Disclaimer: I am not a Gunsmith, nor do I pretend to be

I am tried to do my first major stock repair on a Savage 99 that I purchased for my son.

Everything was going quite well and the wood inlay work that I did actually turned out
about as good as I could have expected (thanks to DPCD for recommending the inlays as the
stock was not in good shape). I tried using some epoxy that I purchased from Brownells. I sprayed release agent on everything (or so I thought) and as I am sure you have guessed, my stock bonded to some of the metal.

I have everything now cleaned up excepted for the threaded (tapped) end of the receiver. I checked the stock bolt and it looked like a 5/16-24 bolt. Of course I was wrong in this assumption. I did some more research and it looks like it is a 5/16-22 thread. The only way I can see to remove the remining epoxy on the internal thread is to just run a tap through it. I am open to suggestions if any of you have a better idea.

The only one I was able to find, to purchase was about $35 shipped. I hate spending $35 dollars to do a 30 second job but I will if I need to.

I would appreciate any ideas. Thanks

Do you have a lathe? if so turn a bolt and thread it to what you need and cut some flutes like a tap. Could flute it with a dremel if all you need to do is clean out the epoxy.
If not buy a tap

Couple of options. Heat it with a torch and use a wire/small screw driver/pick to pick out the softened epoxy.

Buy a replacement bolt at Numrich and grind a groove in the thread to make a clean up tap out of it. Still will run you $15-20 bucks.

Jeremy

Epoxy softens with heat long before the heat affects metal. Heat the threaded end until epoxy starts to burn out and use a bore brush to twirl the epoxy out of the threads.

Most epoxies start softening at only 180 degrees, which you can easily do with a hand-held propane torch. A fluted bolt sounds like a good idea; heat it up and try the bolt, backing it out often.

Wow, thanks for the great tips.

I do have a lathe but am in the process of ordering (replacing the chuck). I will try heating it and running a brush through it.

It’s kind of funny, this project. I bought the gun for $400. Went back to the same shop a few weeks later and they and another model 99 for $500. The stock was about perfect. However, it is kind of fun working on it.

Buy the tap. Even after heating, soaking, picking at, and cussing at the epoxy, in the end you're gonna have to run a tap through it for a trouble free future.

More advice: do not, repeat, do not over torque that through bolt. Snug/firm is plenty, "farmer tight" is too much. That's how the infamous Savage tang crack happens - those tangs are tapered and act like wedges when drawn tightly into the buttstock. Ever split firewood?

Jason:
Isn't there a harbor freight around there?
They sell sets of taps and dies for around ten bucks that have that size, plus handles that may or may not work very well.

Some of their tools are junk, but, they do have proper heat treating figured out well for most tools that need it. Except letter/number stamps are soft.

No I don't like buying their chink stuff. Sometimes it just makes better sense.

Good luck,

George

George:

I’ll check but I’d be surprised if that had a 5/16-22 tap. I’ll try the heating as well.

I do have a lathe I can use and can turn a threaded rod as well.

Thanks

Reading this is painful; you guys are turning a simple procedure into rocket surgery complexity.
I know what you will say; then stop reading it.

Tom:

I’m trying your method first. With that said, I’m very good at over complicating things

Heat the threads and wire wheel them on the bolt, same with the female lockup, but use a bronze brush..Its not complicated and its efficient to remove epoxy off metal..I use epoxy on the 6x48 and such screws for scope mounting on big bores sometimes..to remove the screw I use a small kitcen cooking torch on the screw head or heat the screw driver itself red hot and hold in the screw slot with a tad of tension, when it moves unscrew it or when you see minute liquid coming out around the screw heads. Ive done this many times with good results..