Using lock tight on scope mount?

zr600

New member
Ok I got a warne scope mount for my ar put it on torqued it down and went to the range to sight in and test my new surpressor. Well I was shooting a few ok groups then they would be in a complete different part of the paper. So I thought the surpressor was messing with the load. So I went home put the gun away and that's when I noticed my scope mount had come loose. The rings were still torqued but the mount to the upper was loose so I torqued back down. Should I put lock tight on this or not?
 
I use loctite 515. It is a non hardening gasket replacement. Keeps things set and still removeable.

Kroil will free all loctite if allowed to soak.
 
Proper torque and, more importantly, degreasing the threads before use typically has yielded zero issues for me. However, if you are going to use any lock tite type product, use the very lightest you can get away with. Weaver SureThread or LockTite 222 low strength. And with any of it, read the directions. Most people fail to realize that these compounds are to be put in dry...about 10 minutes of wait.

Anyways, yes...locktite or similar can be used if needed. Just don't over do it!
 
Also I would not torque your mount in the center of the groove, have the mount as far forward in the groove when you torque the mount screws.
 
Originally Posted By: spotstalkshootAlso I would not torque your mount in the center of the groove, have the mount as far forward in the groove when you torque the mount screws.

You want to slide the mount to the rear of the cross slot. This will negate some of the recoil vibrations. It does not allow and inertia movement after the rifle stops recoiling against your shoulder.
 
Originally Posted By: pahntr760Originally Posted By: spotstalkshootAlso I would not torque your mount in the center of the groove, have the mount as far forward in the groove when you torque the mount screws.

You want to slide the mount to the rear of the cross slot. This will negate some of the recoil vibrations. It does not allow and inertia movement after the rifle stops recoiling against your shoulder.

i do it like spotstalk. always have and it always has worked good for me. push and hold it forward while tightening. then it can never move forward any farther due to recoil.
 
I have never put any Loctite on any of mine and have not had an issue with them coming loose. If you do, as stated use the lightest possible.
 
Use a Qtip with degreaser in the screw holes and on the screws. Add a small dab of blue Locktite to each screw. Assemble with a torque wrench (if possible). I've never had a setup come loose this way.
 
Blue locktite on scope mounts and scope rings here. I've seen a guy's scope fall off his .450 Bushmaster at the range one day due to recoil and not using loctite. He started using it after that!
 
The mass of the scope and mounts to the fixed surface of the rifle is what will resist the primary recoil pulse and will contribute to any loosening that occurs. The heavier the scope and mounts the more resistant there is to moving with the rifle.
 
That's correct. I apologize for my reply as I was bass ackwards from what I always do. Not sure where I was thinking on that previous reply.
 
I started using clear nail polish many years ago and have yet to have a single screw come loose even on my .30 rifles. Also,easy to remove the screw.
 
I use red loctite on optic mounts and have for 10 years. I even used JB weld on a truck gun once. It comes loose. The whole red loctite thing is kinda perplexing to me. I even degrease the screws with acetone to make sure I get a good cure.

Again, It'll come loose.

I use my rifles harder than a lot of folks and as you may have guessed I don't have trouble with loose mounts.
 
Well dang.. I must be doing it all wrong. I clean up the screws and screw holes and torque to specs.
So far so good, even on a friends Alaska sheep rifle.


So many choices...
rolleyes.gif
 
I usually clean everything up and degrease and slide the rings to the FRONT of the mount {last time I checked guns kick back!!!} and tighten them down. Don't typically have any trouble, but when I do it goes back on with red loctite. The red is tough and everyone worries about getting it loose without doing any damage. I heat up a "whatever tool it takes" until it is very hot with a torch and hold it on the screw. Then with another tool, one that has not been compromised with heat, remove the screws. Even if they have to be touched with the hot tool several times, there is no damage, they come on out and they did not move or come loose when I didn't want them to.
 
I am just gonna stick this in here for a help trick.....

Go to the hobby store and buy an inexpensive wood burning tool or soldering Iron that has a pointed tip. If you need to loosen a Loc-Tite screw heat it up with one of these tools. They work great.......

Just sayin..... Dont ask me why I know this
 
I clean the screws and screw holes with alcohol and a Q tip. Let them dry or dry with a hot air gun or hair drier on low heat. I make sure that my rings are properly prepared before mounting the scope using the Wheeler Professional Scope Mounting kit.

Make sure that the screws don't bottom out before they are tight. Some times the screws are too long for the hole. Use shorter screws. I use a Wheeler Fat Man Torque wrench set to around 20 ft pounds of torque. Then I add a small drop of BLUE LOCK TITE onto the screw threads before torqueing them down. Make sure that you shake up the Blue Lock Tite stuff in the bottle before using it. IE read the instructions. Make sure that the scope is level on your receiver and scope mounts are the proper height for your rifle/scope combo. You can remove the screws if you heat them up after the blue lock tite has dried. Let them dry over night before using the scope/rifle. Make sure that the vertical reticles are properly set in the rings by looking through the scope on the rile and focusing on a vertical plumb line. That will be your reference point. If the rifle is level and your scope caps are level and on then you should be good to go. Again read the instructions.
 
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