Which Loctite do you use?

A

AzShooter

New member
I decided to replace my sights on my GSG 1911 22. I ordered a new sight from CW Accessories and they recommended using Red Loctite. This stuff is permanent.

I miscalculated the sight position and had to move the sight. Well not an easy task. I should have used Blue which can be removed if needed.

Try as I may I couldn't get the Red to budge. I used a heat gun and finally a butain torch to no avail. I burned the fiber optic out of the sight and then figured the only alternative was to push the sight out, order a new size and reinstall.

I'm going to use Blue on the new sight.

What have you used with success?
 
Red is for the garage, for rare use on the Jeep. On the gun bench, I keep blue (medium hold) and purple (light hold). For a sight in a dovetail, I would start with purple. If that didn't hold, I would then try blue. Under no circumstances to I allow red (or green) near a firearm.
 
Loctite makes a RANGE of products, red, blue, green, and probably some other color bottles I don't remember...and there is a number in the name. like 242, or 271, or some other number. The number is important, when used industrially. It is the number that identifies the product specifically. The colors are only general identifiers.

Loctite makes permanent, semi permanent and removable threadlockers. Permanent isn't coming loose. Ever.
Semi permanent can be loosened with heat.
Removable lets you unscrew with the proper tool.

I can recommend a product called GUNTITE. It's made for gun screws. Holds well, but screws/bolts come out fine with the proper screwdriver or wrench.

Last time I got some (and its been a while) was from the Sporting good section of Walmart, it came in a white tube with green lettering.

DO be sure to clean and properly de-grease the threads and the hole, or it won't hold well.

As to sights? hmmm we're talking dovetail here, right? I would not put any Loctite on a sight dovetail, at first. And its a .22? hardly needed, but ok...
For you (replacement) sight, I recommend after cleaning up the slide, install the sight with NO Loctite.

Shoot the gun enough so you can make any needed adjustments to the sight position FIRST. Then, when you are sure its in the right spot, make a witness mark on the side and slide. Remove the sight, add a drop of Loctite, and reinstall lining up the witness marks, and let cure. Sight will be in the right spot, and won't be going anywhere, now...

Good Luck.
 
I don't go any 'higher' than purple (222) for screws, dovetails (only if necessary), etc., unless I have a reason to do so.

Then it's blue (242/243).

Only very rarely will green (290) come out to play, such as when attaching the free float tube to the barrel nut for certain AR fore-ends.

Red stays in the garage.
 
When I worked in the prosthetics industry (been retired for 14 years now), they used a Loctite product called, "Black Max", and as the name implies, a permanent product.
 
As a gunsmith, I keep a variety of LocTite products around. Red, purple, green, blue, black. Before you get too confused, LocTite uses numbers to identify their products so not all green or blue LocTite products are the same, and there are many different strengths of LocTite that are the same color. There are LocTite products that are oil resistant, penetrating, for use on non-ferrous metals, for
plastics, dielectric, heat conducting, heat release, you name it.

That said, I use much, much more green 290 and blue 243 than any other types, I buy the large bottles and go through about one a year. Red 271 or 277 lasts a long time in my shop, I still have the same small bottle I bought when I opened my shop 8 years ago (yep, learned that one early on). Black Max is a special use product, and is considered permanent (it is used to attach shotgun ribs), so that gets used very little as well. For most home hobbyists, I point them towards the LocTite 222 purple low-strength product (since most home users think if a little is good, a lot has got to be better).
 
Red is for high vibration applications, like old British motorcycles. It has no place on a firearm. Use blue or for really tiny screws, purple.
 
I usually use red on about everything except scope rings. I have a knack for being able to precision apply heat. A little heat and red turns loose.
 
I use blue for any situation when I need threads locked. If it doesn't hold, I step up to the next more powerful color.

Red is the strongest, but I've yet to ever have to use it for anything. I'm sure it'll be used for some sort of off road vehicle work in the future.
 
The front sight on my brand new Ruger LCP Custom left for parts unknown after the third shot. When I get a new sight from Ruger, I plan on using blue.
 
Heat will break loose red. On a sight try heating a paper clip up to apply very precise amounts of heat around/to the sight.

99% of the time I use Blue Loc Tite but have used Red on a rear sight before.
 
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