Seized/Stuck Enfield screws

koesdibyo

koesdibyo

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Orillia, Ontario
Recently picked up another Enfield... but this one was not treated well over the years. Some VERY deep pitting on the outer chamber wall, the rest of the metal is lightly rusted - but the bore looks good at least.

She is in full military wood, which was my reason for snagging it (donor wood for another restoration). That being said, The front trigger guard screw and the inner band screw are just being a huge pain in my ass. I tried them the first day I picked it up - wouldnt budge, so for fear out of buggering them up too much I started applying penetrating oil.

Each day I'd give it an attempt to see if it loosened any - and of course none. I have applied oil daily for just over a week now and the heads of the screws are now mangled to the point where there isnt any purchase. Figured if they heads are already F'd, they'll need replacing now so move on up to the next course of action - drill and allen key/easy out method. I drilled into the front trigger guard screw so far, and hammered in an allen key. Began to try to turn it, and the allen key actually twisted. Tried my easy outs, and the screw still wont budge a damn millimetre.

So now I turn to advice on how to get these damn screws out! Ive honestly run my course of actions, and hopefully someone will have something in mind that I havent thought of yet.
 
AJones said:
Hi Did you buy this enfield from Epps?

You may have to drill the head off the screw,
Click to expand...

Indeed I did. Ive got a 1/4" drill hole into the trigger guard screw so far... ive slowly been increasing its size and attempting larger allen keys and easy outs. I will try to work my way up to the point where the head is completely drilled out so the trigger assembly will at least come off.
 
Reason I asked if you got it from epps, is I purchased one from them 2 weeks ago, with 2 small holes drilled in the forstock below the action, through the magwell and when I received it the upper handguard clip was broken, and there was some pitting where the serial number was stamped into the barrel. I decided to return the rifle, wasn't what I was looking for, but they gave me full store credit.

If this stuck screw was on anything other than a rifle I would try heat. you could also try giving the screw a sharp impact will sometimes cause the screws to loosen.
 
That'd be the one I ended up picking up.

They didn't disclose the broken handguard clip when I picked it up.... not until I got home, popped up the rear sight and off she fell, did I notice. Wood is getting hard to find, and despite its dings and dents (and those 2 weird drilled holes) I figured I could use the wood on one of my other sporters and part out the action if it still functions despite its rust.

I got the trigger guard off by increasing the drill bit size 1 by 1 until the head was completely drilled out. Time to work on the inner band screw. Im just hoping I can get this wood off without breaking it. I have a feeling even with the screws drilled out, the wood is going to be mated to the rusted metal pretty well and going to take some manoeuvring
 
I have had many good dealings with epps, this is the first rifle I returned to them, I may have kept it to restore some sporters but I had just sold 2 sporter enfields on the EE. The day I returned it I purchased a finnish m24 civil guard rifle from them.

Good luck with the rest of the disassembly, I have always had good luck with acetone and Automatic transmission fluid as penetrating fluid
 
I honestly contemplated take it back, but seeing just forestocks going on the EE for close to $200 was enough to keep me going lol.

Great success. It is finally off... lots of drilling to get it off (right down to the threads). Was able to have just enough metal on the screws left after the stock was off that I hit it with penetrating oil, grabbed the vice grips and broke them free. So that saves me drilling and retapping the threads on it to fit a new screw if put on a sporter stock. With the way the rest of the metal looked, I was expecting the worst and this would be a part out gun. But underneath the wood looks good and may be a shooter. Will take it to the range next week and make sure all is good and see if it can be a good truck gun.

Good to hear their return policies are good - I normally just do accessories from them; first time gun from them for me. Glad you walked away with something you can enjoy and appreciate the advice and chit chat.
 
A 1/4" drill is too big. You want to drill the screw, not the head. Mind you, if you can't fix something with a hammer, duct tape or vice grips it ain't broke. snicker.
 
Fortunately I was careful enough with the 1/4" and bigger to take off the head cleanly and then drilled down through the rest of the screw practically to the receiver where it begins to thread in. I used a bit that was just big enough that it left a VERY thin amount of metal on the outside, which basically folded when I removed the stock. The thin left over was enough to pinch with some vice grips and turn out of the receiver (also for the inner band as well) after some more penetrating oil directly onto it.

Glad its over with. Shame I had to ruin 2 screws. Luckily Epps had what I needed for replacements, for $12 total for the both of them (inner band screw and front trigger guard screw)
 
One tool that has saved my butt many times is the hammer screw driver. There's a name for it but it ascapes me. The kind that when you hit it with a hammer it turns slightly on impact. If that wont remove it, nothing will. And it dosn't wreck the head if done right.
 
points said:
One tool that has saved my butt many times is the hammer screw driver. There's a name for it but it ascapes me. The kind that when you hit it with a hammer it turns slightly on impact. If that wont remove it, nothing will. And it dosn't wreck the head if done right.
Click to expand...

Its called an impact driver.
 
Sweet, 2 new tricks/tools to try out for next time :). But there wont be a next time... I will never encounter another tough screw, bolt, nut, etc from this point on in my life ever again! I hope that prayer works haha.
 
points said:
One tool that has saved my butt many times is the hammer screw driver. There's a name for it but it ascapes me. The kind that when you hit it with a hammer it turns slightly on impact. If that wont remove it, nothing will. And it dosn't wreck the head if done right.
Click to expand...

Ive had one of them impact drivers for many years, ans on certain applications they can be a real godsend. The bits can be hard to find for them sometimes, I used to go through quite a few of the phillips bits years ago on one of my bikes.
 
When I get a badly stuck screw, after I've done the penetrating oil thing, I clamp the rifle in the vise of the drill press, suitably padded of course. I lower the quill with the proper size driver bit into the offending screw slot and lock the quill in place. With the tail end of the chuck key in one of the holes in the side of the chuck. I rap the chuck key with a rubber mallet until I hear a crack that tells me the screw has loosened slightly, or broken. The driver blade can't back up out of the slot which was probably buggered anyway. The screw will be loosened or broken, so you know that you have success or need to mill/drill the toad.
 
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