In need of a tap

[Rusty Goose]

I'm working on a little Stevens Marksman .22. I need to chase the threads in the receiver for the take down screw. The size is 5/16-30, I can't find a tap locally and to buy a single tap over the internet means pricey $19 shipping charge alone.

Does anyone have one they would be willing to loan out to a total stranger? Of course I'd pay shipping both directions, I'm just trying to clean up the original threads, not cut new ones.

Rusty

[oldred]

I have had really good luck finding odd taps on E-Bay.



Just did a quick search there and found this,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-16-30-HSS-Plug-Tap-Special-Thread-/370710562115?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5650124543

Less than $18 including shipping so that might be a solution if you don't have any luck borrowing one.

[altheating]

Try McMmaster Carr.

[Calamity Jake]

Or MSC direct

[W.R.Buchanan]

Goto MSC.com Manhatten Supply Company. They have every tap known to man.

However I have never heard of a 5/16-30 thread. I have heard of a 5/16-32 thread and in fact that is the size of all tire valve stems.

If that is indeed what you "really" need then you can get one from MSC for less than $10 and the shipping is Less than that.

randy

[oldred]

I have both a McMaster Carr and MSC catalog (of course there's the web sites also) and neither carry this tap, they have 5/16-28 and 5/16-32 but not a 30 TPI. That one on E-bay is a new plug style tap and less than 18 bucks including shipping is going to be hard to beat for a special thread tap.

[300winmag]

Try here:
http://drillsandcutters.com/search.aspx?find=5%2f16%22+-36&log=false&category=1071

[Rusty Goose]

I had no luck with MSC or McMaster either, I didn't think to try Ebay, good catch! It seems like that is a real oddball size for sure. I had a couple of the gunsmiths at work stumped on it as well. Thank you Stevens Firearms!

[Char-Gar]

Gun screws are often odd-ball sizes and you are not likely to find them most places. Brownells is the best place to run down drill and taps for gun screws.

I checked and I don't have a 5/16-30.

[theperfessor]

Lot of "special" diameter/pitch combos used for fasteners on firearms. Always heard that it was to keep folks from subbing a weaker dime-store screw for a stronger hardened screw, but I'm beginning to believe it was mostly done out of sheer cussedness!

Let's add Star sizer nose/base punch threads, at 1/2-27, to that list of really special things.

[Reg]

Really,for a one shot deal. If you have access to a thread cutting lathe and some drill rod, it really isn't much of a trick to make a simple tap.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My question which I forgot to ask in my earlier post is,,," are you sure it it 5/16 -30? How did you measure it? Unless you used a thread pitch gage in good light wiht a magnifier or measured it on an optical comparator I doubt you counted right on such a small pitch.

Like I said I have never heard of a 5/16-30 thread. There is no reason for such a thread on a common firearm since there is already 5/16-24, a 5/16-27 (bastard) and 5/16-32 pitches, and the 32 being a very common pitch.IE: Valve stems.

No 5/16-30 is listed in Machinery's Handbook.However that is not always the final word.

Sometimes people do make bastard threads. These are usually made to insure that you return to the maker for replacements. Harley Davidson is famous for 1/4-27 threads and also 12-24's. Even they don't do this anymore out of respect for the rest of the real world.

I think a more accurate measurement is in order. However if you are absolutely sure then that drills and cutters outfit does list them.

http://drillsandcutters.com/search.aspx?find=5%2f16%22+-36&log=false&category=1071

Randy

[Rusty Goose]

Yes, I checked it on a thread pitch gauge. I thought for sure it was 5/16-32 at first, but the bolt would only start in the threads of the plate/gauge I have. I had the gunsmiths at my work check it out, yep 5/16-30. It is for the threads in the barrel sleeve where the knurled take-down screw fits on my Stevens Marksman .22.

[Mk42gunner]

It isn't really strange that an old gun has a non-standard thread; after all they were designed and built, (and in many cases were out of production and obsolete), before threads were standardized in the U.S. or whatever the country of origin is.

Even after standardization, there are examples of the same gun made with different specifications the first one I can think of is the inch pattern and metric pattern FAL. I'm not sure, but I don't think even the magazines interchange on those.

Robert

[Rusty Goose]

I went with the Ebay one.

So if anyone else out there needs one in the future, hit me up.

[Chev. William]

Don't forget to get a Die also for that 5/16-30 thread.
Also I wonder if it is in fact that fine as I have one that works with 5/16-24 threaded bolt in both the Take down and the Hammer Spring retainer holes.

Just my experience.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[KCSO]

You wanna my gun you buyya my parts! I usually just have to make the special taps I need. For just chasing a piece of drill rod threaded single fluted and hardened il work just fine. I am currently making one in 1/4-20 .270 oversize for restoration on an original muzzleloader. Track use to carry the taps and the nipples but have droped the taps. I also droped my tap and broke my 1/4 oversize tap that cost me $3.00 and shiping a while back, quite a while back!

[BigEyeBob]

I'm working on a little Stevens Marksman .22. I need to chase the threads in the receiver for the take down screw. The size is 5/16-30, I can't find a tap locally and to buy a single tap over the internet means pricey $19 shipping charge alone.

Does anyone have one they would be willing to loan out to a total stranger? Of course I'd pay shipping both directions, I'm just trying to clean up the original threads, not cut new ones.

Rusty


Try here , I buy a lot of engineering tools from here ,very helpful and not too expensive even shipped to Australia.
Nice people as well .

http://www.victornet.com/detail/TAST-5/16-30.html