Stuck screws?

[Stevie]

My old surplus trapdoor Springfield rifle is a pretty decent old shooter. Somewhat abused in the past..she's had a bit of rust here and there. It all comes apart fine with the exception of the firing-pin retaining screw...and hence the firing-pin itself cannot be removed.:(

I've tried about everything normaly tried to remove stuck screws...without success. Have tried soaking in penetrating oil..propane torch heat...sticking the breech-block in the freezer..and heating the screw while cold...banging on it with an impact driver hot and cold...trying both directions of turn with impact driver..soaking in kroil and shooting 100 cartridges..etc...:neutral:..no good..the screw is just plain stuck.

The firing-pin is fine...it's free..and fires cartridges..but I would like to be able to service the firing-pin if need be.

Any good ideas to knock my ancient rifle's screw loose?

[theperfessor]

Actually, heating the screw in a cold receiver probably made it tighter. I think there are three possibilities here.

(a) leave it alone, i.e. if it ain't broke don't fix it.
(b) warm the receiver and then cool the screw with a drop of liquid nitrogen or dry ice chunk, i.e. expand the hole and shrink the screw.
(c) drill or EDM it out and replace it.

I'm not familiar with the Trapdoor. But if I face a choice like this I usually don't borrow trouble so I would go with (a) until something failed and then I'd have to resort to (c).

Maybe just keep trying penetrating oil and gentle persuasion over a period of time, it might take a while to loosen up the rust.

Good luck with your problem.

[rmcc]

Use Kroil. let sit, use wood mallet and tap screws gently ( both right & left) over a period of time. The only other option is drilling them out. The Perfessor covered about everything else. If Kroil fails, there is not much hope. Good luck!!

Rich

[Molly]

This stuck screw problem keeps coming up regularly. The suggestions above will often do the job well, but my method of last resort is to secure the part (the breechblock in this case) on your drill press table, screw up and vertical. Grind a good screwdriver tip or use one of the modern hexagonal replacement tips. Secure it in the chuck and unplug the drill press. (Otherwise, you will eventually turn it on and ruin the part. Don't ask.)

Lower the screwdriver tip into the screw slot and use the drill press to keep pressure on it. Now turn the chuck counterclockwise with your hand. I have never known this to fail, and I've even used it on solidly rusted screws that had been wallowed out to a broad valley, with no remaining slot visible. I used it again only a couple of days ago, with the usual easy and complete success. And although the penetrating oil / Kroil pretreatment didn't seem to be necessary on the occasions I've used it, they can't hurt.

Good luck.

[roysha]

YUP! What Molly said.

If that doesn't do it then theperfessor's plan "C" is your best option.

[akajun]

If you have access to an ultrasonic cleaner, try soaking it in that for an hour or two. I have found that they will loosed rusted screws. then soak in kroil

Also try an electrolytic cleaner, that will also loosed rusted screws. soak in kroil afterwards as well.

[cajun shooter]

Stevie, If you go to Sears and look in the tool department, you will find a box containing three screw extractors . They do make other sizes if the smallest will not work. They are designed to bite into the metal of a screw head that has been stripped out. You may also look on the web for screw extractors. These tools are meant to be used with a very slow speed so that they bite and grab and turn the screw out. If used rough at high speed you will just make the stripped area larger. Another way that I was taught while attending machinist school was with a small metal chisel and a bench vise. Tighten the part in the vise using rubber or metal to keep the faces from doing any damage. Insert the sharp chisel edge along the outer edge of the screw and tap it to the left with light taps. It will give and may be removed. This way requires that you use a very good product designed to loosen frozen parts and allowed to soak for the required time.

[Char-Gar]

The drill press approach Molly suggested has been used for years but it is not always sucessful. Recently I resorted to that method to remove a rusted in screw in the front band of a Winchester 73 carbine.

I succeeded in twisting off the head of the screw! having everything lock down in the drill press, I drilled out the screw. Now I need to chase the threads in the band and install a new screw.

[Molly]

The drill press approach Molly suggested has been used for years but it is not always sucessful. Recently I resorted to that method to remove a rusted in screw in the front band of a Winchester 73 carbine.

I succeeded in twisting off the head of the screw! having everything lock down in the drill press, I drilled out the screw. Now I need to chase the threads in the band and install a new screw.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune, but ... "And although the penetrating oil / Kroil pretreatment didn't seem to be necessary on the occasions I've used it, they can't hurt."

[Char-Gar]

Molly.. I soaked it overnight with Kroil and applied it again just before I did the deed. Sometimes there just isn't a fix short of drilling the stuck screw out.

[Stevie]

One thing about my delima...my screw is still intact.

The old gun comes apart like it's factory-fresh..until you get to the one stuck screw...

[Molly]

Molly.. I soaked it overnight with Kroil and applied it again just before I did the deed. Sometimes there just isn't a fix short of drilling the stuck screw out.

I guess I've been lucky. I've never had one that the drill press couldn't handle.

[Char-Gar]

A small soft steel rusted in screw that has been in the rifle for 130 years proved beyond even Kroil and the drill press. The driver bit didn't walk, or bugger the slot, it just twisted the head off.

The threads on the screw are just under the head. The rest of the screw is nothing more than a pin.

[DCP]

An air engraver will take out screws sometimes.
The vibration will help loosen the rust and always use Kroil 1st.
You will need a new screw when your done.
It works great on broken screws so you dont have to drill them out.

[MtGun44]

If you have a friend that does aircraft riveting, a Chapman type thru-hex handle on
a longer style hex screwdriver bit, with an aircraft rivet gun on top of the hex bit,
rattling the hex bit as you provide gentle torque, may work. Receiver in a vise,
and a second person on the rivet gun is necessary. I have seen this do things that
I could not imagine otherwise.

Also, heat. An acetylene torch with a TINY tip and focussing all the heat on the screw
to get it near red or actually red, will work - but I fear for the receiver heat treat, if any.

ATF thinned with acetone is a great penetrator.

Bill

[abunaitoo]

If you can find it, PB Blaster is way better than Kroil.
If you read the lable on Kroil, it will not prevent rust.
PB Blaster will.
I soak stuck screws for a few days and it never fails to come out.
Be sure you have a good fitting screwdriver.

[John Boy]

Try a 50:50 mix of acetone and ATF

[Stevie]

Try a 50:50 mix of acetone and ATF

I tried a couple day soak in the acetone/atf mix...no-go.

Keep stacking up ideas...I've seen a couple things here I may try:smile:

[KCSO]

If all else fails a carbide dental bit will chew them right out and leave the threads if you work carefull.

[Stevie]

If all else fails a carbide dental bit will chew them right out and leave the threads if you work carefull.

This is something I have considered...drilling the screw out, then picking the rest out of the threads....installing a new screw and get on with life.

I've already put a few new parts on the old rifle....one lock screw and the barrel tang screw are new parts..and the rear sight base and the spring for the ladder are period replacements.

[lmcollins]

I have found that the best adjunct to the soak it in penatrants, and the perfect screwdriver in the screw slot via the drill press - Is HEAT!

Take the part and get it out if the gun so that you don't screw up the wood work. In this case I'd take the cam mechaism off of it. Put it in a vice and heat the heck out of it to about 300 degrees max. Then apply your penatrant to the screw. It really draws down. It migt even sizzle. Cool the part with the liquid. Then let it cool way down until you can just about touch it. Do this a couple of times, or more. Soak again, and let it set over night.

Next day, or at least until you get room temp. Try the perfect bit in the drill press again. Once it starts to move, apply more penatrant.

By using this method I removed some screws from a european musket that had been shipped over here at the sart of the Cival War when there was a panic for arms. I think that it had been rusted together in europe before it was dumped over here in 1861.

The trick is to be careful of the heat, and never heat anything in such a manner to effect anything that is hardened by heating very high. The heat really draws the liquid into the gap i.e. rust. Keep repeating... until enough is "inhaled" into the rust. THEN break it loose with the perfect bit and the drill press.

[frnkeore]

Maybe I'm off topic here but, I bought 2 cans of Kroil, 2 years ago and have yet been successful in getting any penatration with it, in either gun parts or car parts.

How many here have actually taken a screw out that the threads or stuck part was wetted with Kroil? I now use it as a multipurpose gun oil.

Frank

[waksupi]

Maybe I'm off topic here but, I bought 2 cans of Kroil, 2 years ago and have yet been successful in getting any penatration with it, in either gun parts or car parts.

How many here have actually taken a screw out that the threads or stuck part was wetted with Kroil? I now use it as a multipurpose gun oil.

Frank

I took apart an old bicycle that was severely rusted, with the chain being to the point it was stiff, and would barely bend. The spokes were rusted to crust, and all bolts were crusty rusted. I soaked them with Kroil for four days, and they all came apart fine, and the chain will even bend, if not usable.

[David2011]

I've used Kroil to soak Mauser '98 barrels before removal and I felt like it took less effort to break them free after a weeks' soaking. Where it really saved the day was changing spark plugs in an aluminum Honda V-6 engine. The plugs tried to sieze about 1/2-3/4 turn after breaking free. I put some Kroil into each plug hole and worked the plugs in and out gently. All six came out without seizing.

David

[dominicfortune00]

Have you tried heating the part and letting some candle wax melt onto the screw?

Heard that the wax will penetrate to the threads and lubricate the threads to allow the screw to be removed.

BTW, I've been using Kroil and PB'laster for years to loosen rusted stuff on the car and other stuff.

I like Kroil for steel parts, and PB'laster for steel in aluminum.

PB'laster will dissolve aluminum corrosion to allow the removal of small stainless bolts from a cast aluminum part; otherwise without it, the heads of the bolts will twist off when trying to remove them.