I am looking to purchase a torque screw driver that will accept the bits from Brownells and Wheeler screw drivers.
Brownells lists one in there catalog but the price is pretty steep at about $200.
Can anyone recommend another brand?

Midway has one on sale this month for about $50

Will it accept the Brownell bits?

You can call Brownell's Tech Support and ask but, I believe the shank on the Brownell's bits is just a 1/4" hex drive common to many replaceable screw drive bit handles.

Do you mean Torx bits ? or do you mean a torque wrench ?

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
I am looking to purchase a torque screw driver that will accept the bits from Brownells and Wheeler screw drivers.
Brownells lists one in there catalog but the price is pretty steep at about $200.
Can anyone recommend another brand?

I believe Seekonk and a few specialty tool makers carry these but I'd not recommend them for rifle use. Some may carry a small Seekonk style compact wrench for action screws when in the field, but none of these have good accuracy. They have a large +/- degree of error from your setting making them worthless for bench use.

I was issued a fairly expensive M40 that was built by Norm Chandler's crew. I think this rifle costs around $7,000.00 and he recommended and provided a Craftsman in-lb torque wrench that is accurate w/ very little +/- error. It can use the different bits.

GVA

I never thought about Craftsman. I will have to try to find one to look at. Thanks

Snap on has many, many options for torque screw drivers. They get spendy though. Another to check out is CDI who makes all of Snap on's adjustable torque products.

CDI

Most of what I have found only have a limit of 5-35 in pounds. Trying to find something that goes up to 60 in pounds

I do not see the Craftsman wrench on Chandler's site but he does carry the Seekonk and the Craftsman bit driver attachments:

http://www.deathfromafar.com/htm/products_manufacturer....an§ion=34&page=1

http://www.deathfromafar.com/htm/products_detail.php?id=276

These are the two torque wrenches from Sears:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCooki...bcat=Torque+Wrenches

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCooki...bcat=Torque+Wrenches

GVA

I own and use several Seekonk models and they are extremely precision instruments and most models meet or exceed military specs for accuracy.

I also own a Seekonk torque analyzer/gauge and frequently test my wrenches. The ammount of +/- error in these torque wrenches is well within the tolerances needed for rifle work.

The reading on a torque wrench can be slightly effected by dirty threads, use of lubricant or sealer on threads, or even by how well the drive bit fits the screw head. The torque can also change slightly when the weapon heats up and steel starts expanding at slightly different rates.

With all of this I would not get overly concerned about using a torque wrench for anything other than the guard screws, and I also wouldn’t worry too much about the small percentage of error in each tool. It’s small enough in most cases where it will never make a difference on a rifle.

fyj,
I am just tired of twisting off screw heads on rings and bases. I tend to go over board and want this tool to help me have some sense of when to stop

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
fyj,
I am just tired of twisting off screw heads on rings and bases. I tend to go over board and want this tool to help me have some sense of when to stop

They are very handy, like I said, I own and use several of them.

Little trick I learned a long time ago. Use the little L-Shaped wrenches on your ring and base screws with the long part in the screw head and the short part between your thumb and index finger. Trust me, the pain and lack of mechanical advantage (leverage) will prevent you from ever reaching the point of breaking a screw off.

Harbour Freight tools sells a 1/4 inch drive micrometer adjustment torque wrench that I use on my GM V 6 engine stuff. I do beleive it goes to 200 inch pounds. 1/4 inch bit sockets with spring retainers are available from Snap-on. My torque wrench was checked for calibration and came out on the money. Priced real reasonable. Wouldn't hurt to have a looksee.

I have both In/Lb and In/oz torque screwdrivers that take standard 1/4" hex bits (screw collet retention, not magnetic)
They are made by Utica tool.

AllanD

I've seen these in the gun rags lately, thinking of trying one myself--if 60 inch pounds is enough, it looks pretty good.

FAT Wrench

I use one that I have seen on the cover of the Brownell's catalog, that takes interchangeable bits.

However, I got it free from putting on those halo orthosis devices you see people wearing who break their neck (it's a hard plastic jacket connected by rods to a ring attached to the skull by screws).

All the joints (and the screws into the skull) have to be adjusted to a specified torque.

The torque driver comes free with the purchase of enough of the halo's.
You can ask an orothotics shop (also advertised as a brace shop) to sell you one of theirs if you need it, since they will have several that they got for free.

Regards,
Garrett

Midway sells one called the Fat Wrench, made by Wheeler Enginering.

Dave