I was taking off the rings/bases from a rifle I sold and stripped the head on one the last base screw. How much should this cost to fix?



A member on 24hourcampfire said that he has used a dremel to make a slot and then used a standard screwdriver. This sounds like a good option. Has anyone else done this or something similar?

You might give this a try. If you have a scratch awl with a very sharp point, you can place the tip at the outer edge, just shy of the outside. Tap just enough so that the tip can dig in. Angle the awl so that when you tap it, the screw will move in the direction it takes to remove it. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. If the screw has had some kind of sealant like Loctite or even epoxy, apply heat with a soldering iron first for about two or three minutes. That should soften up the sealant and allow you to remove the damaged screw.
Works for me. (Well most of the time anyway.)
Paul B.

Paul & Nebraska,
I've done it both ways. Try the awl method first. You also should put some penetrating oil on the screw first to help ease the problem.
Max

I don't know how close you live to a Sears store, but Sears sells a small broken screw removal kit that works very well if you can't get anything else to work.

Blue

If you get the slot recut to where you can get the screwdriver in okay, put a dab of coarse valve grinding compound in the slot. The grit helps the tip to grab and not cam out as often happens. This does work.

I got a call from Steve Hanson and he told me to drill the head just enough to work the base free and then remove the shank with pliers. That's what I did and it worked perfectly!!!