Ruger Red Label question

[SOOT4BRAINS]

I recently bought my ruger red label here on the forum after my dad spotted a great deal for me. I have shot 400 rounds or so through it now and I really like the gun. I am having a slight problem with the stock though. I have had to tighten the bolt that holds the stock to the receiver 2 times now and it has come loose again. I was instructed not to make it too tight and I am afraid to go any tighter with it. I thought of locktight but I would like to be able to remove it without damaging the threads. Any other tricks to get it to stay put? Maybe a certain type of thread locking compound? Also, is it normal procedure to remove the chokes to clean it or is it ok to leave the chokes in? I have been removing them and cleaning them separately because they appear to get dirtier than the barrels and it was easier to clean that way. Thanks!

Aaron

 

[wwb]

You're probably not tightening the stock bolt enough... you can take it to about 10 ft-lb without a problem.

As to the choke tubes.... leave them in place when you scrub the bores. There's less chance of getting crud in the threads that way. Put a dab of gun grease on the tubes, both the threads and the smooth portion, when you change them.

 

[Tuco Tom]

Might want to try using the blue lock-tite sold by Brownell's.
I clean with the chokes in so as not to damage the choke tube threads. Maybe taking the choke tubes out and clean seperatly then reinstall before cleaning the barrel.

 

[mattsbox99]

My stock bolts do that too. Permatex makes a low strength loctite that will hold the bolt just fine.

You don't need to remove the choke tubes to clean, and I recommend you don't because you can gall the threads up and damage them and the barrel with repeated removals. I usually just leave mine in and clean every few weeks or so. I shoot Trap twice a week.

 

[DanAKAL]

As the other guys said you are probably not getting the stock bolt tight enough. The best solution I have found is to apply a thread locker, blue lock tite is a good one, and then tighten the bolt with a torque wrench. 8 to 10 lbft seems to ring a bell but I'm sure it is listed in my manual. FWIW I remove the stock on my Red Label's usually twice per year to clean and inspect the trigger group.

Cleaning Chokes.....I shoot a lot of skeet and sporting clays and have mostly extended chokes. At sporting clays I often change chokes between stations. Sometimes four or five times per one hundred targets. At skeet I usually don't change chokes very often. When I clean my shotguns I leave the chokes in while cleaning the bore. For the ones not in the gun I run my bore snake through them a couple of times. After I have cleaned the bore I remove the chokes and clean the outside of them. Then clean the threads in the bore with a Q-Tip. It is surprising how much gunk gets built up on the outside of the chokes. Then put some grease on the choke threads and reinstall. After several hundred rounds plastic from the wads will build up in the chokes. Once per year I soak all of my chokes in a bore cleaner at least overnight then clean with a bore snake or toothbrush.

Dan

 

[SOOT4BRAINS]

Thanks guys! I guess I'll try snugging it a bit more this time and try the blue thread locker. So it's plastic that builds up on the choke that's a pain to clean off. Makes sense. I'll try cleaning it with the chokes in and maybe just remove them every so often to clean, or take the opportunity to clean the threads and outside of the choke when I am going to switch them. I just bought a bore snake for it, hopefully that will make cleaning the barrel easier. I plan to get it pretty clean with that, then hit it with the normal patches to get it spotless. I always leave a very light film of oil on the inside of the barrels when I'm done so if it sits for a while it won't corrode.

 

[RedLabel]

Loctite blue, great stuff. Torque to spec and it will be fine. Easy to loosen when you need to. Don't worry too much about the Red Label innards. I've had mine for 10 years. I shoot it a lot and have had the stock off twice. I shoot it with some Remoil but its never dirty. Maybe I need to check it again but unless its in the rain I don't see the need.