Loctite Threadlocker

[young1982]

I thinking of using a spot Loctite Threadlocker on the actions screws on my gun and just wanted everyones opinion.

 

I'm asking this because I was doing some paper punching last night and getting some strange groupings, when I got home I gave the action screws a twist to see if they were loose which they were. I'm thinking by using some Threadlocker it would solve this problem.

 

Thanks

[craigyboy]

Dont think it would be the best idea unless maybe you use blue thredalock as its easy enough to remove but stay away from red or green locitie. To be honest I wouldnt even use any loctite though just check them regular and it should be fine, it would be bad news if they got stuck

[Orka Akinse]

You don't need loctite for anything gun related IMHO. My smithy used it and I then shagged a screw head tryin to get it out and had to take it to another smithy to resolve the problem. Lots of large ice cream hassle for no reason hence I don't use him anymore.

 

Torque them up to the corrrect setting and your good to go. You should check your screws for tightness every so often anyhow.

[young1982]

What is set in-lbs that your should tighten screws to?

[Guest northernchris]

If you use a Loctite product in its correct application you will NEVER have any problems.The problem here is people use the wrong product.They produce many "types" of retaining compond just use the right one in the first place:rolleyes:

[Vermincinerator]

Dont about the others but Remmys should be torqued to about 30-40 in/lbs.

Some experts say that if pillar bedded you should wind it up to 60 in/lbs, i think that is to much.

 

Ian.

[eldon]

For remmys put the allen key in the wrong way to normal i.e. fingers on short leg and go for it.

If you need to strip it away from home your ready to go again in no time. The other week went stalking and crawling about got some grit in the bolt release so when you opened the bolt it fell out the back. With the above idea, stock off trigger out and flushed with wd 40 back together and out next day.

 

I have a fancy torqueleader torque wrench that I might sell if anybody is interested ? something like 3 - 7 Nms.

Anybody?

[col48]

i would not use locktite and don't know anyone that does.on action screws.

goggle the action torque settings and torque them down

ATB

Colin

[ejg223]

Especially for rifles I'd use loctite, different materials, different thermal expansions,

vibration, water, oil........

Don't forget, loctite keeps rust out, prevents galling, keeps dirt and oil out.

If I build something important, every screw gets loctite.

 

edi

[Jay Foxing]

Hi young1982,

 

I'm with ejg223 on this one, excellent stuff. But i'd go with the 248 medium strength Loctite thread-locker. Also change your action / stock screws for some socket Head Cap Screws (the type you use allen keys on), far easier to lock up and undo without damaging the heads.

 

Jay.

[Redfox]

Using threadlocker ( loctite or one of the other makes) would be the worst mistake you could make.

Rifles have worked fine for over a hundred years without it and as already pointed out you will end up with a damaged/ruined screw or a rifle you can not take apart at the least. There is no reason if properly tightened, why the screws should loosen unless it has been messed about with by the unknowing already. A good starting point for Remmys is 35 lb-inches, 2.9 ftlbs, or 3.9 Nm, whatever you can measure.

The colour of Loctite by the way is not an indicator of which type it is, Loctite use different colours in different countries and other manufacturers do their own thing too, there is not a std colour range.

The only locking medium for such an application is "low strength threadlocker / screwlock" which is designed to resist undoing , but turn on the application of force by a tool. It is very usefull but qickly clogs the threads and then becomes a problem when you reuse the same screw again and again.

I would tighten the screws properly first, this means tightening the main screw under the recoil lug, then the rear action screw each time progressively until you reach the torque figure, it should then be fine, you can if paranoid about loosening put a dab on one side of the threads, of nail varnish, just before tighteneing. It can still be wet, and it will stop vibration loosening but come out ok when you want to remove it and can be cleaned off with a drop of thinners on a cloth, cheap but it works well.

I have all the design data sheets for several of the manufacturers of retaining media as we used it extensively, but went over to using the correct grade of retainer already applied to the fasteners by an outside company, as being the better solution, because some people put half a bottle on each screw ( and the surrounding metal) or a drop so tiny you couldnt see it.

To remove a screw/bolt that has had the wrong type or too much applied is difficult and requires fairly high heat or drilling out!, I know I have had to provide advice/solutions when it has been done to things costing thousands to replace, so time was not such an issue.

Redfox

[ejg223]

Red I understand where you are coming from.

Even the low strength threadlock can lead to a balls up

if for example a screw sits 3 x diameter deep in the the thread.

I wouldn't put loctite on a 50mm optic thread either.

 

If a screw connection is made to engineering standards then thread lock works well.

Most people have no feeling for tightening screws and don't have torque tools, threadlock

gives a bit of security.

 

Lets take the example of the rifle in a cheapo polyprop plastic stock. Now if we torque the screws

to what the books says and leave it sit for a few days. What will the torque be then??? This plastic flows away

and the screw becomes looser and looser.

A wooden stock also changes size with moisture, Nylon changes size with moisture.

 

I use either loctite 222 or 243 for most threadlock applications. Of course one must

clean up a thread after opening a threadlocked screw. If the scew heads are in bad condition

replace.

edi

[Redfox]

Edi

The 222 as you say is the low strength screwlock and ok in most circumstances.

Even the composite stocks dont just have the screws bearing on the plastic, they have inserts of some kind as do the decent wood ones and yes everything changes with humidity and also temperature, however it has not proved to be a real problem with millions of firearms over the years.

As I said the easy option is to tighten correctly first, torque wrenches ( which are perfectly ok for this application) are available in 1/4" and 3/8" drive which cover this range from places like Machinemart here, for little money.

It is also a fact that correct tightening of the action screws can dramatically improve the accuracy of a rifle, as consistency is at all times in everything, the one thing that helps to give accuracy.

The nail varnish tip is used on many factory rifles to prevent screws moving as well as many other things that we all buy and is very unlikely to lead to jammed screws.

Regards

Redfox