Hi, a am building a 10/22 and have stripped the top of the rear most scope mount screw. What is a suggestion to remove the screw? I think the threads in the hole will be fine....thinking I might have to drill it out or take it to a gunsmith. Thanks.
Stripped "torx" screw in scope mount
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Take it to a gunsmith -
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937 Posts
This^ Or an easy out if you have one.
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+1 on screw extractor. However, if it was one of my safe queens I would take it to a gunsmith. For an every day shooter I would do it myself.
One slip and that screw extractor can do some wicked damage to the finish.
One slip and that screw extractor can do some wicked damage to the finish.
Safest method in my book is to drill the head off the screw with a hand powered drill, not electric. Start with a bit just big enough to go in the torx recess and work to progressively larger bits in small increments.
Using the depth of one of the removed screws head to just drill down to the screw thread diameter. Head will pop off leaving the thread body to grasp with a pair of pliers/vice grips. Most times unless thread compound was used, the threaded portion will twist out with fingers. JMHO
Using the depth of one of the removed screws head to just drill down to the screw thread diameter. Head will pop off leaving the thread body to grasp with a pair of pliers/vice grips. Most times unless thread compound was used, the threaded portion will twist out with fingers. JMHO
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If drilling becomes necessary I would feel a lot more comfortable drilling that screw out on a drill press, slow and steady!
Another thought would be some left handed drill bits (yes, they are real but you usually have to give up the drill press and go back to a hand-held drill), often between the heat developed and the vibration of drilling the screw will turn itself out during the process.
Those screw heads are rather hard so you might want to start the 'hole' with a center drill which will be stronger and have less wobble than a regular drill bit.
I still consider drilling a (next to) last resort. Adding some superglue, grinding compound or even epoxying the bit in place can make the difference and allow removal without drilling.
Bruce
Another thought would be some left handed drill bits (yes, they are real but you usually have to give up the drill press and go back to a hand-held drill), often between the heat developed and the vibration of drilling the screw will turn itself out during the process.
Those screw heads are rather hard so you might want to start the 'hole' with a center drill which will be stronger and have less wobble than a regular drill bit.
I still consider drilling a (next to) last resort. Adding some superglue, grinding compound or even epoxying the bit in place can make the difference and allow removal without drilling.
Bruce
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174 Posts
This is how I got the stripped secre out of my Mark IV. It works pretty good. you have to replace the screw but you would probably have to do that anyway.
I would like to help with a suggestion, but I am slightly confused: my SS Carbine with synthetic stock seems to have an aluminum receiver. It looks and feels like it, and a magnet won't stick. Could it be SS? If the OP's 10/22 has an aluminum receiver, he could be in a world of trouble removing that screw, assuming that the screw is stripped and not the receiver. And Torx screws are normally very hard and extremely difficult to bugger up. If the receiver is SS and the Torx head is no longer a Torx shape, then the suggestion to epoxy a bit to its inside might be the best solution. Or, visiting a 'smith.
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Just did this to mine the gunsmith told me to take just a little bit bigger of a Torx head tap it into the screw head and unscrew it
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I work on motorcycles and deal with this often. Others have said it.
Use penetrating oil.
Tap the fastener head, vibration helps.
Heat, like soldering gun.
If you’re worried about the surrounding area, take some aluminum metal tape, punch a hole in it a tad larger than the screw head. Put tape (2 layers better) on part with fastener showing.
Use penetrating oil.
Tap the fastener head, vibration helps.
Heat, like soldering gun.
If you’re worried about the surrounding area, take some aluminum metal tape, punch a hole in it a tad larger than the screw head. Put tape (2 layers better) on part with fastener showing.
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While the replies might end up helping someone else .... The OP got his stripped screw out .... three years ago.
Bruce
Bruce
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