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Gunsmithing torque wrench

gary55

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 28, 2017
64
5
Can you gentlemen recommend a quality torque wrench that won't cost me a bunch? I only use one a few times a year but don't want to trust my torque settings to crap tooling.
Gary
 
At this time I can't think of needing to torque more than action screws at 65 in/lbs, therefore I will say from 0-65in/lbs is my needed range.
 
Troll a tooling swap meet and find yourself a beam style 1/4" drive inch pound torque wrench.

No moving parts means zero calibration concerns unless you fold the bugger in half. I've had one now for close to 20 years. My bigger clicker types go in for calibration every few months.
 
Troll a tooling swap meet and find yourself a beam style 1/4" drive inch pound torque wrench.

No moving parts means zero calibration concerns unless you fold the bugger in half. I've had one now for close to 20 years. My bigger clicker types go in for calibration every few months.

Good point. I can't see me having a $50 torque wrench calibrated.
 
The Wheeler FAT wrench is OK but it registers a bit on the low side. It's good enough for rings and rail accessories. For stock/chassis fasteners, I use a ratchet-style wrench.
 
The FixIts are really nice and cheap for a field ready situation. They can be ordered in whatever inch lbs u need. They currently measure identical to our Armstrong torque wrenches.
 
Borka is a great all-around firearms torque wrench. Seekonk is also great but can get pricey. I have also used Felo torque drivers and they're also good. It just depends on how much you're willing to spend. Can't go wrong with either
 
For ft pounds check you local pawn shops for Snap-on. Most mechanics don't need them every day so when money gets tight....... they are the first to go. Just don't buy one off the snap on truck, that like inviting a vampire into you house!! they always show up on payday with one more thing you "might"be interested in.
 
Snap-On doesn't mfg everything they sell. Torque wrenches is one of those things. I'd be surprised if they buy all of their torque wrenches from one company but one of the companies they buy a lot of them from is CDI.
 
The FAT wrench is pretty handy for torquing rings and bases and is accurate and repeatable.
The Borka tool is great but is not the easiest thing to use.
Of course I use the Borka in the field and sometimes in the shop but I'm more likely to reach for the FAT wrench.
However the FAT wrench does not go to 65 in/lbs IIRC, more like 50 or 55.
 
The FAT wrench is pretty handy for torquing rings and bases and is accurate and repeatable.
The Borka tool is great but is not the easiest thing to use.
Of course I use the Borka in the field and sometimes in the shop but I'm more likely to reach for the FAT wrench.
However the FAT wrench does not go to 65 in/lbs IIRC, more like 50 or 55.

the FAT wrench goes to 65inlbs......at least mine does.
 
i purchased a vortex torque driver, it looks nice but it only comes with a very few 1/4in driver bits, none of which unfortunately fit my american defense or tikka mounting screws. it should work with other driver bits if you own them (i'm told). working range is 10 in/lbs to 50 in/lbs...some mounts need higher in/lbs so check your needs first.

Borka tools makes a nice one but almost twice the price, it was out of stock when i was shopping so I opted for the Vortex....kind of wish i had waited. Still the Vortex looks and feels like a good tool and the company is a really good company.
 
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In another life I was a mechanic full time and still have all my tools.

I have a torque screwdriver that goes from 5-35 in lbs that I use to torque the rings. I have another torque wrench that goes from 30-205 in lbs that I use to torque the mount to the rail.

I was always taught to step torque things by starting out much lower than the final torque to "seat" everything. Then incrementally increase the torque until the final amount is reached. I notice torque tools like the Borka and the Fix-it sticks adapters are set at the final torque. I do not like that.

 
I was always taught to step torque things by starting out much lower than the final torque to "seat" everything. Then incrementally increase the torque until the final amount is reached. I notice torque tools like the Borka and the Fix-it sticks adapters are set at the final torque. I do not like that.

Well, then your teacher obviously failed to spread this knowledge to any industry I can think about.
ALL fasteners on ALL production lines are torqued straight from zero to the final torque setting in one step.
However, please feel free to tell everybody that as far as YOU were taught, all of them are using the wrong technology,
do not limit yourself to your post on SH only... When you get replies from the industry people, I hope to see your second post.
 
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Well, then your teacher obviously failed to spread this knowledge to any industry I can think about.
ALL fasteners on ALL production lines are torqued straight from zero to the final torque setting in one step.
However, please feel free to tell everybody that as far as YOU were taught, all of them are using the wrong technology,
do not limit yourself to your post on SH only... When you get replies from the industry people, I hope to see your second post.



Wrong..... do that to a cylinder head, crank shaft, cam blocks and pay the price.
 
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Well, then your teacher obviously failed to spread this knowledge to any industry I can think about.
ALL fasteners on ALL production lines are torqued straight from zero to the final torque setting in one step.
However, please feel free to tell everybody that as far as YOU were taught, all of them are using the wrong technology,
do not limit yourself to your post on SH only... When you get replies from the industry people, I hope to see your second post.

FAIL.
Running from zero to full torque can cause elastomers to flow out of the seating, normally diametrically opposed to the initial fastener.
I learned to torque incrementally as well, but then again, I was only building underwater ordnance that HAD to work, since we were putting pilots lives and high dollar military jets at risk to deliver them.
 
I run my Borka through the lower torque settings, alternating pattern, until I get up to the desired setting and even before I hit the spec torque, Ill quarter turn each fastner until the Borka breaks at torque than I snug each to value.
 
I feel like I have to repost a part of my previous reply, which somehow escaped your attention:

"ALL fasteners on ALL production lines are torqued straight from zero to the final torque setting in one step".

The key words here are "production lines", which, as everybody can imagine, is a bunch of people or, sometimes, even robots with power driven torque limiting tools, which are, in essence, "motorized" heavy duty torque limiters. This type of assembly operation is used on a massive scale, and should be, logically speaking, hard to ignore regardless of what some individuals may like to do in accordance with their own preferences.

There are some exceptions, like scope rings or, say, bearing caps supporting long shafts, which make use of more than two fasteners per scope ring or bearing cap. This makes it necessary to keep the gap on both sides relatively even. In this case, going from zero to full torque in one step will certainly not be a correct way to use, which I perfectly know and understand.

I hope this clarification helps with my original reply, which was probably too short to cover all torque limiting applications.
 
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However, please feel free to tell everybody that as far as YOU were taught, all of them are using the wrong technology,
do not limit yourself to your post on SH only.
.
.

Yeah, well you conveniently don't reference this part of your post.
You called everyone that torques incrementally an idiot.
Not only that, this thread is in regards to folks applying torques to the firearms at home.
How the fact does that equate to "industry"?
 
Yeah, well you conveniently don't reference this part of your post.
You called everyone that torques incrementally an idiot.
Not only that, this thread is in regards to folks applying torques to the firearms at home.
How the fact does that equate to "industry"?

1.Total nonsense. It is YOU who used the word "idiot", not ME. You've shown a great disrespect to others and must apologize.

2. Arrange for a visit to GM, Ford, Honda, etc. production plant and see for yourself. I've been there many times, when I've worked in Automotive industry for 20 years.

3. I've made a "horrible mistake" of referencing the industry experience as it relates to mass production technology.
Now, go ahead and crucify me for that.




 
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1.Total nonsense. It is YOU who used the word "idiot", not ME. You've shown a great disrespect to others and must apologize.

2. Arrange for a visit to GM, Ford, Honda, etc. production plant and see for yourself. I've been there many times, when I've worked in Automotive industry for 20 years.

3. I've made a "horrible mistake" of referencing the industry experience as it relates to mass production technology.
Now, go ahead and crucify me for that.

It seems the general consensus is you're an idiot that made a generalized statement that had zero relation to the topic being discussed.
I fully concur with the finding of the public court.

 
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It seems the general consensus is you're an idiot that made a generalized statement that had zero relation to the topic being discussed.
I fully concur with the finding of the public court.

Your reply about "general consensus" is the reason why I just made a decision to exit SH as a SH vendor, which was a status I've had since 2010. Take my place and take care of SH members requests and GBs, which I've been planning to run later this year.

Boris
Borka Tools
 
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Snap-On doesn't mfg everything they sell. Torque wrenches is one of those things. I'd be surprised if they buy all of their torque wrenches from one company but one of the companies they buy a lot of them from is CDI.

this is correct, i have a newer brownells torque screw driver and i seen something from cdi on amazon that looks exactly like the brownells but in newton meters instead of inch pounds
 
WOW. I was just hoping to get advise on an average Joe's torque wrench. I did not mean to start this chit. I'm new here and am in no way telling anybody how to handle things. I will say this though, in the last month I have been to 2 matches and at these matches heard 3 guys say they don't come to this site anymore. I didn't ask why but maybe now I'm reading the answer to that un-asked question. A few months ago when searching for a forum for long range I thought this one was the place for me. Let's keep it clean here. Keep un-related info. out of the thread. This isn't some dive bar. Let's carry ourselves with dignity here so we can keep coming here. I've been on a hog hunting forum that was at once a great place, now it barely exists. Please don't let Snipershide go that way too, I need the wisdom I find here, so do you.
 
i have not had a chance to calibrate my brownells but it is made by a major torque wrench manufacturer and i trust brownells to not let me down. costed me 50 bucks on sale, and turns in 1 inch pound increments, no need to guess at what you set it to
 
Your reply about "general consensus" is the reason why I just made a decision to exit SH as a SH vendor, which was a status I've had since 2010. Take my place and take care of SH members requests and GBs, which I've been planning to run later this year.

Boris
Borka Tools

This place is such a joke. It is no wonder vendors run far away from here. Boris is one of the nicest and most most professional guys I have dealt with. This place brings out the worst in people. Bunch of "Sniper-Typers" "Know it all's" here.

Good job FDKAY. You ran off a vendor that often gives SH members discounts and offers group-buys on his new products. Do you even shoot? Or are just a troll? Maybe 4chan is a better place for you...

 
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I posted my experience and Kortik was a dick about it and got called out on it. Instead of owning up to it and maybe said hey guys I learned something here, he wanted to win the internet by talking about production line work by big companies.
 
This place is such a joke. It is no wonder vendors run far away from here. Boris is one of the nicest and most most professional guys I have dealt with. This place brings out the worst in people. Bunch of "Sniper-Typers" "Know it all's" here.

Good job FDKAY. You ran off a vendor that often gives SH members discounts and offers group-buys on his new products. Do you even shoot? Or are just a troll? Maybe 4chan is a better place for you...

I see you have no problem with his inflammatory statement that started the whole thing.
He is still around, he had been posting in the Pit and Maggies.
 
I posted my experience and Kortik was a dick about it and got called out on it. Instead of owning up to it and maybe said hey guys I learned something here, he wanted to win the internet by talking about production line work by big companies.

There is no doubt, I guess, in your mind, that your experience is the only one which is a good one. Looks like you're the man.

Just imagine, if possible, that others can have different experiences and actually gained these experiences over many years in various industries. I know it's a lot to ask, but what if..?

Here it some recent info is about me:

1. Idiot (from fdkay)
2. Dick (from you)

Any other thoughts?
 
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