I make ring or sleeve type rear sight bases and front sights ramps and usually solder them to the barrel. Loc-Tite 680 is designed to retain parts with a slip fit and up to 450 degrees. It appears this would be an acceptable and time/labor saving alternative to solder. Would appreciate comments from those who have used this product on rifle barrels.

In use, the oversize, rough shaped sleeve is secured to the barrel then mounted in a milling machine where it is milled to its final shape & dimensions. So, Loc-Tite 680 would have to be as resistant to cutting forces and vibration as solder.

Again, thanks for your help.

Roger

I use 620 to attach banded sights and sling swivels all the time, excellent product.
Like you stated, when you loctite the banded piece onto a mandrel for milling operations it never moves, so thats why I’m confident in using it.
Cheers.

Hi Roger. I have not used 680 but have fastened a good number of banded front sights and barrel band sling mounts with Loc-tite 638. It is the strongest of the Loc-tite sleeve mounting chems that I have used. Jim Wisner recommended 609 years ago for installing sleeves. The Loc-tite application sheets (on line) show the temps and strengths. Boiling for rust blue or chemicals(gun cleaning solvents are not a problem. I have a personal 338Rum Kathy built with rust blue and over 700rds through.No problems. It has a work time of 2-3 miniutes for aligment. Good luck Rover. Dave T.

The 680 & 638 are fast cure, 4-5 minutes.
The 620 gives you 1hr to play around which I like!

Thank you, kind sirs, for your very helpful comments.

It looks like I may have to join the 21st century and give Loc-Tite a try. Solder is very traditional and older than dirt. Playing with a torch and a hot copper is loads of fun, but Loc-Tite seems to be much easier to use while offering some time for final parts alignment & easier clean up.

Cheers to all,

Roger

quote:

Originally posted by metal:
The 680 & 638 are fast cure, 4-5 minutes.
The 620 gives you 1hr to play around which I like!

I have hot blued over these - it stays put .. getting these off requires a torch

Roger

I used # 609 years ago if you never wanted it to come off.

Then changed to # 271, and have used it for years, which is the normal red color that is used for the sizes we normally encounter
Scope mount screws, countless banded swivels, and band ramps
LOL I had to remove one of my band ramps last year.
OMG had to heat the band ramp til it was blue and starting to smoke before the ramp would start to twist off.

I the case of putting a sleeve onto a mandrel for further machine operations I would look at a lower number in the 230 = 250 range.
Still get good holding but a lower temp to remove

No issues with hot bluing over the years.

James Wisner
Life Member ACGG

I use only 5% silver/tin solder. I would never stoop to using any modern glue on a custom rifle.
Wait, what is that glass bedding stuff I use made from?
On another idea, look at the Ruger front sight and sling bands; they are held on with frictions and a set screw. Some of those are very difficult to remove.
But yes, Loc tite will hold under any conditions; go for it.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I use only 5% silver/tin solder. I would never stoop to using any modern glue on a custom rifle.

Tom,
For the past 30+ years I have used only 96% tin-4% silver solder. It's great stuff & flows well. However, it would take at least 30 minutes on a good day to tin the bore of a 3" long sight sleeve, tin the corresponding 3" of the barrel and solder the two together with a torch in one hand while trying to align the sleeve with the other. Then there's the clean up.

I guess it would take about 30 seconds to do the same job with Loc-Tite and with no clean up. Tradition is good but time saving advancements like a stock duplicator and power checkering tool and in this case, Loc-Tite, make business sense. After all, I dare say even the eagle-eye AR experts would find it impossible to divine the difference between a checkering job done with a power tool versus hand tools or a sight sleeve secured with Loc-Title versus solder. Once upon a time in the Army while being counseled (military speak for ass chewing), I was advised to work smarter not harder.

Cheers,

Roger

Never timed it but yes it does take time.
You are right about the smarter part for sure!

I got my ass royally chewed by a highly esteemed custom gun maker for using loctite.

There is no risk of rust, you have to machine the part off if you want it removed, it is faster, easier, and if your sub par at soldering, there is no visible trace of it.

I installed a crude sight base with green loctite and then tried to beat the thing off with a hammer to show a fellow gun maker. Using a 5 pound sledge I bent the barrel, destroyed the sight base, but failed to remove it.

How strong does it need to be?

Anyone use, or tried to use, soldering paste?