Scope Base Mounting Question

[Landngroove]

I went to mount a Leupold QR base on my Remington 7400 today. The Leupold QR base has three mounting screws to attatch to the receiver. The receiver on the 7400 has four tapped holes, with filler screws, to accept bases. I lined up the three holes on the Leupold base, with the three that matched up. The fourth hole, which has a factory filler screw in it, keeps the base from mounting flush, as the filler screw has a slight" head'" on it, I assume to keep the filler screw from working itself into the action of the receiver. If I take this filler screw out, the base lines up fine on the receiver. Would it be O.K. to take a headless filler screw,  and screw it in so it is just below the surface of the receiver, but not so much as to interfere with the action, inside the receiver. I would use locktite on the threads. Just wondering if this would hold up under recoil, from working itself into the action/bolt, or if anyone else has encountered this.

[Slufoot]

Hello Landngroove
You need to remove all of the filler screws and then install the base.
I always use a small amount of Loc-Tite on the scope base screws when I install a base.
Good Shooting!
Slufoot

[Landngroove]

Thanks for the reply, Slufoot. As the base for the rings only has three mounting screws, if I remove all four filler screws from the receiver, there will be an open hole, on the receiver. This does not seem right. I would like to keep a filler screw in place, but if I use the factory filler screw, it interferes with the base alignment. I did put a headless filler screw in the fourth receiver hole, with loctite, but I am wondering if that will be enough to keep the filler screw in place with recoil, and working its way down, into the action.

[PlacitasSlim]

It doesn't need a screw in that hole, but if it will make you feel better then yes you can locktite a headless screw there. It won't go any where, but if you are really paranoid about it, use red locktite.

[gunnut69]

That is likely to be OK but most often I would have tapped the head flush or ground it flush then touched up the blue.. Loctite on a small screw is very hard to get the screw loose from.. Heat is almost always necessary.. Good luck on the leupold mounts..

[Slufoot]

Loc-Tite 222 is a pink color and is a low strength thread locker and is made for small screws.

Loc-Tite 242 is a blue color and is a medium strength thread locker.

Loc-Tite 262 is a red color and is a high strength thread locker.

If you use 222 you will not need heat to remove the screws should you have to remove the scope mount.

Good Shooting
Slufoot

[gunnut69]

I should also note that slightly chamfering the screw hole in question would likely allow the screw head to fit in flush.. I've seen burrs on most commercial rifles from the drilling and tapping process. This causes the fillers to stop too soon. A fine counter sink and a touch up with cold blue and the screw will work fine..

[Landngroove]

Thanks Guys, I appreciate all the good info.