Guns & Outdoors Forum

I have always used Blue Loctite on scope bases, but not on rings.

Read an article a while back that said today's machine tolerances are tighter and to clean/degrease everything and torque to spec is all that is needed.

Anyone/no one still use loctite on scope bases?

I use blue on bases.

Yep...too damned old to change my ways now..

A rep from Leupold told me I didn’t need to lap rings anymore because of tighter machining tolerances.
Ok, maybe on a one piece SPUHR mount. But, taking three individual pieces and building a base/front ring/back ring and expecting the stars to be perfectly aligned? Maybe I don’t spend enough on rings and bases (besides SPUHR).

Well, I didn’t pay for those either.

100% on base screws. And they get torqued with a torque driver.
Machine tolerances CAN be better.
Does NOT mean they are.

A hole in an action is going to be tapped. Whats the condition of that tap? how many holes has it tapped? Is it a cut tap or a form tap? What was the condition of the tap drill? Are the screws quality or import poop? What is the class of fit between screw and hole? Did anyone at the factory check the holes?

THATS why I put loctite on the base screws. Throwing all that out, it certainly wont hurt anything. Cheap insurance.

Thanks guys
I had the same thought myself.
Blue Loctite on the base it shall remain.

Zee wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 5:11 pm A rep from Leupold told me I didn’t need to lap rings anymore because of tighter machining tolerances.
Ok, maybe on a one piece SPUHR mount. But, taking three individual pieces and building a base/front ring/back ring and expecting the stars to be perfectly aligned? Maybe I don’t spend enough on rings and bases (besides SPUHR).

The only rings I would trust to be perfect would be from Area 419, because they final machine them as one piece, torqued properly as an assembled unit. They are also north of $200 a set.

But I also dont lap rings, and have never had an issue.

I use Loctite or Vibratite on anything screwed in. Scope bases, rings, screws for RDS on handguns, etc. It may be overkill, but as it was said on here, it's cheap insurance.

shotgunshooter3 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 6:01 pm I use Loctite or Vibratite on anything screwed in. Scope bases, rings, screws for RDS on handguns, etc. It may be overkill, but as it was said on here, it's cheap insurance.

What he said. It’s cheap, easy, and keeps you going. On my last hunting trip, I had some stuff shake apart that should not have.

It all now has locktite on it.

Don't know if it makes a difference but I do know that it has never failed me yet so all screws on everything higher than a .22 gets Loctite. Like has been said, cheap insurance.

The "overkill" approach I've adopted lately on RDS mounts is to run a stripe of Vibratite on one or two sides of the threads (25%-50% coverage), let it dry, and install with the whole works coated with Blue. No reason that shouldn't be similarly bomb-proof for big glass.

That said, I've historically done a lot of rings and bases with GREASE on the threads for the purpose of being able to turn them a bit farther - - both with and without the benefit of torque-limiting wrenches. Never had a problem with that approach failing, but granted, that's primarily with all steel hardware and Torx heads. For stuff like Weaver aluminum bases and their accompanying slot-head screws, I'd probably be leaning more to "glue in place".

While on this topic. I’ve been using VC-3 a lot lately and it seems to be gaining traction with folks over the Loctite products. I don’t know that it’s any great advantage in actual use but I got it on sale on prime so it’s on the bench.

BTW before threadlockers became a “thing” we used to use nail polish to lock in threads with great success. I found out about this practice when a horse’s headstall came apart on me while training it. Never thought about Chicago screws working themselves loose. Old cowboy gave me that tip and then I found out from an old gunsmith friend that he had been doing that since he started working on guns.

Been doing a version of thread locking since then, not just on scope rings and bases, but pretty much any gun screws that I deem critical and see a potential for them working themselves lose over time. And I still steal wife’s nail polish if I can’t find my stuff.

Bigslug wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 4:14 pm The "overkill" approach I've adopted lately on RDS mounts is to run a stripe of Vibratite on one or two sides of the threads (25%-50% coverage), let it dry, and install with the whole works coated with Blue. No reason that shouldn't be similarly bomb-proof for big glass.

That said, I've historically done a lot of rings and bases with GREASE on the threads for the purpose of being able to turn them a bit farther - - both with and without the benefit of torque-limiting wrenches. Never had a problem with that approach failing, but granted, that's primarily with all steel hardware and Torx heads. For stuff like Weaver aluminum bases and their accompanying slot-head screws, I'd probably be leaning more to "glue in place".

If you need to turn screws a bit farther, you need better holes or screws.

People think I'm crazy when I tell them this, but for the larger calibers with more recoil and a person that has heavy rings and glass, I use JB weld as thread locker. It completely fills the space between the threads, and doesn't come loose unless I use a small soldering iron against the screw head(s) for about 20 seconds. I've seen Rmr screws sheer off on slides with blue loctite but never again with the JB weld trick.

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 1:24 am People think I'm crazy when I tell them this, but for the larger calibers with more recoil and a person that has heavy rings and glass, I use JB weld as thread locker. It completely fills the space between the threads, and doesn't come loose unless I use a small soldering iron against the screw head(s) for about 20 seconds. I've seen Rmr screws sheer off on slides with blue loctite but never again with the JB weld trick.

Wow
That is pretty hard core. Never would have thought about that. Good idea

No. Just no.

That’s a hack to create more business for a gun smith.

How would solving future problems create more work for later? Anyone with a soldering iron can get it loose, easily. Have you ever tried it? It's main function is to support the threads 100%.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 2:34 am That’s a hack to create more business for a gun smith.

How?

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 1:24 am People think I'm crazy when I tell them this, but for the larger calibers with more recoil and a person that has heavy rings and glass, I use JB weld as thread locker. It completely fills the space between the threads, and doesn't come loose unless I use a small soldering iron against the screw head(s) for about 20 seconds. I've seen Rmr screws sheer off on slides with blue loctite but never again with the JB weld trick.

I’m curious how they can shear. Unless the cut sucks and there’s slop. When I made my cut it had zero wiggle, there ain’t no shear action. Only way they could break would be under tension.

But garbage cuts and garbage screws…

Most of the ones that shear are the adapter plates that have a crap fit, but when the screw isn't allowed any back and forth movement, it lowers the chance that they will còck and shear from the diagonal force.

I'll also add that I learned it from a guy who has been a gunsmith for probably as long as I've been alive so it's not an idea original to me.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 2:59 am

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 2:34 am That’s a hack to create more business for a gun smith.

How?

How does that not screw up the threads for further screws once you remove the old screws if you want to change bases?

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:06 am Most of the ones that shear are the adapter plates that have a crap fit, but when the screw isn't allowed any back and forth movement, it lowers the chance that they will còck and shear from the diagonal force.

That’s what I was gonna guess. Plates give options, but seems like too many failure points.