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Hey guys, just got my package from Midway with the bases for my 375. I was wondering if I should put a bit of Loctite on the screws before installing the bases. I have a small red tube of Green Loctite, it says it is High Strength. If I remember right just a bit of heat to remove it if I have to. Good idea? Red | ||
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I wouldn't use the red loctite because of having to use heat to remove the screws. I have used the blue Loctite which when and if the screws have to be loosened all that is needed is a rap on the screwdriver or whatever tool is used with a small mallet and they will break free. I have installed mounts and rings without anything on the threads, even on my 338RUM, and never had anything move. I probably tighten the screws down harder than is needed though. Dennis Life member NRA | |||
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There was a whole long discussion on here awhile back about this very topic. Years ago Leupold's tech's did a study on this and they found that nothing more than a small amount of oil on the threads was the best. The most important part of the job is to make really sure that the inside and outside threads are spotlessly clean before installing. If you just have to use Loctite use either the blue or purple. I never use the Green because for some idiotic reason Loctite makes three very different types that are all Green: #290, #609 and #620. The only one appropriate for screws is #290. | |||
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I think this is the 290, but can only tell that it is by the product number. If it isn't needed then I won't worry about it. Thought I would check with some of you that might have a heavy recoiling rifle and find how it did for the bases staying tight. Red | |||
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I would however put some rosin on the inside of the rings Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Dago Red, I don't have anything I would consider "heavy-recoiling" but I am not all the sure that recoil forces have much to do with base screws coming loose. Heavy recoil will have more shearing force on scope base screws than lighter recoiling weapons will but I have never seen any information or evidence that they will cause screws to loosen any more that lighter recoiling rifles. Personally, I believe Loctite is way overused, and under needed, on rifles and scopes...but I'm sure that this will start a big discussion in and of itself. Just so you know the Green Loctite #609 is designed to hold dovetail sights in their slots...and the #620 is for the permanent anchoring of pins, studs and sleeves. The operative word there is PERMANENT! It is listed as "High Strength." Green #290 is for screws, but it is listed as "Medium High Strength." If what you have says "High Strength" it is probably #620" not #290, and you certainly don't want to use that on your screws unless you don't ever want to remove them...without a drill that is!  | |||
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A little bit of heat to loosen loctite is 300*F. You are reaching the point of changing the temper in the metal at 300* ! All loctites liquify at 300*F. Pink or blue is OK if you have to use it. Red works best if you don't clean the threads. Leave the oil on them or put some on. This allows the red to break free easier. I just erased what I had to say about green loctite and guns. It wasn't very nice. | |||
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It's been my experience that loctite on sights and scopes ends up as a big pain in the ass. I used it once to sure up some el-cheapo scope mounts that kept coming loose. Later, after I upgraded away from the cheap stuff I discovered what a joy it can be to remove the blue loctite from small-headed screws. With the upgrade, I've found that I didn't need any loctite at all. What you might try before you decide you need a thread locking compound is to cinch the screws down without anything extra and take your rifle to the range and shoot it a bit. Perhaps, you'll find you won't need it. And then, if the screws keep coming loose and you do need to add loctite, you can always add some later. Just my $.02 Jason "Chance favors the prepared mind." | |||
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With my new set of Burris bases and Signature rings came instructions from Burris to NOT use anything on the threads as the Torx screws are plenty strong. I have Burris double dovetail bases and Signature rings on my .375 Taylor and they haven't budged a bit. No Loctite on them..... MKane160 You can always make more money, you can never make more time...........LLYWD. Have you signed your donor card yet? | |||
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I work full time as a principle engineer in the design of military equipment. All of the my work revolves around shock and vibration. This is complicated; shock ( recoil in this instance ) is measured in three main catagories, duration ( how long it lasts ), frequency and peak levels which we measure in "G's"( obviously a bige bore will have a bigger number here). Vibration has a few other twists such as resonate frequencies, for lack of a better term ring frequencies on top of the base frequencies. Shock can and will loosen screws, but there are some varaibles, the direction of the screws being important, the frequency and duration of the the shock, and the number of times the shock will be repeated. The design and testing in this arena is quite ccomplicated, and the modeling and mathematical programs required to accurately predict and analyis this is very complex and expensive, so it isn't done on a routine basis due to cost. Even when the above is done there are still suprises because the models must be very exact right down to every part and material properties on all the parts. Scope mount screws are not parallel to the shock forces in this case, which it will minimise the forces working on loosing the screws. I have not tested or studied in detail this so I would rely on the expert opinions from Leopould. If I decided to use locktite a Non drying would be my choice, but I would use the scope/ring manufacturers recommendations first, and use locktite if I had a problem. Edit: The recoil ( shock ) here is not one frequency, it is several across the period of recoil. This is what works on loosing the hardware in combination with the vibration of the shock impluse, basically the oscillation effect. Anyway I am trying not to get this overly complicated but the phenominum we comomnly know as recoil is another twist of a much more complicated mechanical engineering issue. | |||
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What MKane posted has been my experience also. I have yet to find a manufacturer of scope bases/rings that recommends using Loctite of any color...in fact, most all them recommend NOT using it. | |||
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I don't see it doing any harm. So you might have to hit them with a propane torch for a few seconds, it would not worry me. In all likelyhood, some bore solvent or oil will get in there and soften it before then. I have tried to use red loctite on Garand gas cylinder splines. It does not hold them. Eventually the bore solvent attacks it and it turns to goo. I normally use 5-minuet epoxy on bases. Not so much on the screws but on the fit between the base and the barrel. Clean up any squeeze out with laquer thinner. My thought is to eliminate sheer forces on the screws. As for rosin on the rings. Rosin plus solvent, or oil, equals slime. | |||
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The somewhat standard 6-48 and 8-40 screws used on sight bases and rings were not chosen just because that was the size that happened to be laying on the work bench when they designed these products. They were chosen with the job they had to do in mind. It is normally the practice of engineers and designers to use the smallest fastener that will reliably hold up to the forces expected. The manufacturers of scope bases have no idea what caliber will be used so the product has a certain amount of "overkill" designed into it for lesser calibers. Properly seated and torqued sight base screws should not need anything to help them do their job of holding the base on the rifle. If something like a thread sealer was needed I can assure you that the manufacturer would be recommending it if for no other reason than product liability concerns. | |||
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Been shooting with scopes for awhile now and never used or worried about using Locktite and never had any come loose either. My experience only goes up to 338 WM but I shoot it alot. Wish I had thought of it as I feel like I have missed something to worry over. Now I am going to have to check them all??????? | |||
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It makes you wonder how in the world people shot and maintained rifles before all this new stuff came on the scene! | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Sight bases for a 375 H&H, Green loctite?
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