Torque wrench?

ibdavidson

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Kanata
Hello,
While I'm keen to use the services of a gunsmith for more complicated work I'd like to begin torquing my own screws correctly when installing bases, rings, stocks etc.- rather than playing the guessing game.

Any recommendations as to which product to use and from whom to purchase?

Thanks for your help,

Bruce
 
Hello,
While I'm keen to use the services of a gunsmith for more complicated work I'd like to begin torquing my own screws correctly when installing bases, rings, stocks etc.- rather than playing the guessing game.

Any recommendations as to which product to use and from whom to purchase?

Thanks for your help,

Bruce

A good place to look for low-range torque wrenches is a bicycle shop. One of the local shops here carries a fairly inexpensive Taiwanese 1/4" wrench similar to this one:

h ttp://www.amazon.com/2955-Torque-Wrench-0-60-Inch-Pounds/dp/B00004SQ3B/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1256663869&sr=1-7
 
I am using this one right now. The only thing I don;t like about it is that it only tightens and cannot be used to back your bolts off.

http://www.sinclairintl.com/product/6764/Torque-Wrenches
 
A torque limiting screwdriver is better suited than a torque wrench. I recommend the Utica screw drivers. They can be purchased on ebay for under $100 and are an industrial quality torque measuring / limiting screwdriver.

Utica 6-30

ts30.jpg
 
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If it isn't off the Snap-On truck, it probably isn't a real tool. Snap-On is the best.

LOL, you a dealer? I spent a large part of my yearly income for a lot of years on Snap On. While they do make great tools, you don't need that kind of build quality for an inch pound torque wrench/driver for gun screws. Planning on disassembling and reassembling a million or two guns in the next few years? - dan
 
Don't get the POS wrenches from Princess Auto. I had one that is less than a year old that just took a dump on me and damaged a set of rings (yes, my fault for not realizing there was a problem until too late).

Buy quality and buy it once.
 
For gun screws, if it's in the budget, the adjustable torque limiting screwdriver is the one to look at.

On a budget, get a spring bar type.

I have used spring bar torque wrenches for Aircraft work, that, as much as all the folk wanted rid of them (because they involved effort to use, rather than just feeling for the 'click') they passed calibration every month. Heck, guys actually went out of their way to try to get rid of them. But they stood the abuse, and still passed cal.

On that, no matter what type you get, if you can, get it checked on a torque tester, so you know what torque you are applying, relative to the reading. You need not set it up for regular calibration, but if you get a chance, see how close the wrench is to it's reading, throughout it's range.

I see a lot of torque wrenches that fail calibration, and get scrapped. Snap-On is well represented in that lot. Not worse than any other, but not better than. Given the price paid, I would want better than, were it MY money. Some of the companies Snap-On has bought out, sell pretty good stuff, if you can afford them, though. I just wouldn't touch one of their branded torque wrenches with my money, unless I had a decent tester around.

Cheers
Trev
 
LOL, you a dealer? I spent a large part of my yearly income for a lot of years on Snap On. While they do make great tools, you don't need that kind of build quality for an inch pound torque wrench/driver for gun screws. Planning on disassembling and reassembling a million or two guns in the next few years? - dan

No I'm not a snap on dealer, but i like paying for my dealers house!

I just believe that a quality tool pays off, because 30 years down the road if you didn't loose it, it will work as good as the day you bought it.
 
I am A Snap-On Tools dealer. Any t-wrench that is calibrated is good. The problem is "made is China" and made off-shore torque wrenches. They may or may not be in spec even when new. A quality T-wrench will come with a certificate of calibration and when it requires service, parts will be available.
 
If it isn't off the Snap-On truck, it probably isn't a real tool. Snap-On is the best.

Not to insult you or snappy above, but that was true back in the day. Now some of the stuff is made offshore like many other cheaper brands. Maybe its just me but I see a real difference old to new. My old ratchet from the '70s is on its second set of guts, while my other one that is five years old is on its third...

Me, I prefer the made in Europe stuff like Hazet. The English and Germans pioneered quality alloys and still make the best. I'd gone through half a dozen 9mm triple square Snap-Ons drivers, once I switched to Hazet I've yet to break my first. Same deal with hex drivers too. Hazet is often no more expensive than SO as well. Anecdotal evidence only no doubt, but it has been my experience.

That said, I use a 1/4" drive Snap-On Torque wrench in inch/ounces (older model). An ex-girlfriend gave it to me way back, so it has sentimental value. I'd never replace it will anything else. Snap-On can be great, they are just not nessesarily the 'best' anymore.
 
Keep the minimum torque rating of a wrench in mind. As an example the 1/4" drive Snap-On, (that I've used regularly for more than 30 years) only goes down to 30 in/lbs - this exceeds what most commonly used mount and ring screws are rated for even considering the extra fine thread and quality of steel used. IRIC you'll be looking at 20 in/lb for a 6/48 screw and, while it might only be 10in/lb extra regarding the overtorque, you are exceeding the rated value by 30% - that is significant. I haven't seen what the min. rating of a 3/8" drive Power Fist or Mastercraft torque wrench is, but if you were to use one of them I suspect you'd eventually be asking for trouble let alone the fact that it would be clumsy as hell to use. As posted previously there are several options but the Wheeler Engineering Fat Wrench is not too pricey and FWIW, mine survived the first calibration that I had done to it (mandatory scheduled calibration requirement if you plan on using it on aircraft) and it was within limits.
 
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