Do you lock tight the screws on your scope rings?

No

I de grease the threads

Every time.

Clean the oil off the screws. Drop of low strength Locktite, torque to 25 in/lbs.

I loosened a set of screws that had been in place for four years, in Badger Ordnance rings.

Yes, low strength.

How difficult is it to break when you choose to do so, after loctite ?

Maybe a tad more torque than it took to install them.

I don't. I buy good quality and torque to factory spec's that were designed into the thread engagement load.

“designed into the thread engagement load.” What, exactly, does this mean? It sounds like marketing hype off a website….

I like to use a little low strength on them and torque to spec. If you ever do find they are in danger of stripping when removing, just heat up a soldering iron and put the tip in the recess of the screw for 15 seconds or so and they will release. With all that being said, I have rifles with scopes that were put on dry 20 years ago and haven’t worked loose.

This^^^

I only use them if the rings are good quality. I split some rings along the screw holes about a year after I installed them because I forgot I added locktite and it held to well

Read up on metallurgy, then thread engagement. Get back with me and tell me what you learned.

Just to provide a different perspective: I worked in the Defense Industry for nearly 20 years in Quality Engineering and running factories and repair Depots. Based on research of many MEs over the years, it was determined that all screw fasteners must have a locking mechansim and lock-washers were the least effective while thread lockers the most effective. Vibrations and/or multiple cycles of heat and cool can loosen threads without thread locker. I built systems that had in excess of 1500 fasteners and 100% had thread locker.
Note: when using thread locker, do NOT exceed manufacturer's torque specs. The thread locker acts as a lubricant meaning your clamping force is higher as compared to same torque dry.
Yes, I always degrease threads and use low strength (blue or purple) for scope rings.

Fitz and I have had several conversations about this.

He IS our resident authority on the matter.

Engineer Talk.

Good stuff thanks for sharing

Different perspectives are all worth listening to, and researching. I learn a lot from being open minded. Fitz is smart, I've met him. I'd be interested in knowing the application that the subject ME's felt that "all screw fasteners" required a locking mechanism and how similar it is to a scope ring. Engineers that design scope rings consider the compressive and flexural strength of the metal used, and the bearing surface of the thread detail to calculate the proper torque setting. If the engineer that designs my scope rings tells me to use loc-tite, I'll use it. If they tell me not to, I won't. I also wouldn't use this forum as the only source of information and blindly accept the information provided. Use it as a starting point to begin your own research.

I'm not an engineer, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Yep, I recall meeting and shooting with you and have nothing but respect for you. To answer your question, all the hardware (airborne radar, missile guidance systems, tank optical sights, etc.) we built went through 3 axis vibration testing and thermal cycling testing before being delivered. The #1 failure was loose hardware. Being a QE, I had to lead the Cause/Corrective Action process and worked along side some absolutely brilliant engineers performing failure analysis, finite element analysis, structure failure analysis etc. This was an issue across the entire defense and aerospace industry. Add to this my experience in running repair depots (airborne radar and airborne electro-optical systems), the #1 cause of field failures was loose hardware. In all cases, the most effective corrective action was the addition of thread locker to fasteners and is the standard across the industry today.
Look at it this way, is the probability higher or lower that a fastener will stay properly torqued when thread locker is properly used? The answer is a clear yes that there is a much higher probability thread locked fasteners will stay properly torqued vs same fastener without thread locker.
I am a probability guy (part of my former profession) and avoid the binary thought process. Same reason why I reload and chase precision...the probability of a hit increases the better my system is. By far the weakest point in my system is the nut driving the rifle.
All just food for thought.

I have installed lots of different brands of scope rings. Most of the packages do not list a torque spec. And many of the manufacturer's websites do not list one either. And I'm not talking about Chinese cheap stuff. Known name brands of U.S. made rings.

So the engineers either employed or contracted by the manufacturer are not the end-all, be-all source for the right answers. Scope designs show that every day. Just because they designed the thing, does not mean that they use it.

"So the engineers either employed or contracted by the manufacturer are not the end-all, be-all source for the right answers."

Nor are the opinions that any of us offer here. The OP will hopefully read them all, do some research into the different perspectives offered, and then educate himself.

I’m sure I haven’t played with nearly as many as some of you. I put blue loctite on all the ones I have mounted never had a problem. On the other hand I’ve got 3 rifles that have hunted for well over 20 years with no thread locker and have never had an issue. Probably like most things in life there is more than one way to skin a cat.

I clean the screws with alcohol before locktiting, never had an issue. I’m just a redneck so don’t listen to me though, Every gun smith I’ve had install a scope has locktited them so I assumed they knew what they were doing.

This...I have never had a scope slip knock on wood.

Interesting items here

I’ve personally never put anything on my screws but recheck them once a year or so

I’ve recently come across a slide milling company that provideS screws to mount the red dot. The screws have a blue colored lok tite

I’ve never had an issue in modern times since I got a proper wrench but I will go with Fitzs advice.

Curious if anyone has used Vibra-Tite. I had a friend who carries his rifle in a side by side constantly chasing hog dogs and his turret set screws fell out. I helped him get replacement screws and the company sent screws with Vibra-tight applied to them. I bought some and have used it on my recent Scope installs.
I can say that my Gravel bike kick stand kept loosening until I put Vibra Tite on it and it’s been solid for over a year.

Anyway If someone has an opinion on it I am listening.