

I like Orange