Gunsmithing requires 100 percent precision. That is why you need the best torque wrench for guns if you are in that profession.
A torque wrench is very important for tightening fasteners in delicate places. A gun is quite delicate. Remember, a bullet is small and it moves very fast. Therefore, if something is off in the gun, the risk of failing to hit the mark is very high.
To show you how important torque application is in gunsmithing, you should see the number of torque wrenches for guns in the market. There are so many.
But you do not even have to be a gunsmith to need a torque wrench for your weapon. If you are a hunter, or you do marksmanship for sport, you need a torque wrench to help you mount your scopes.
Why you need to use a torque wrench for guns
One of the mistakes that many first time rifle owners make is to think they can use a regular screwdriver for their scope screws.
A rifle scope comes with screws, whose torque rating is in inches per pound. Therefore, if you under-tighten these screws, it might throw the scope off.
If you over-tighten the screws, you will damage the threads. Stripped threads can cause your gun scope to go off at the most crucial moment. This is why it is paramount to use the best torque wrench for gun scopes.
You can use the same torque values for the gun scope repeatedly. If you take good care of your gun torque wrench, it is not going to lose its calibration fast.
Applying precise torque on your gun scope has the benefit of accuracy. When you are tracking a deer in low light, you don’t want to worry about the accuracy of your scope.
There are tens of benefits of using torque wrenches for your gun repair and maintenance jobs. A gun is a delicate item and so the sooner you learn to maintain it the better.
Some of the maintenance tasks include using a wrench to torque the scope ring screws to the recommended force.
Considerations when buying a torque wrench for gunsmithing
There are tens of torque wrenches in the market, so as a first time gun owner, you might not know which one to buy.
To make the buying process easier for you, we are going to share the most important things to consider when buying a torque wrench for your gun.
Among the parts that need precise torque include action screws, scope mounts (as mentioned) and bolts. When you buy your gun, check with the manufacturer the torque specifications for all fasteners.
To choose the best wrench for using with your gun, consider the following important factors:
1. Torque range
Luckily, for gun scope rings, bolts and other parts, you will not need all that range of torque. Just ensure the torque range is between 25 and 40in-lb.
Usually, the ring screws of the scope need this kind of torque range. However, we suggest you buy a torque wrench set to get flat heads, Torx, Allen and a few other bits, rather than buying just one or two torque wrenches.
Still on the torque range, it is paramount to get a wrench that measures torque in inches per pound as opposed to one that uses bigger units, you know like Nm or ft-lb. Ft-lb and Nm are best for tightening applications that require heavy-duty torque.
Not all applications on a gun are going to require the use of in-lb units. Others require heavier torque application. For instance, barrel nuts require heavier torque application, so a wrench that measures Ft-lb is more appropriate.
2. Style or orientation
By style, we mean having to choose from the many different torque wrenches we have available in the market.
You can use a manual torque wrench to measure torque. It will give a click when you attain the set torque value/level. Some are also designed to fail when they achieve the set torque level so that they do not continue tightening.
Consider using a digital torque wrench for your gun parts. This has its unique benefits such as having an LCD display where you can see the torque numbers.
It can also give a buzzer, a flash, vibrate or all of the three to alert you when you have attained the set torque value.
Because of the straightforwardness of the digital torque wrench, there is little or no room for error.
In another article, we looked at the best torque wrenches for bikes. Because of their small size, they may be appropriate to use on your gun fasteners.
3. The material
You might wonder why the insistence on material whenever you are choosing a torque wrench. Now, some cheap varieties are made of ABS plastic.
The problem with plastic is that while it is resilient, it is still not strong enough and it may not stand the test of time.
Make sure that the wrench you get is made of metal. Powder coated finishing is better for rust protection.
Look for a wrench with a knurled handle. It is easier to hold even with sweaty hands and it is not going to slip out easily.
4. Ratchet head design
Many people forget this simple design issue. A ratchet head that can tighten a fastener and measure torque in clockwise and counterclockwise directions is better than one that measures in one direction.
You will find that the accuracy differs a bit when you are tightening in the counterclockwise direction. For instance, the accuracy in the clockwise direction might be +/-2% and +/4% in the counterclockwise direction.
5. Cost
Before you can look at the cost, look at the features that the torque wrench set comes with. Features are more important than the cost. That being said; do not get the cheapest gun torque wrench in the market.
Because guns are very delicate, you need to use a wrench that does not slip or lose its grip. Be ready to pay a good (not extravagant) amount of money to get a high quality gun scope wrench.
Specifically, get a digital wrench. It is more accurate, has a better alert system and it won’t lose its calibration any time soon. It also comes with an LED light alert when you get the set torque level.
6. Accuracy rating
This is very important and it will differ from one torque wrench to another. Some have an accuracy rating of +/-2% and for others, it is +/-4%.
If you can find one with an accuracy rating of +/-1%, go for it. You also need to know the accuracy of the wrench when it is tightening fasteners in the counterclockwise direction.
In the counterclockwise direction, the torque will be slightly off. Take care to keep it
Do you need a torque wrench to clean a gun?
When cleaning a gun, you will definitely need to use a torque wrench. You have to take several parts together. Putting them back together will definitely require a calibrated torque wrench.
Most of the torque wrench work comes in when you are attaching or detaching the scope. There are the action screws that attach the stock to the barrel action. There are the scope base fasteners and scope ring crossbolt.
Since you have to take the gun apart when you are cleaning it, you will need to attach everything back together using a torque wrench to meet the required torque levels.
It is not all the time that you will need a torque wrench to clean a gun. For instance, when you are cleaning your pistol, you can take everything apart and put it back together by hand.
It is not always all the time that you will need to use a torque wrench when cleaning a rifle. Unless it has a scope and you have to remove it fast and then set it back on, most of the parts come off and go back on by hand.
If your rifle does not have a scope, you will hardly need a torque wrench to tighten anything.
To clear up on the question of: Do you need a torque wrench to clean a gun? The answer is mostly no, but when your rifle has a scope, you definitely have to torque the fasteners.
What size torque wrench do I need for an AR15?
The AR15 rifle, also called the M16 is the most popular in America. There is a reason for this. Firstly, you can accessorize this gun so fast, even when you don’t have any gunsmith knowledge.
Secondly, it is accurate and it will do most of the work, making it the perfect example of plug n’ play in the gun world. If you are new to guns, you need something that can practically run itself.
There are many more reasons why there is so much love for this gun. Back to our topic, this gun has many fasteners, so you might need more than one torque wrench.
The important consideration is the torque range of the wrench set that you want to buy. This depends on the type of gun you have. For instance, if your rifle has a regular hand-guard, get a torque wrench with 30 to 80 ft-lb.
Barrel nuts require a higher torque level of 40 or 50 ft-lb. Because of their bigger size, these ones require 3/8 and ½ -inch torque wrenches.
You can always check the recommended torque values for the different parts of the gun. Do the same for other guns too. Action screws require to be torqued to 30 to 65 in-lb.
Scope base has a torque level of 15 to 25 in-lb while the scope ring cross bolts need to be torqued to 65 in-lb. Scope ring screws have a torque rating of 17 to 25 in-lb while barrel retention screws require to be tightened to 80 in-lbs.
The barrel nut is the biggest and it needs to be torqued to about 30 ft-lb, using ½-inch torque wrench. Always check the user manual that comes with your gun to know what torque settings to apply.
What torque wrench do gunsmiths use?
There are hundreds of the best torque wrenches for gunsmithing. Beginners always find it hard to choose the best one. Here are three of the best rated gunsmithing torque wrenches that you can use:
Real Avid Gunsmithing Torque Wrench Kit
- 1 in-lb torque increment for precision
- Torque range is 10 to 70 in-lb
- It comes with 12 1/4-inch of the most used fasteners in gunsmithing
- Has a window where you can read scale when adjusting torque and clicks when you achieve set torque
- Can work with scope bases and rings from Leupold, Zeiss, Weaver, Sig Sauer, Nikon and many more brands
- Rubber grip handle is comfortable and easy to use for long hours
Wheeler Digital Firearms Accurizing Torque Wrench
- Has an LCD display and a loud tone to let you know when you reach set torque
- Has a high accuracy rating of +/-2%
- Wide torque range starting at 15 in-lb to 100 in-lb and can also measure torque in Nm and kg-cm
- One driver and 10 bits made of S2 steel
43-piece Wheeler Professional Gunsmithing Screwdriver Set
- Comes in many bits for gunsmithing, electrical and other jobs
- There are hex bits and slot bits to work with their respective handles
- Includes small-size bits for the smallest gun fasteners
- Rubber handle is comfortable and gives you more control
- Has a large LCD display to read numbers easily
Conclusion
Guns are delicate so you should always use the recommended tools. Besides buying the right torque wrench for the job, you also need to apply the right amount of torque for the fasteners.
Usually, different guns need different wrenches. The most popular gun in America – the AR15 rifle mostly requires ½ and 3/8-inch size torque wrenches.
For any gun with fasteners, check the recommended torque rating. Also, check the tightening order because some manufacturers give their specifics about this.