Lever screw defeats screwdriver; what’s next?

Driftwood Johnson said:

Howdy

If you want the best hollow ground screwdrivers, Brownells Magna-Tips are the best. If you manage to break or bend the tip off of one, they will send you a replacement free of charge. No other brand does that.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-.../magna-tip-sets/magna-tip-sets-prod41571.aspx

I have a fairly extensive set that I have accumulated over the years, you don't necessarily need this many. You can select what you need from the web page I posted above. Be sure to use a bit that completely fills the slot. Buy a few if you are not sure, they are worth it. Buy the standard screwdriver body that you see in my photo to go with your bits.

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All the above methods are good.

The lever screw on most lever guns sits in a threaded through hole, meaning the hole goes all the way through the frame. When applying penetrating fluid, Kroil is the best, be sure to apply it at the screw head and to the threads at the end of the through hole. Give the Kroil time to work. Apply it, then set the gun aside and allow the Kroil to work over night.

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I use the Brownell's gunsmith screwdrivers also. In over 30 years of part-time gunsmithing, I don't recall ever breaking a tip.

Someone on the BP forum suggested these and I bought a set. I signed up for the credit card and got 50 bux off. So the set cost me $14.26 and was shipped to me in two days. Its a nice set of drivers with a Glock front sight tool, Mauser stock wrench and several other custom bits. I am going tomorrow to Harbor Freight and get that Impact mentioned earlier.

https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Engineering-Gunsmithing-Screwdriver-Construction/dp/B07NDFW974

ThomasT said:

Someone on the BP forum suggested these and I bought a set. I signed up for the credit card and got 50 bux off. So the set cost me $14.26 and was shipped to me in two days. Its a nice set of drivers with a Glock front sight tool, Mauser stock wrench and several other custom bits. I am going tomorrow to Harbor Freight and get that Impact mentioned earlier.

https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Engineering-Gunsmithing-Screwdriver-Construction/dp/B07NDFW974

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I have that exact set. Works great.

Picher said:

I use the Brownell's gunsmith screwdrivers also. In over 30 years of part-time gunsmithing, I don't recall ever breaking a tip.

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I have twisted a couple of very fine tips, and broken one over the years. Brownell's sent me replacements right away, no questions asked.

I reiterate, these were very fine tips.

John#2 said:

I’ve never attached a photo, so I hope it shows up. Anyhow, the screwdriver tip ripped off. The gun and screw are fine. Screw never budged. Son of a gun. (Pun?)

Department store screwdriver, Husky brand. It fit the screw perfectly. A lot stiffer than the Grace screwdrivers.

All the other screws came right out.

Tried some Kroil but no luck. How do I remove this stubborn screw?

Henry 44 magnum model. I want to get to the insides.

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Is that one of those screw tips with grooves across the sides? Seems like all those grooves are good for is to create a break-away tip.

Brownells Magna-tip bit with impact driver is the key to stubborn screws.

Picher said:

I use the Brownell's gunsmith screwdrivers also. In over 30 years of part-time gunsmithing, I don't recall ever breaking a tip.

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There is a certain size I have twisted a couple and broke another but it's the size used on those stubborn lever and lifter arm spring screws on Uberti rifles so they really take some abuse every time I take apart a gun for the first time. The one I'm using now I notice is tweaked a little, time to give Brownells a call. They will send a replacement no questions asked.

I would just like to see what tool the Uberti gorilla uses to put those in to begin with.

Impact screw driver.

WHOA! I would be very careful about using an Impact device to loosen a stuck screw on one of my firearms.

Perhaps, if it is a large screw with a large deep-slotted head, maybe, but ...

When applying heat for varnished or red loctited screws, I apply it to the screwdriver and then put the driver on the screw. Avoids softening temper, melting plastic, burning wood. I use replaceable tipped driver (brownells) that fits the screw well. Try it at low temp a few times vs red hot the first time, It’ll soften the driver less. Sometimes it ruins the driver but that’s preferable to a buggered screw or worse.

I just had a tussle with the lever screw on a '73 Winchester. Luckily, I was able to drill a small hole on the threaded end of the screw on the drill press and it finally broke loose.

With the correct screwdriver you can tap it with a hammer giving the screw a shock that can break it free. Several taps may be necessary.
For really tough screws and only a last resort for firearms there are impact screwdrivers that will either break the screw loose or break the head off.

sugarmaker said:

When applying heat for varnished or red loctited screws, I apply it to the screwdriver and then put the driver on the screw. Avoids softening temper, melting plastic, burning wood. I use replaceable tipped driver (brownells) that fits the screw well. Try it at low temp a few times vs red hot the first time, It’ll soften the driver less. Sometimes it ruins the driver but that’s preferable to a buggered screw or worse.

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Makes me think of fitting a screw driver tip to a soldering iron. 40 watts of direct heat shouldn't harm a firearm if kept away from wood and plastic.

A lot of good advice on removing the screw.

I'll give you some good advice about LocTite:

LocTite is a brand associated with thread fasteners. They make a LOT of different types of LocTite. However, there are three major ones the average person should know about:

Red LocTite (Red 271): This is a high temperature/high strength (heavy duty) thread locker intended for BOLTS. Meaning "not small screws". Hardware up to 1 1/2". It is considered permanent, and when it cures it is removable by applying heat (500 F). IF the bolt is large enough, you can probably still loosen the hardware without applying heat first. If it's not large enough...you will damage the hardware first before it breaks free...if it breaks free at all.

BOTTOM LINE: You have no business applying Red 271 to small screws/hardware. Red 271 should be the LAST LocTite you consider applying to anything, unless you have a specific purpose in doing so.

Blue LocTite (Blue 242): This is a medium strength thread locker intended for smaller bolts/hardware, up to 3/4". It's intended to prevent fasteners from vibrating loose. It can be removed without applying heat. You can apply it to bolt sizes up to 3/4".

Purple LocTite (Purple 222): This is a low strength threadlocker designed for fasteners under 3/4". It does not require heat to remove.


NOW...if you have a problem with hardware coming loose that can't otherwise be fixed (like ensuring you have the proper hardware in the first place), then you may consider using LocTite. When you do, USE THE LOWEST STRENGTH LOCTITE REQUIRED TO GET THE JOB DONE.

That means start with Purple 222, THEN move up to Blue 242 if necessary.

You should be thinking long and hard before you EVER use Red 271 on the hardware of any of your firearms.


EDIT:

As I said, LocTite makes a wide variety of threadlockers, a couple others of which would likely work well for use here. But these are the most common ones, and are readily available in hardware stores, Amazon, etc. for a few bucks.

chicharrones said:

Makes me think of fitting a screw driver tip to a soldering iron. 40 watts of direct heat shouldn't harm a firearm if kept away from wood and plastic.

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I have done that. I have one such as that around somewhere. It does work.

All good advice in this thread. Unfortunately, sometimes you do need to go to extremes.







That's how I had to get out the side plate screw on an Uberti 1866 Yellowboy that was grossly overtightened at the factory to the point where it deformed the right side plate. No amount of heat or Kroil got it to budge, so I drilled out both ends in my mill then used a screw extractor to remove it. Uberti's use of soft screws didn't help, either. I replaced the screw and a couple others I drilled out on this rifle with properly hardened screws from VTI Gun Parts.

I had to do similar on an Uberti 1873 Sporting Rifle. More recently, I needed to do this to remove the dust cover screw on an 1893-vintage Winchester 1873, but that was already totally boogered and rusted in place, so it needed to be replaced anyway.



Don't try this at home unless you have a drill press or table top mill.