Unremovable screw... Any tips?

Evil_Dark

Evil_Dark

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I want to swap my scope rail on my Savage 10TR for a 20MOA.

When I did recieved my brand new savage 10TR, I knew that I had to remove the rail and clean all the factory oïl, then re-tight the screws of the rail in the reciever. I added blue locktite.

Now guess what? I did tried very hard to unscrew the firts screw and the allen wrench just slipped one notch. So I stopped before wearing more the screw. I tried to heat it with a propane torch, without success. Maybe the propane not heating enough?

Any tips? I don't care about the original rail, I can destroy it if I need and if it helps...

Regards,

Dark
 
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I would probably drill it. The head can be removed like a little donut. With the base off, the shank of the screw can be gripped, and turned out.
If it comes to it, the shank can be drilled as well, and the remains of the threads picked out.
 
Direct heat to the screw head should loosen blue lock tite almost instantly. If the other screws come out sometimes you can just unscrew the base instead of the screw. Using the base as a tensioner while doing so. The just right size blade type screw driver driven into the allen socket will sometimes put enough power to break it loose. Final suggestion place an allen bit in a drill press and using the drill press for downward pressure hand turn it out.

Darryl
 
Excellent suggestion. You might also try experimenting with Torx bits - see if you can find one that would be a tight fit in the damaged hex socket.
 
The propane torch should have worked to remove the loctite. I've done it before, and you just tease the screw with a bit of heat, wait a few seconds, and repeat. After 3-4 tries, you should see a wisp of smoke from the loctite melting/burning, and it should spin free.
 
Skip the propane torch, Soldering iron for heat right on the screw head. If you stripped it, file or cut a flat in the head and use a flat screw driver, if you ruin that or break the head off then it's drilling out the screw as a last resort.
 
All of the above - but if you have access, use a drill press with a left turn drill bit and the torque of the bit will likely heat it and pull it out.
 
tiriaq said:
Excellent suggestion. You might also try experimenting with Torx bits - see if you can find one that would be a tight fit in the damaged hex socket.
Click to expand...

This is usually my go to with stripped hex heads. I find one that is tight and gently tap it in with a hammer, it deforms the screw to a torx head and you can usually reuse it just fine...with the torx bit of course.
 
I've tried it, and no smoke came out. I heated twice, the second time I heated a lot more, no results. So I will try to find a torx driver as a second try, then after will be the drill...

I've already slotted for a flat screw driver some biggers bolts/screws in the past. It work fine sometimes, but in this case if the torx did'nt turn it, chances that It wont turn with a flat blade either...

Thanks for the tips!

Dark
 
Sometimes tapping the top of the screwdriver while turning it out will help it break free, as above on the allen screw that's a bit buggered I'd use a tight fitting torx bit.
 
Is there anyone who knows what are the threads of these savage's screws? If I have to drill it, I may run a tap into the threaded hole to re-make the threads correctly...

Dark
 
Find a bit that fits the screw again , if stripped sometimes a robertson can also be pounded in as well as a torq.Get the bit into the screw and give it a few good swats with a hammer.Leave the heat alone , this will loosen the thread locker and jar the screw.Works every time.
 
farshot said:
All of the above - but if you have access, use a drill press with a left turn drill bit and the torque of the bit will likely heat it and pull it out.
Click to expand...

They do work well. But sadly left twist drills are not common. It takes a pretty serious industrial tool store to carry such a thing. And if by chance you do find such a drill you'll likely need to use it in your hand drill since they need to run in reverse. And few drill presses outside of a serious metal shop run in reverse. Most such work is done in a serious milling machine such as a Bridgeport where the head motor can run in either direction.

It is very likely that you simply didn't heat up the Loctite enough. The screw is way down inside of all that other stuff. And it needs to reach up around 300F before it melts or breaks down That's about 150C or well above boiling water. A temperature that will instantly burn you.

But since the allen key slipped the damage is done. You're looking at drilling out the head now. You can try a different wrench. Or since you don't care if the mount is scrapped you can use a hacksaw to cut a slot across the head and use a flat bladed screw driver. Or a size reduced Dremel cutoff wheel could cut and widen the slot and do little enough damage to the mount that it would still be usable.
 
As others said, hammer either a Robertson bit or torx bit into the stripped screw.

Then use one of these impact drivers with a hammer to remove it. It never fails really. It has a 3/8 drive tip- just put whichever socket on that fits your screwdriver tip. Make sure you have it set to loosen, not tighten.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_driver

If the head breaks off, that's fine, remove the other screws and hopefully the shank will still be sticking up above the receiver, to grab with vice grips etc.

Watch the heat on your heat treated receiver.
 
I've removed stuck hex had screws by using a dremel tool to cut slots in the screw head then using a standard flat blade screwdriver to remove the screw. this will of course only be workable if your hex head screw protrudes a bit from the socket it fits in and is not flush to the mount.
 
Evil_Dark said:
Is there anyone who knows what are the threads of these savage's screws? If I have to drill it, I may run a tap into the threaded hole to re-make the threads correctly...

Dark
Click to expand...

Should be 6-48, not a common thread in the non gun world but the most common for firearm bases. You can order one from Brownells .
 
Screw extractor or EZ out. Just took out 4 screws on a rail last night. To do it with tools at hand, you can drill out the heads if you think there's enough stud left above the action to get vice grips onto.
 
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