Nightmare Kimber Scenario

[mpresens]

Hello all, Looking for a few suggestions here. Below is my horror story in chronological order:

1) My friend buys new Kimber 1911 and decides to install new Wilson magwell and grips. Easy right?!
2) In his eagerness to install he strips an allen head in the grip screw terribly by using a slightly undersized Allen key.
3) I come to the rescue and drill out the stripped allen screw and begin to hammer in a stripped screw remover.
4) The stripped screw remover breaks off in the allen screw. (Un'effing believeable!)
5) So now I am feeling pretty dumb for creating a CF situation. Any ideas on how to rectify this?

 

[1911Tuner]

Use a prick punch on the screw head angled at about 45 degrees. Tap it with a small hammer in the direction that you want it to turn.

 

[45_auto]

Remove the grip, remove and replace the grip screw bushing using a screwdriver in the grip screw bushing slots if you can.

If you can't get to the screwdriver slots, grab it with a pair of visegrips and remove it.

 

[1911Tuner]

No need to destroy the bushing. The head is still on the screw. It can be tapped loose with a punch and removed with fingers.

 

[WardenWolf]

Dremel a groove in the screw and use a normal flathead.

Before using a stripped screw remover, I'd have probably tried to gently tap in a slightly larger Allen bit, starting with the proper-sized one. This, of course, requires you to have Allen hex driver bits, which do exist. There's a wonderful kit from Boxer, the BX-100, that has every hex driver bit you could ever want, including all the oddballs and special types. Usually when an Allen screw head strips, only the upper part of it strips out and there's still viable edges on the lower portions that simply fit a bit too tightly to insert through normal use. Lightly tapping a bit into the hole will get it to engage these edges and allow you to unscrew it normally.

 

[The M]

Dremel a slot into it and back it out with a flat blade screwdriver.

Edit: didn't see the previous post, sorry.

 

[BBBBill]

... and lose the Allen screws. The broached hole is commonly too deep/too close to the shoulder under the head leaving a very thin cross section all the way around. That along with the square corners is asking for trouble. Stick to slotted screws.

 

[Jim K]

Either go to the old slot head or to the Torx. Either is better than Allen.

Jim