How to remove a snapped off screw

[BobbyJ]

Have a old 32 walther that has a snapped off hand grip screw.

I tried to grab on it with some thin wire cutter pliars but could not get enough grip to turn it.

Can't get behind it either.

So what would be the best way to remove it and keep the same screw/thread as the other side?

[hawkenhunter50]

Have a old 32 walther that has a snapped off hand grip screw.

I tried to grab on it with some thin wire cutter pliars but could not get enough grip to turn it.

Can't get behind it either.

So what would be the best way to remove it and keep the same screw/thread as the other side?

Is there enough protruding up that you could file a slot and turn it out with a screwdriver? In the pic it looks like there might be enough.

[gkainz]

Some things I might try:
Cutting a slot in the stub if you get to it.
Solder a stub to it (or just try to heat/cool cycle it with a soldering gun)
A very sharp punch on the face and tap it ccw?
Perhaps a left hand drill bit smaller than the screw?
Last resort would be to drill the center with a much smaller bit and a use tiny easy-out. Breaking an easy out in the screw will make extraction 10x harder

[NSB]

If you use an easy-out, apply some heat to the screw first. Most times they’re hard to remove because they have some type of apoxy or threadlocker on them. About five seconds with a torch or electric solder gun should do it

[G W Wade]

The soldering iron mentioned above is the best first option GW

[country gent]

A small punch and ccw rotation will get it normally. actually a small hand ground flat chisel blade works better. If this dosnt work drill the small hole with a left handed drill and glue the shank of the drill in the hole and let cure. a small amount of loctite or super glue

[fc60]

Greetings,

If you have access to a Dremel vibrating engraving tool we used to be able to remove the screw.

I would give it a dose of Kroil or other quality penetrating fluid the day before.

Cheers,

Dave

[gishooter]

Find a gunsmith with a mill or a machinist. Simple and quick without damage to the gun. Too bad you're not local. I'd do it for free.

[LAGS]

I have several times.
I took the part and drilled a 1/16" hole centered in the broken screw.
Then I inserted a 1/16" Allen wrench into the hole and pounded it in.
Then I heated the part up with a soldering iron to break the threaded loose.
Most of the time , the screw was easily removed.

[super6]

All of the above ^^ Just take the time to think it out, Get in a hurry and you will create more problems than you started with. I would suggest drilling a small hole before you slot it in case you have to use a easy out.

[BobbyJ]

So many good ideas my head is spinning I'm not sure my photo really shows just how small that snapped off screw is. Its 1/10 of an inch or maybe just under. And its rounded off. I have some easy outs all way too big for this and they require a hole to be drilled.

"Find a gunsmith with a mill or a machinist. Simple and quick without damage to the gun. Too bad you're not local. I'd do it for free."
Wish I lived near this guy.

There is no glue on the threads, snapped off while putting the handgaurd screw on. (not by me).

Appreciate all the ideas, keep them flowing.

I don't own a drill press just hand drills and a dremel, my options are limited. Drilling into that bit and not slipping off and hitting the gun is next to impossible.

[BobbyJ]

Greetings,

If you have access to a Dremel vibrating engraving tool we used to be able to remove the screw.

I would give it a dose of Kroil or other quality penetrating fluid the day before.

Cheers,

Dave

I have a dremel drill. How does the engraving tool spin unscrew the snapped off screw? Do you just vibrate the area around the screw and hope it self vibrates out of the hole? One of the issues is I have nothing to get a grip on the nub to back it out.

[country gent]

We used them like the hammer and little prick punch pushing in the ccw direction in an arc.

I used a small punch that looked lire a very small flat screw drive ground up on round tool steel. work slow and easy just lightly tapping ( i used a 4 ounce ball peen hammer and at times it seemed to big). as you tap follow the arc of the screw around. We ground these up out of small drill blanks. With good eyes an steady hand you can walk out #4 screws on up.

[LAGS]

To do any drilling into the old broken off screw , you will need a drill press.
Is there someone who has one that you can borrow.

[John Taylor]

If the screw bottomed out in the hole when it broke it may be hard to get out. If the hole goes through to an open area a drill will most likely run it through to the open area. Most of the time I drill them out if they don't come out easy. In the past I have used a thin piece of metal with a hole about screw size and tig welded it to the screw.

[brass410]

if there's a autobody shop nearby they might have a pin stud welder( for pulling dents ). you could weld a pin to that screw the heat would break the thread locker and probably turn right out.

[pietro]

.

I would just the Dremel to carefully flatten the rounded end of the screw so it would be easier to drill.

If the drilled hole is centered, a larger drill, just under the screw minor diameter, can sometimes enlarge the hole enough to pick out the remaining threads from the frame w/o damaging the threads there.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Just a thought or two-- If you are successful in getting the broken screw out without damaging the threads in it's hole, since it is an old and European pistol, will you be able to find a proper replacement screw with the same threads? Also, if you decide that the only way to get the screw out is to drill it out, then you might do well to remove the other grip and drill down through that hole and attack the frozen screw from the back side. If you think about it, "righty tighty and lefty loosey" means that if the screw is drilled from the back end the drill bit, turning to the right will translate into unscrewing the stuck screw. If you can somehow dimple (as center punch) the back side of the screw to hold the drill bit and use a smaller bit than the screw's diameter you might just make it happen. If not, and the screw hole gets messed up, then you have the option of re-drilling and tapping both holes for matching American threaded screws.

DG

[Cap'n Morgan]

The Mountain Hunter gives good advice above!
If you can drill tiny hole through the broken thread, you can grind/file three flats on a pointed pin (perhaps a drill shaft)
to create three sharp edges, and use it as an easy-out from the back side.

[BobbyJ]

Just a thought or two-- If you are successful in getting the broken screw out without damaging the threads in it's hole, since it is an old and European pistol, will you be able to find a proper replacement screw with the same threads? Also, if you decide that the only way to get the screw out is to drill it out, then you might do well to remove the other grip and drill down through that hole and attack the frozen screw from the back side. If you think about it, "righty tighty and lefty loosey" means that if the screw is drilled from the back end the drill bit, turning to the right will translate into unscrewing the stuck screw. If you can somehow dimple (as center punch) the back side of the screw to hold the drill bit and use a smaller bit than the screw's diameter you might just make it happen. If not, and the screw hole gets messed up, then you have the option of re-drilling and tapping both holes for matching American threaded screws.

DG

I was able to make some progress. I took a super thin file (like a razor thin) that is made to cut a screw driver slot in broken eyeglass screws. I made the slot and the screw driver fit but its still too tight to budge it. I oiled it and even took a soldering iron to it.
From the backside the issue is I would have to have a long 1/16" bit and use the other screw hole to get to the backside. Risk of messing up threads on both grips. But I get how its the proper direction for the bit from the backside.