Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Torque on action screws?

Just finished reassembling my Browning X-Bolt after taking it down for it's post season cleaning and oiling. I am going to call Browning tommorrow but wanted to get info here as well. What do you think the torque specs are on the action screws? Inch pounds of course. This X-Bolt has just 2 action screws, tighten the front one first?? I have a Wheeler Fat Wrench that I will be using. Thanks!!

The amount of torque depends on the stock and how resistant it is to being crushed when tightening the guard screws. If the stock material is easily compressible, then torque figures mean nothing. In which case you are better off tightening it by feel.

If you want to test your stocks ability to resist compression, set your wrench at say 50 inch lbs, and tighten the screws. Wait a few seconds and repeat it. When the load is applied, if there is so much as a slight delay before the torque wrench breaks free, your dead in the water as far as usable torque figures go. Correcting such a problem will require the addition of vertical supports, or, pillars.

The best way is to experiment with a standard, or known accurate load. Here is a target fired to set the torque on a Savage Precision Target Action (three screw single shot action).



I used a precision torque gauge, increasing torque in 5 in lbs at a time front to back screw. Stock is a pillar bedded laminated varmint stock. Lower row read left to right, then final top left target. numbers at bottom of target is screw torque in in lbs front, middle and rear screw. Group moved between lower left and other targets as I adjusted the scope, torque changes moved the others. Go easy, depending on your action, tighten only enough to gain maximum accuracy, going above the 35-35-30 in lbs on my actions opens the groups. A Remington 700 or similar action including most bolt actions can actually bend with as little as 8 pounds of pressure and a poorly bedded stock.