I removed the sights from my daughter's new Model 7 rifle and mounted a scope. I installed the screws (which were in the scope mount holes from the factory)into the sight screw holes. When tightening the last screw at the front sight hole, I stripped the screw head completely off the screw. The screw had bottomed out.

I tried a number of things to get the broken screw out...including drilling a 1/16" dia hole in the screw. I cannot budge it.

I stopped messing with it before scratching the barrel or making things even worse.

I spent some time this morning looking for an "Easy-Out" or stuck screw remover for this situation, but have not been able to find anything small enough to work.

Does anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks

Does the screw head protrude at all?

Are you wanting to reinstall the sights, or just have a clean barrel?

How deep is the 1/16 hole? Is it centered in the screw?

Do you have a mill available to you?

About the only clever thing I can think of right now is to take a drill of identical size to the hole and grind a screwdriver shape to the non-cutting end (shank portion) and chuck it backwards into a reversible drill and try to reverse it out of there. Use care not to overheat the bit when you are grinding the tip. You might try putting some abrasive in there, cut a tiny square of 220 grit sandpaper and burn it to get the grit.

Other than that I'd suggest finding someone with a mill unfortunately.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark:
Does the screw head protrude at all?

Are you wanting to reinstall the sights, or just have a clean barrel?

How deep is the 1/16 hole? Is it centered in the screw?

Do you have a mill available to you?

About the only clever thing I can think of right now is to take a drill of identical size to the hole and grind a screwdriver shape to the non-cutting end (shank portion) and chuck it backwards into a reversible drill and try to reverse it out of there. Use care not to overheat the bit when you are grinding the tip. You might try putting some abrasive in there, cut a tiny square of 220 grit sandpaper and burn it to get the grit.

Other than that I'd suggest finding someone with a mill unfortunately.

Mark:

Only a portion of one side of the screw head protrudes. (I will try to post a picture later)

I will not be re-installing the sights.

The 1/16" hole is approximately 1/16" - 3/32" deep. About the depth of the hole for the screw that was in the barrel.

My first advice is "take it to a professional" I tried to unstick something that was stuck (a sling swivel stuck by somebody else) and very nearly buggered the slings swivel band.

Barring that, if you really want to undo your owie then I would get a reverse twist drill bit chucked in a drill with reverse, get a center punch and give it a good tap so that the drill bit doesn't jump off when you start it, then try and turn it out that way.

out of curiosity, were you using a drill or electric screwdriver to put it in?

Red

Red:

I was using a hand held screwdriver to install the screw. The screw seemed to be made of very soft steel, it did not take much force to break it. In retrospect, I should have stopped turning the screw as soon as I felt resistance, but I wanted the top of the screw to be as close to flush with the barrel as possible.

you need a mill... so find a friend gunsmith...

mill it down, insert a broken screw extractor, turn to the left, it should come right out...

but it's WAY easier on a mill

If you screw it up worse trying to get it out you can always retap to 8-40, but then you'll have to open up the bases also.
-Don

You could take an old screw driver and grind the tip to form a small tapered square. Tap this into the 1/16 inch hole you've drilled so that the taper digs into the screw and see if that won't allow you to remove it. If that doesn't work then you might want to hire it done.

Malm's advice is, once again, spot on. Might add a drop of Kroil, too. Couldn't hurt.

Hey everyone, thanks for your help and replies. I took the gun to a local gunsmith yesterday, only slightly less embarassed than the guy who has to go to the emergency with one of those 5 hour, viagra-induced, erections you hear about on the T.V. commercials. At any rate, he said that he had fixed a lot of those in the past. He drilled out the damaged screw, which I obviously made worse by drilling it, and tapped a new plug hole. It looks perfect. He used a screw with the same size head to plug the sight hole. It was $25.00 well spent and was a lesson learned.

Thanks again

CW:
since you mentioned that too long stiff. BTDT! So yes I know!

The best thing to do IF/when that happens is just take a good long walk til it goes down. hell of a lot easier than having the doc drain it down with big needles. Take that from exp ok??

One of my first gunsmithing jobs was a hired scope mounting on an old 17 Eddystone. The guy had a good reputation til that.
Looked good, Dad and I took it to zero. Kept hitting all over the place. One shot he happened to be watching the gun when I fired and the scope bounced up.

Turned out the guy had broken a tap off and left it that way thinking he'd get by with it on a kid's gun. When I took it back, the whole basement shop was lined with guys waiting their turn. I took the gun right up to him and he said I'd have to wait in line like everybody else.
"not when you left a broken tap on a scope mounting job I won't, you fix it NOW!" The place emptied out damnedquick. He fixed then and there, even putting one down that he was working on.

So, IF & when you screw up, fix it right, don't try to cover it up and let someone else fix it. It's gonna come back to haunt you if you don't.

George