Torque Wrenches for Airguns?

[Hsing-ee]

Just fitting a scope rail to my .22 Brno match pistol. It’s got that ‘Precision Instrument’ vibe to it as well as difficult to get parts for rep so I’m afraid of hurting it.

Does anyone use one of those tiny torque wrenches to do up screws and bolts on their guns? I mean I will be ok with judging it and it’s years since I stripped a thread, but you know … it’s like boingxiety.

[flyingfish]

I have a torque screwdriver from Amazon that takes Alan key heads
I was surprised to discover how little torque you are supposed to use

[ashf9999]

Yep. I bought an Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza II 2-16 Pro Deluxe - expensive but excellent and precise and made in Italy. Comes with a proper calibration certificate - not a crappy Chinglish thing. Range is 2 to 16 Nm. Comes with various hex bits. Only issue is as it’s in metric (Nm) a conversion table off the internet to Inch-Pounds can be useful. Then just follow the manufacturer recommendation re torque on mounts etc and you won’t risk stripping threads.

Bear in mind you need to check the range any wrench operates at, as the standard Halfords-type torque wrench, though excellent, tend to start at higher torques than most airgun bits require.

Cheap ones can have settings that quickly start to wander.
I’m sure there will be cheaper decent ones out there than the Effetto, so take your time and look around.

[Thegreg]

I’ve got one made by Anschutz. It’s more of a miniature torque wrench than a torque screwdriver. Always use it for scope rings.

Cheers
Greg

[Murphy]

The only trouble with using torque tools is you need to know what to torque too.

[Neil54]

I bought a torque wrench for tightening scope rings.
It tightened them more than I like too.

Small end of Allen key for top rings.

[angrybear]

Unless you're going to buy a calibrated torque tester, & then get that re-calibrated every however often, it strikes me as overkill,
Having said that there are people with no idea of judging "finger tight"

[ashf9999]

Unless you're going to buy a calibrated torque tester, & then get that re-calibrated every however often, it strikes me as overkill,
Having said that there are people with no idea of judging "finger tight"

Certainly do - work for an electro-mechanical engineering company. We’re always sending tools and test equipment for rechecking and calibration. Allegedly the torque wrench I have is good for 1000 uses before the manufacturer recommends checking, so that’ll be a while off…

[robs5230]

Both mounts and scopes have recommended torque settings

Yes you can just go by feel, but why would you?

I use a Vortex torque screwdriver and happy with it

[angrybear]

Both mounts and scopes have recommended torque settings

Yes you can just go by feel, but why would you?
Because as I said above unless you calibrate the tool before use it's pointless

I use a Vortex torque screwdriver and happy with it

We had the calibration rigs in the RAF, and at one camp it was part of my job to go around with the weights & measures test kit and test/calibrate all the precision measuring devices, (2 weeks of mind numbing boredom)
half the test rigs would be sat on a shelf with a layer of dust obviously unused since our least check.

[capt hindsight]

Yes, very useful imo, I use a bicycle one made by Giant.

Sportsmatch give torque settings but in inch-lbs.

I converted this to Newton Meters:

Ring screws 4mm - 15 in-lbs (1.7NM)
Dovetail screws 4mm - 38 in-lbs (4.3NM)
Dovetail screws 5mm - 55 in-lb (6.2NM)
Rail clamp on Picatinny/weaver mounts - 28 in-lb (3.2NM)

1.7NM is surprisingly light and it's no surprise some of my scopes have a light indentation on the tube this from where they have been mounted prior to me using the torque wrench.

[nevadacowboy]

These are the torque settings for Hawke scopes.

ur recommended torque settings for rings is as below:

• Ring cap screws are 16 inch pounds (1.8 Nm)
• Base screws are 30 inch pounds (3.4 Nm)

How would you rate my reply?
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Kind regards,

Kate Cranmer

Hawke UK
uk@hawkeoptics.com

[robs5230]

We had the calibration rigs in the RAF, and at one camp it was part of my job to go around with the weights & measures test kit and test/calibrate all the precision measuring devices, (2 weeks of mind numbing boredom)
half the test rigs would be sat on a shelf with a layer of dust obviously unused since our least check.

I'd rather have the 12 bolts on a pair of 2pc mounts, all done up to the same torque value, rather than 12 different ones done by hand.

Oh and I worked in Aerospace Engineering, making parts to Boeing tolerances and that's also irrelevant

[angrybear]

My point was people not bothering to test their torque tools even when the tester was provided for them,
so I doubt many privately owned ones are ever tested.
If all 12 are the same torque, either 4 or 8 are wrong

[Shed tuner]

If all 12 are the same torque, either 4 or 8 are wrong

I like it

In decades of shooting I just do by feel. Small end of Allen wrench, then nip up 1/8th for top rings, 1/4 for dovetail clamps. Nothing moves, or crimps, so its all good.