How to Mount a Red Dot Optic on a Pistol || EDC, Self-Defense, Concealed Carry and Duty Use

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For those attending one of my red dot pistol classes, here's the procedure I recommend for mounting your optic.

Loctite 242 is what I recommend for Blue Loctite. It has a breaking strength of 110 in lbs.
243 is oil-resistant, but has a much higher break strength - 230 in lbs, which I would not recomnend for the small screws we are using.

Vibratite VC-3 is my preferred threadlocker. Their directions do state you are supposed to apply it, let it cure for 30 minutes and then tighten. I have had excellent performance letting it cure in place, however it may take longer to cure this way as it is exposed to less air. Vibratite states you can re-use it on the treads up to five times, though I typically just re-apply it.

Using threadlocker DOES NOT affect your torque values. In fact, it actually results in more consistent torque and clamping force than using dry threads.

Vortex Torque Wrench
https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Optics-...

Wheeler Torque Wrench
https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Accuri...

McMaster-Carr Glock MOS Fasteners (box of 100)
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/130/...
*props to the engineers at Vortex, they were the OGs to use these screws and it's caught on industry wide. Glock... get some better screws.

If you just need a couple, you can buy them from Big Tex Outdoors - they're the same thing.
https://www.bigtexordnance.com/produc...

Thread pitch for different guns:
M3 x 0.5 - Sig P365XL
M4 x 0.7 Glock MOS, Sig P320, CZ P10, Springfield XDM
6 - 32 S&W M&P 2.0, Walther PDP
6 - 40 FN-509
6 - 48 HK VP9
Screw length will depend on optic & gun combination