Action Screw on Ruger Rifle - Stuck?

[chickenstripe]

OK, I've removed stuck screws before, but this one is on a NEW rifle.

Any tricks on how to remove the action screw than has been over-torqued on a new ruger bolt action rifle? It's the screw just forward of the magazine well.

[Wally]

Hold the rifle in your lap so that the screw is on top---find the best fitting screwdriver that will fit..tap on the screwdriver with a plastic mallet as you twist CCW--you may want to have a helper.

[S.R.Custom]

First thing, go to the autoparts store and get a tube of this:

http://tinyurl.com/yk55y3p

Then take your best fitting screwdriver and put a dab of it on the end... and the rest you know how to do.

The carbide grit in this stuff digs in to both the screw and bit, resulting in an almost slip-proof grip. I've snapped the heads off of screws using this...

[OutHuntn84]

Take a dang good fitting screw driver ( i mean almost 0 play) to it, if you dont have one go buy one it is worth the money!!! Then put a set of channel locks on it for added leverage. Have someone hold the gun in place so you can put your weight on top of it while you turn it.

[KCSO]

If you have a drill press put the stock in a padded vice onb the press, use a well fitted bit in a good screwdriver and use the quill to put downward pressure on the screwdriver. Turn the driver with a wrench or a pair of padded channel locks. quit turning as soon as the screw breaks loose and remove as normal.

[docone31]

That one is a bear.
Torque it forward first, then with a wrench on the blade stock, bear down on the handle, and use the wrench to do the turning.
I used an adjustable wrench when I had the same issue. I also used Craftsman screw driver set. The larger one fit in the slot well and did not dig into the inlet. Once I got it going, it went easily. Mine had a loctite on it.
Makes sense I guess.

[Char-Gar]

Hand holding that puppy and giving it all you got wih a " screw spanner" is a good way to injury yourself or someone else with the driver.

What every you do, mount it in a vise of some sort for safety's sake. The reply about using the drill press is a good never fail suggestion, but it presumes you have a drill press or access to one.

Once upon a time when every shop had a brace and a collection of bits such problems were much easier. I have a brace and a large assortment of screw driver blades. You can really torque and untorque an action screw with such a rig. With the rifle in a vise and using a brace and proper screw driver bit would make short work out of your problem.

Having a brace with a full assortment of bits around the shop is a good idea anyhow. Yesterday I drilled a couple of holes to mount a press on the bench and use a brace and bit. Took less time than hunting up the electric drill and bits. These old hand tools sell for a song on Ebay.

[waksupi]

All of the buggered screws you have ever seen on a firearm, was most likely caused by holding the gun in the hand. ALWAYS use a vise.
Use some heat, it is probably Lock Tite seated.

[yondering]

Use some heat, it is probably Lock Tite seated.

I was thinking the same thing. Heat breaks the bond of Loctite. Of course be very cautious with heat if you have a plastic stock...

The easiest method to heat just the bolt is to use a large powerful soldering iron right on the bolt head. A drop of solder will help conduct the heat better, and can be easily removed later.

If you don't have a good soldering iron, use an old screwdriver that fits the slot, or some other metal piece that fits, preferably something with a lot of mass, and heat the end of it with a torch red hot or as hot as you can get it. Hold the hot end in your hand... oops , hold the hot end on the screw to let the screw act as a heat sink, then remove it and use a different screwdriver to remove the screw.

Impact also helps, and the vise suggestions are good. If none of that works, you'll probably have to drill it out.

One other possiblility for stuck bolts in general is to weld a nut on the head or broken end of the bolt. I'd be pretty concerned about damaging the stock though in this case.

[MtGun44]

Often a good whack on the top of the screwdriver will seem to knock it loose, too.

Bill

[pietro]

FWIW - Placing a Ruger 77 rifle upside-down in a vise, and trying a drill press, etc, won't work very well because the front action screw on the Ruger 77 is angled to the rear, so as to pull the action down/back into the recoil ug bedding - making the angle untenable at best.

.

[Ben]

Probably over torqued by the factory and it may have locktite in the threads also. I've seen some new Rem. factory rifles that had guard screws in them that were a real challenge to remove.

Ben

[chickenstripe]

Seems as though you guys have run into this before

I wasn't sure if I should muscle that thing out of there, or if there was a trick.

I used a sliding 1/4" drive T-handle/breaker bar, and the correct socket to fit my wheeler engineering bit (of the correct size).

It did alot of crackling for the first 1/2 turn of the screw, but she finally came loose.

It was a hard brown epoxy on the threads, unlike any loc-tite that I've ever seen.

Oh well, crisis averted and no injury to gun or shooter.

Thanks for all of the responses guys.

[docone31]

Scary, huh.
I never got used to the cracking. Especially when it is in an hard to access area.

[looseprojectile]

Glad to see that you got it out.
Doesn't anyone have several of the old nearly useless impact screw drivers. The ones that you preload and hit with a hammer? These things were always needed on motorcycles and small engines that were subject to weather and elements.
Even the cheap ones worked. [Globemaster]. They come in 3/8"s and 1/2" drive.

Life is good

[chickenstripe]

Yep, I have one of those impact driver screwdriver lookin' things. I never use it for screws though, only bolt heads...... they are handy with motorcycles and the like.

I don't even know where mine is, since I've moved over to air powered impact guns.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Old thread but I thought add my experience in case anyone has the same problem. Couldn't get the front screw on my 77/357 out. I started by grinding a screwdriver down for a perfect fit. Success finally came by grabbing the screwdriver with vice grips for some extra torque. There did not appear to be any locktite or similar schmoo on the screw so my previous attempts at applying heat multiple times with a red hot screwdriver were pointless. Also, the large brass ferrule around the screw sucked the heat right back out of screw before it ever made it to the threads.