scope base torque

[donjose]

I was wondering after cleaning out the holes and screws with laquer thinner what inch pound settings do you use with the blue loctite for the scope base to know you have them tight enough.Or do you just snug them and then turn another 1/8 to 1/4 turn?



Jason

[44man]

Good base screws are hardened but I don't know a torque reading for you. With the slotted heads I would use a good screwdriver and after making them as tight as I could, I would put torque on the handle and rap the end with a little hammer.
Some of those Allen head screws are junk and either the wrench or the head will round out. The Torx (spelling) is better but watch some of the cheap wrenches, they wind up.
I don't like blue loc-Tite and use red on most bases. However, nothing worked on my .475 so I had to resort to glass bedding the base to the gun and also the screws. Since it will never need to be removed, I am happy.
I have also used epoxy on just the screws. It is easy to remove by finding a brass or copper rod the diameter of the screw head, heat the end red hot and hold it on the screw head for a short time, it will destroy the epoxy. Loc-Tite can be removed the same way so if you find ring screws that were glued in, just use heat. Don't use anything to glue ring screws.
My .475 was so bad that after degreasing the screws and holes, I spayed Loc-Tite primer on everything. After drying and installing the screws, I let it sit a week to harden. One shooting session and the darn base would wiggle---NO MORE by golly! :bigsmyl2:

[Ed K]

Can't really answer without knowing what size screws you are speaking of and what they are made of. 44 man's extreme approach is probably fine for a 475 revolver but I would stick to industry standards on a Rem 223 Contender for example. A rule of thumb is about 10 in-lbs for a #6 screw and 20 for a #8.

[donjose]

Well I put a deposit on a S&W 500 performance center 7.5 barrel part # 170299.My understanding is there are three holes on top of the barrel shroud were a base will be put on.The screws look to be allot bigger than any I have used on rifles before.I guess maybe I am concerned about recoil loosing them up.


Jason

[44man]

Well I put a deposit on a S&W 500 performance center 7.5 barrel part # 170299.My understanding is there are three holes on top of the barrel shroud were a base will be put on.The screws look to be allot bigger than any I have used on rifles before.I guess maybe I am concerned about recoil loosing them up.


Jason
They are probably 8-40 screws. Ed's torque figures sound about right. That would be close to what I get with a screwdriver.
They need to be TIGHT but some of the stuff that is supposed to lock screws seems to work only part of the time.
At times I can take out screws with red Loc-Tite easy and the next gun will have a bunch in the threads and be a firm fit. I have wondered about the space between the screw and hole, whether it is so close that there is no room for the glue and it squeezes out.
If base screws keep coming loose, just get drastic! Epoxy is wonderful.

[Dill45]

I have a S&W 500 8 3/8 barrel my self with a scope on it. For a while there I couldn't get the base to stay put. I didn't want to resort to using Loktite or Epoxy so I figured I should try an approach I should have used in the first place.

I would mount the base on the gun, put the scope on and shoot 4 or 5 cylinders full of hot rounds really quick. This heated the gun up a lot, more than it would normally get under any shooting circumstances. I took the scope off and tightened the screws down and put the scope back on and let the gun cool down. Scope hasn't moved since. When I got the gun hot all the metal expanded allowing me to tighten the screws a bit more. After it cooled it locked it in place.

Those screws are in there pretty tight...and I don't know if this is really a great way of going around it, but it worked for me.

[donjose]

Makes since I figured that there would be an easier way to make sure they stay tight.I have only done one base install on my rifles,most of the time I take them over to a local smith and let him do them I know he puts red loktite and I have never had on come loose,but never on anything heaver recoiling than a 7 Mag

Jason

[donjose]

Here is a photo I found online showing the screws and base.
http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/a451/donjoseone/smith500.jpg

Jason