A gunsmith screwdriver set does not make one a gunsmith, so I've learned.

I am attempting to mount a scope on a new Marlin 1895. The gorilla at the factory did one hell of a job installing the sights and the receiver screws. The front sight is marred to hell around the screw, the rear sight was loose and removed by hand, and the receiver screws were put in with a 1/2" drive impact wrench, apparently.

At any rate, I need some help with a stuck screw. I used both penetrating oil and heat trying to take out the second receiver screw after noting how tight the first one was (which I removed successfully). Unfortunately, I broke two bits trying to remove the second. On the third attempt with a very tight fitting bit, I still managed to booger the the head. So I drilled out the center of the screw (did not get into the threads).

So now what? Should I try to find a teeny tiny easy out or just drill and tap it to a larger screw size? I hate to modify the receiver if it is not necessary. Also, I'm not even sure where I can find an easy out that small.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!




By the way, that little piece of steel at the 12 o'clock position is NOT the receiver, but rather a piece of screw that is sticking up above and towards the lens of the camera. It's an illusion from the top view.

After I drill them I use home fashioned easy outs from broken screw driver or torx bits to get them out. If you have a mill and carbide tooling you can make the fancy ones on the left. If you just have a grinder you can make the square versions on the right. I just put them in a 1/4 inch socket and drive both types into the hole by tapping with a 2 ounce ball peen while putting turning force on with the ratchet. The square ones will actually ream the hole and take the side pressure off if they slip. You want to be certain that the hole that you drilled is exactly in the center or they will break through one side and fawk up the threads.

easy outs by Rod Henrickson, on Flickr

Great suggestion. I’m going to try the square drive after I sharpen the edges for a good bite.

If I remember correctly Marlin screws on the receiver top are already 8/40.

Let me guess.... your 1895 serial number starts with MR? This is a common complaint over at marlinowners in the rant forum. Remington is using Chinese screws and has discontinued heat treating the parts. So, you got someone assemblying who doesn't know the job, junk screws
And then you get to finish the gun when you try to use it.

Any idea how much band width those monster pictures take up?

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
Let me guess.... your 1895 serial number starts with MR? This is a common complaint over at marlinowners in the rant forum. Remington is using Chinese screws and has discontinued heat treating the parts. So, you got someone assemblying who doesn't know the job, junk screws
And then you get to finish the gun when you try to use it.

LMAO ROFF
I listen to all of the new Marlin owners swearing and having fits over exactly the same issues that I was fixing on every second Marlin that hit the shelf 35 years ago. I bought my first Marlin back before I was a gunsmith, close to 40 years ago. I tinkered with it as I could and I even had it to our local excuse for a gunsmith and he couldn't make it feed either. I finally sold it in disgust. I'm glad to see that Remington can't make them work either. The really bad part is that Remington now makes them cheap enough so that everyone can afford them and more of them are hitting the shelves than ever before.

As far as the cap screws getting stuck in the holes. The cause of that is that when the CNCs tap the holes, they get short tapped and the screws go into the tapered area of the thread and lock solid with sort of a friction weld. The delicate heads just don't have enough strength to allow them to be backed out. I wish they would just do what Tikka finally had to do with their short tapped holes and push in the little plastic plugs instead of cap screws.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Any idea how much band width those monster pictures take up?

Are you on a budget? I was afraid you might be visually impaired.

Thank you to the others for your helpful responses. I’m going to give it a go and report back. Otherwise you’ll see me post pictures with the mount TIG welded on the damn thing. (Joking, but only half heartedly; I got a new water cooled TIG torch raring to go.)

quote:

Originally posted by speerchucker30x378:

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
Let me guess.... your 1895 serial number starts with MR? This is a common complaint over at marlinowners in the rant forum. Remington is using Chinese screws and has discontinued heat treating the parts. So, you got someone assemblying who doesn't know the job, junk screws
And then you get to finish the gun when you try to use it.

LMAO ROFF
I listen to all of the new Marlin owners swearing and having fits over exactly the same issues that I was fixing on every second Marlin that hit the shelf 35 years ago. I bought my first Marlin back before I was a gunsmith, close to 40 years ago. I tinkered with it as I could and I even had it to our local excuse for a gunsmith and he couldn't make it feed either. I finally sold it in disgust. I'm glad to see that Remington can't make them work either. The really bad part is that Remington now makes them cheap enough so that everyone can afford them and more of them are hitting the shelves than ever before.

As far as the cap screws getting stuck in the holes. The cause of that is that when the CNCs tap the holes, they get short tapped and the screws go into the tapered area of the thread and lock solid with sort of a friction weld. The delicate heads just don't have enough strength to allow them to be backed out. I wish they would just do what Tikka finally had to do with their short tapped holes and push in the little plastic plugs instead of cap screws.

Well I am so old, my first marlin is a waffle top with no cap screws. I own 9, newest a first year 308 me xlr. I never had any problems with any of them. The remlins keep guys like you in business.

I ran a retail gun store for 5 years and sent back at least a half dozen Marlins/Remingtons for the same reason. Friction welded receiver plug screws. The Remmy rep told me that when Rem took over Marlin (Freedom Group) that the old MArlin workers were retired/laid off and replaced with new workers. Well no one was left that knew how to make the bloody things. Apparently Marlin had no or had destroyed any working technical drawings of how the Marlin LA was made. Rem had to find a nice specimen to reverse engineer to continue production. The CNC short tap is a good explanation. I managed to get a few out and when trying to screw in a longer base screw they seized about 2/3 of the way in.

Marlin 1895GSBL in 45-70 & Leupold FX-II Ultralight Rifle Scope 2.5X 20mm

I had to drill and re-tap the receiver holes. Pain in the ass and inexcusable for a new rifle.

Anyway, it's done. Time to get it sighted in. I had a box of parts to try various combinations (Talley, Nikon, Burris, Leupold, Weaver, etc. rings and mounts).

The Leupold standard base and Super Low rings turned out to be the best and lowest possible combination. Pretty much razor thin clearance between scope tube and top of base.