PSA: Check your red dot mount.

Figured I would let my misfortune be a before the season reminder for everyone to check your dot mounts.

I typically pride myself on properly mounting my dots and for the most part never had an issue. I've been trying to work on my new GSP .32, today I was sandbagging a new Dave Wilson barrel with my hamdloads. My first 50 yard 10 shot group with just a red dot was right at 2", I was super excited. Then things started getting worse and walking around the target. I left the range kind of bummed.

Got home and figured I'd give it a good cleaning. I luckily grabbed the Primary Arms red dot (on a Kodiak base) and gave it a twist, it moved easily by hand.

So not only was the base loose on the rail but the dot was loose on the mount. I'm surprised it shot as well as it did. I've remounted both my dots and mounts and added loctite.

So check your dots before the season starts.

Just went through this on a 45 1911. Its a good PSA thanks.

Greetings,

I know Dave Wilson personally and he has no recollection of making a barrel for a Zane Moseley.

Cheers,

Dave's friend Dave

I bought the 5" barrel you made for Bill Treanor. Greg Benner had bought it from Bill and had since had Jon Eulette flute and refinish it. I bought it from Greg about a week ago. Came with a very nice test target you shot with 1.6 BE.

Do you put blue Loctite on all the screws?  This is a must if you don't want stuff to unscrew themselves.  A couple of other things also help:

1) Always torque screws to spec with a proper torque wrench.  I have lost count of the number of times people at the range have come up to me with lose sight screws that were put on by gun stores....

2) Always put an index mark on the screw and the surrounding area.  A small dot of gunsight paint works well.  That way, it is easy to just look to check if the screws are moving.

After your sure it is where you want it and torqued down I use green Loctite. It will seep into the threads even after installed.

Len

Sometimes I don't use loctite and sometimes I do. It depends on if I think its prone to working loose and if its mounted to a slide or stationary. In this case where the dot is stationary on the GSP I didn't use Loctite the first time. Since it came loose I installed the light duty purple loctite on the 4 screws that attach the Kodiak base to the Primary Arms red dot and used blue loctite on the cross bolt that clamps the Kodiak mount to the rail.

I needed blue Loctite for the mounting screws on my RO9/FF3 setup as they loosened after 100 or so rounds.  The same for my 986/Burris 2x for rail mounting screws and cross bolts.  All screws were torqued to spec. but still loosened.  Store your Loctite refrigerated and it will keep forever.