Pebcac
Member
For Christmas, my wonderful wife bought me a nice set of Springfield-logo cocobolo grips for my GI Mil-Spec. The grip swap went well enough, except that I noticed during the first range trip with the new grips that they had come loose after a while. Evidently, I didn't tighten the grip screws enough. So, upon returning home, I broke out the screwdriver, and that's where it all went wrong.
I stripped out the top left-hand grip screw bushing. It spins with almost no bind in the frame, and won't back out, either. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided I'd take out the bushing on the other side so that I could get something of substance in to push out the stripped bushing, and this is where the plot doth thicken. It would appear that the bushings are fairly soft MIM, because the screwdriver slot sheared nearly off and is now smooth after only maybe a full turn. The screwdriver I was using fit well, and I tried to be very careful to keep both sides in full contact to prevent just this thing from happening. Those buggers are tight coming out, too, and it looks like the backside is feathered or some such to keep them tight.
So, now what do I do? I'm afraid to get a set of locking pliers after that wrecked bushing because I don't want to do any further damage. Should I call Springfield in the hope that they will help me? Is it gunsmith time? If I'm going to send it to a smith, I'm thinking I'll make all the MIM parts go bye-bye and maybe upgrade the sights. If I get the pliers after the torn-up bushing and manage to get it out, am I right in thinking I can push the stripped one out? And finally, what color loctite should I use when putting it all back together again?
Someone really should take all my tools away from me.
I stripped out the top left-hand grip screw bushing. It spins with almost no bind in the frame, and won't back out, either. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided I'd take out the bushing on the other side so that I could get something of substance in to push out the stripped bushing, and this is where the plot doth thicken. It would appear that the bushings are fairly soft MIM, because the screwdriver slot sheared nearly off and is now smooth after only maybe a full turn. The screwdriver I was using fit well, and I tried to be very careful to keep both sides in full contact to prevent just this thing from happening. Those buggers are tight coming out, too, and it looks like the backside is feathered or some such to keep them tight.
So, now what do I do? I'm afraid to get a set of locking pliers after that wrecked bushing because I don't want to do any further damage. Should I call Springfield in the hope that they will help me? Is it gunsmith time? If I'm going to send it to a smith, I'm thinking I'll make all the MIM parts go bye-bye and maybe upgrade the sights. If I get the pliers after the torn-up bushing and manage to get it out, am I right in thinking I can push the stripped one out? And finally, what color loctite should I use when putting it all back together again?
Someone really should take all my tools away from me.