Help, torx screwdrivers tips are breaking off, my scope ring screws are super-stuck

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sgt.rock

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What is a guy to do? I am trying to remove a set of TORX screws from a set of ruger rings. (4 screws per ring). I didn't install them. They were on the rifle along with the scope when I bought it used. ANYHOW, I am assuming they are RED LOCTITE'd on. They are the T10 sized bits, a bit too skinny for torqing down screws. The bits snap off everytime I try to unscrew the 4 screws per ring. Every single bit/screwdriver with the right sized bit (all six that I owned) have broken off, so now I am left with a fully secured scope/rings and no more bits.
What would you guys do in this situation?? Would an application of heat to the rings loosen the screws???? I need to get this scope out of the rings to put my new scope on , but the situation is looking dire..................... Please help with any ideas you may have, or time-proven tips!!!!
thanks to everyone for reading this.
 
Try squeezing the ring halves where the screws are - together with flat Vice Grips... and get one screw out, then grip over that screw hole and get another one out, the other side will be loose... I have had to do this with tight screws that were not Loctited. If they are Loctited you will need to heat the edge so hot you can't hold on to it first...

The wrench that Leupold supplies is stronger than tips...

Good luck
 
Take the scope off at the base, including the rings.
Buy new rings and wait for Snap-on to wander by.
Let him destroy his torx inventory.
If he gets them out, buy the bit from him and a kupple more.
Or find the torx screwdriver complete, install it in the screw head
and tap the handle lightly or vigously to break the lock tite seal.
Heat and scope tubes..........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
 
Loctite®has a product that will break the adhesive properties.
I tried looking the proprietery product up, but unable to locate the stuff of which I am speaking .
Not sure I would use to much fire near the scope if it where me.
GT has offered some good advice too.
Rob
 
They probably are not Loctited I have the same problem with a set I put on. This is a common problem with Ruger rings, try using heat or take the scope off at the base and throw it in the deep freeze for a day.
 
I've heated the tip of the screw driver red hot and then pushed it into the screw letting the heat move into the screw and hopefully liquefying the Loctite long enough to pull the screw out .

this is kind of like the soldering iron idea
 
Use a little heat and then tighten the screw a little to break the seal and then loosen the screw if you do this I guarantee it will work every time.
 
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It might be cheaper in the long run if you can not get the rings apart, to simply buy new Ruger rings for your new scope. The soldering iron is probably the best idea for applying heat as it can keep the heat local but heat with an open flame spreads the heat over a larger area. This larger area might include the scope tube itself, and the lenses and components inside that scope tube might have their mountings or seals affected. To apply open flame to the scope rings, and to heat them up, you will certainly heat the scope tube itself up.

If you need to get the rings off the scope, and all else fails, a thin cutting disk on a dremel might be the answer. If there is a bit of a gap in the rings, it is possible to cut the screws off through the gap. If not, it is still possible to cut the screws off at the joining line, or just inside of the screw holes. This, of course, will probably make the rings unusable, but it does salvage the scope without too much danger of harming it.
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Put a bit into the screw, use a torch to heat up the bit ONLY. Use same bit to transfer heat to all screw's because once you heat them up that hot their too soft for anything else.
Or use a soldering iron.
 
Heating the screws with a soldering iron is your best bet to try, short of that, you may end up destroying the rings.
I seen were a fella cut through the screws with a dremel because the screws were seized and he stripped the heads.
 
I removed the sight screws from an old Musgrave that were loctited in with red loctite about 20 years ago. 15 seconds with a soldering gun on the head of the screws and they backed right out.
 
buffdog said:
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It might be cheaper in the long run if you can not get the rings apart, to simply buy new Ruger rings for your new scope. The soldering iron is probably the best idea for applying heat as it can keep the heat local but heat with an open flame spreads the heat over a larger area. This larger area might include the scope tube itself, and the lenses and components inside that scope tube might have their mountings or seals affected. To apply open flame to the scope rings, and to heat them up, you will certainly heat the scope tube itself up.

If you need to get the rings off the scope, and all else fails, a thin cutting disk on a dremel might be the answer. If there is a bit of a gap in the rings, it is possible to cut the screws off through the gap. If not, it is still possible to cut the screws off at the joining line, or just inside of the screw holes. This, of course, will probably make the rings unusable, but it does salvage the scope without too much danger of harming it.
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Click to expand...

Yep. If heat doesn't work, cut the rings off and get another set.
 
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