For many shooters the simple mention of “T-15” brings fond recollections of self-installed scopes successfully on their favorite tack driver they’ve used out in the field or at the range. To others, the thought brings back nightmares of stripped rings and receivers, slipping scopes, crushed tubes, and other avoidable installation incidents. More often than not, these mistakes and the subsequent nightmares were the result of improper application of torque.

Whether it brings fond memories or scarring nightmares for you, the Torx T-15 screw remains a standard fixture (pun intended) among modern scope mounts, so learning to deal with them will serve you well.

Warne Scope Mounts is well known for manufacturing a variety of high-quality, USA-born optics mounts, all of which employ those T-15 Torx head screws. Like most high-end mount manufacturers, Warne holds a recommended max torque specification across all of their ring and base screws — 25-inch/pounds, to be precise.

Warne loyalists take note; the TW1 Scope Mount Torque Wrench (above) is a small, lightweight, T-handle wrench with just the specifications you need — a permanent T-15 Torx bit pre-set for 25-inch/pounds.

The wrench’s plastic shell might be a giveaway that, like the TW65 wrench, it’s manufactured in China for Warne by California Torque Products. However, the shape and size of the handle make it very comfortable and easy to operate. The T-15 bit is of great quality and fits Warne’s screws perfectly.

If you’re mounting a scope base to a receiver, it’s important to note that the TW1 should only be employed with a steel receiver as host. The wrench’s 25-inch/pounds of torque could strip the threads on an aluminum receiver.

My very first TTAG review was on the Warne 45° Side Mount (above). The mount has seen quite a bit of use over the years without fail. Now, in the midst of a series of upgrades to an AR, I had the TW1 wrench in hand for the build.

This wrench, like most torque wrenches, shouldn’t be used to loosen screws so I used the T-15 bit on Warne’s RT-1 Range Tool (above, background) to remove the mount. When it was time for re-installation, I added the recommended pinhead-size dot of blue (non-permanent) thread locker to the screw before grabbing the TW1.

Once snugged to the Pic rail, the TW1’s T-15 bit engaged the screw head with solid lock-up and torqued the screw towards the appropriate 25-inch/pound setting. As the wrench met its limit, it smoothly rolled-over and broke away cleanly.

To confirm the TW1’s torque limit, I used the standard mathematical and mass DIY test. Although slightly tricky due to its short, rounded handle, the torque wrench performed within its specifications.

Warne’s TW1 is a compact, lightweight, fixed 25-inch/pound torque wrench with a permanent T-15 Torx bit. It may be slightly overpriced for a Chinese-made single-spec wrench, but it performs well and works flawlessly with Warne mounts. This tool surely isn’t for everyone, but if paired with the TW65 it’s just about all Warne (and many other brands) mount users will need in their range bag or at the workbench.

Specifications: Warne TW1 Torque Wrench (T-15, 25 in/lbs.)

Price as reviewed: $24.99 MSRP
Specifications:

  • Preset at 25 in/lbs.
  • Bit: Torx T-15
  • Dimensions: 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 1.125″
  • Warranty: Life of product

Ratings (out of five stars):

Design: * * * *
Warne’s TW1 torque wrench couldn’t be a simpler, easier to operate tool. Maximum torque is set at 25-inch/pounds and the T-15 Torx bit is permanent. At 3.5″x3.5″x1.125″, it will surely fit into any pocket, drawer, or range bag — plus, it weighs almost nothing.

Quality: * * * *
Unlike Warne’s mounts, the TW1 is made overseas and the difference in quality is somewhat incongruous. However, the TW1 is still well-made, performs consistently well, and is backed by Warne’s “life of the tool” lifetime warranty.

Ease of Use: * * * * *
The TW1’s contoured handle fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and makes operation painless. Stick it in, turn it slowly until it brakes-over, and you’re done.

Overall: * * * *
If you’re looking for a dedicated 25-inch/pound t-handle torque wrench with a T-15 bit, the Warne TW1 is a simple, compact, and lightweight option that is perfect for any range bag.

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17 COMMENTS

  2. Perhaps not as slick as this T15 tool, but many rifle accessories use allen screws. A small allen wrench can be trimmed to fit inside many rifle storage compartments. There’s just enough room to add one inside the butt-stock tool-kit of my AK.

    DrDKW

  3. Warne needs to get their units right. Torque is measured in foot-pounds and inch-pounds, not feet per pound (foot/pounds) or inch per pound (inch/pounds).

  4. No testing to ensure that it meets the 25 in/lbs, what is the point of the review? Torque wrenches have one purpose, if you don’t test that one purpose a review of a torque wrench is literally worthless.

    • “No testing to ensure that it meets the 25 in/lbs, what is the point of the review?”

      What he said.

      I suppose I come from a “Do it myself” mindset, but I continue to be baffled by *why* someone would buy a tool only good for one thing. Heinlein was right, specialization is for insects…

    • Huh? It was tested. Second to last paragraph…

      “To confirm the TW1’s torque limit, I used the standard mathematical and mass DIY test. Although slightly tricky due to its short, rounded handle, the torque wrench performed within its specifications.”

    • I raised this issue last time and was assured it would be corrected. Perhaps I’m reading edited copy, but I see…

      To confirm the TW1’s torque limit, I used the standard mathematical and mass DIY test. Although slightly tricky due to its short, rounded handle, the torque wrench performed within its specifications.

      Which looks to me like as about as sciency as one can reasonably expect..

  6. I’ve had one of these in my range bag for years. Driving range bag. The golf industry has been including these with adjustable drivers and woods since they came out. It is basically a Taylormade driver wrench. Hell, they didn’t even bother to change the color.

    • Which one costs more? Golf stuff vs. gun stuff?
      In a former life, I was a photojournalist (right up until digital cameras became the norm) – anything labeled “photography equipment” got a price premium. An extreme example: I used rubber-tipped wooden tongs for developer chemistry trays to manipulate prints. They ran $5-$10 apiece from photo suppliers. The same exact thing, same colors and packaging and everything, could be had 3 for a dollar at the grocery store.
      Many electronics are also re-branded at varying price points – it helps to hunt down the OEM. I have a fancy laser measuring device accurate to within 1/100th of a mm out to a possible 100-150 meters (depending on light/conditions) that even does basic euclidean geometry (height of a tree or distance between two things out of reach, for example) that I got for $45 from the OEM – branded versions do less and cost much more, often 2-3x as much. YMMV.

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