Removing Loctite screws??!!
 

I bought a $210 Redfeild scope to put on my 30-06 springfeild this year. I went to remove the screws on the old scope and broke two alan wrenches trying too remove the screws on the rings. Turns out the idiot who had the gun before me put red loctite on ALL OF THE SCREWS, instead of just the base bolts. Any ideas on removing them? I think if all else fails I will try heating the screws up, but I'm scared I'll damage the scope.

Maybe you can drill them out. There is a special drill bit made for drilling into and reversing out stuck screws. I did that to the rear sight on my TC Encore because it interfered with the scope and I stripped the head trying to get the sight off.

Heat. That's what you usually have to do to get red loctite off. I think I remember reading something else that dissolves it, but I can't remember what it was. Maybe try to Seafoam Deep Creep or something like that and let it soak in and see if that helps.

This is why I never ever let anyone else mount a scope for me anymore. I've never had a good experience letting a shop mount a scope. Too many idiots out there. You should never ever use red loctite on anything scope base, or ring related. Use the blue if you are going to use it.

BTW the other option is what about a cutting wheel and cutting the rings right behind the screws? Then you can at least get the scope out. That might be another option. Just be very very careful.

Just get a 1/8" drill bit and drill off the head of the screws. The top of the ring will then lift off over the shaft of the screws. Then go buy some new rings and install them correctly.

If you have a soldering iron, you can apply localized heat enough to break loose the red locktite. Heat the iron and apply it to the screw head for a few minutes, then loosen it before it gets cold.

Ehhh - wrong answer.

Pink Loctite is small screw adhesive.

If there is Red Loctite on the screws - they will not come out.

It will take about 450* of heat to get the Loctite to release.

The screws that holds a scope on a rifle is a larger size usually then the screws that holds the scope on. I can't remember anymore - but I think that the screw size is usually a 6 - 48 or 8 - 40 - .164 diameter.

A #6 screw has a diameter of 0.138". The second number denotes threads per inch (tpi), so a 6-48 screw is a #6 with 48 tpi. Industry standards for #6 screws are coarse (32 tpi), fine (40 tpi), and special (36 tpi). The 6-48 size is an oddball. You would need a number #31 drill bit to drill the hole and a # 25 if you wanted to clearance drill the hole for the screw. That doesn't leave a lot of meat in the hole if you break a screw off. Definitely not something that you could do with a simple hand drill.

You have to special order the tap - because no one except for a gun shop carries one.

Man it doesn't have to be this confusing for the average Joe. It doesn't matter what the thread pitch is on the ring cap screws. Just get a friggin drill bit large enough to drill off the head of the screw from the shaft of the screw and remove the scope ring caps. Then buy a new set of rings.

This isn't rocket science people.

You could either do as said above, drill the screw out, or drill a small hole through the middle of the screw and put an easy out through it and a wrench. I doubt it would hold up to that, but a heatgun or some kind of heat could help.

blue loctite next time...


drill and tap?