XLR Element front action screw coming loose.

[Shane Lindsey]

Greetings fellow Band of the Ninja masks,

Anyone have this issue? This is the second one I have owned, and both have come loose. Losing faith in them.

Torqued to 65 inch pounds with their screws. Added a little anti seize to make it a little more snug to no avail. Anyone adding loctite or anything else?

Went to pull my RUM out of it and the front screw was loose. Just so happens I shot the smallest group with it the last time out (so may be non-issue)

 

[Bucklowery]

Greetings fellow Band of the Ninja masks,

Anyone have this issue? This is the second one I have owned, and both have come loose. Losing faith in them.

Torqued to 65 inch pounds with their screws. Added a little anti seize to make it a little more snug to no avail. Anyone adding loctite or anything else?

Went to pull my RUM out of it and the front screw was loose. Just so happens I shot the smallest group with it the last time out (so may be non-issue)

I put Loctite on everything. The blue works just fine

Thanks

Buck

 

[new2mud]

I had that issue on my Element 3.0. I discovered that cleaning solvents were seeping into the front hole through the bottom of the receiver.

I took the front screw out, degreased thoroughly, and torqued back up to 65 in-lbs. now I am careful not to let cleaning solvents drip into that area of the receiver and it has not loosened up since

 

[ShtrRdy]

Seems like I heard about this same problem on another forum. After many trys at correcting the problem, the manufacturer ended up bedding the action into the chassis.

 

[FEENIX]

No issues for me.

 

[Rick Richard]

I have the same problem. I just check torque every time before use.

 

[AZShooter]

Just read that the element is made entirely of aluminum. If it were any other material I'd say the stock was compressing not the action screw loosening.

I see they say: "The new Element 3.0 chassis system is the ultimate culmination of function, flexibility, and price" Hmm flexibility.....looked at the thin amount of support around the receiver and maybe just maybe there is some sort of flexing that causes the action screw to loosen. The manufacturer said they solved it by bedding? A most interesting issue.

New2mud keep us informed if keeping the solvent away from action screw helps.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Received a not so helpful email from them today. Basically disregarded what I said was happening on two separate stocks as "there shouldn't be any wiggle room to allow it to loosen".

They also suggested loctite, probably aware this is happening. I guess I will give it a try.

Haven't had any come unbuttoned in any of my McMillans or Manners.

 

[MagnumManiac]

The only fix I can see for foreseeable future would be pillars and a full bedding job, and by that I mean the entire action where it meets the stock needs to be bedded.
If a screw is coming loose, something is bending, flexing or moving.
If the stock is flexing, then pillars should stop it, bedding the action should eliminate ANY flex in other areas.
Just what I would do.

Cheers.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

@%$^$...#^$^$&

Anybody want to buy a "relatively" new XLR Element 3.0 with (2) RUM mags and (1) 30-06 mag?

 

[new2mud]

@%$^$...#^$^$&

Anybody want to buy a "relatively" new XLR Element 3.0 with (2) RUM mags and (1) 30-06 mag?

Shane—have you tried spraying brake cleaner into the receiver screw hole and swabbing out with a Q-tip to degrease the threads? Then you will have a clean surface to apply loctite.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Haven't yet. I will once I put it on another rifle.
I put the same anti seize I used for the Barrel. I read it actually made for a little more friction to keep it tight. Didn't bind, but made it tighter.

Will use loctite if I use again.

I put the RUM back in a Manners.

 

[ntsqd]

Mine in the past has been an unpopular opinion, but I work in machining and production and I do not see how one mfg can claim to make something that fits another mfg's part to the degree of fit required between a stock/chassis and an action. Perhaps if those two companies worked in lock-step with each other it is possible. If the stock is supposed to fit, say, any Rem 700 footprint action then it can't possibly fit all of them the way that they need to fit.

So I don't believe anyone who claims that a CNC machined chassis doesn't need to be bedded unless that same mfg also made the particular action being fitted into the chassis. I don't care how tight the chassis mfg holds their tolerances, they don't have control over the tolerances of the action as well. Without that there is no hope of the fit being the necessary perfect fit required.

Bedding a chassis probably voids any warranty, but it's useless as it is.

 

[highdrum]

It's a chassis, trq it to 80"/# or put blue lock tite on it. I had a 30 nosler in a element 3.0 and never had a problem.