Pietta 1873, needing help

[sean m]

The other day I pulled out my Pietta 1873 and found that it had frozen up with a little bit of surface rust over the parts. In the process of detail stripping it the screw for the bolt and trgger spring has been damaged. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get it out. Any suggestions, before taking it to a smith.

 

[1KPerDay]

duplicate thread in blackpowder

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Try to dress two edges on the screw slot.
Soak it with a quality penetrating oil.
Warm it.
Agitate the screw head with vibration (I like using electric pencils) and light impacts. Also see if any lateral movement can be made with the spring. A couple-few thousandths can make a difference.

Only after all of those - attempt to loosen. Try 3 & 4 again.

Still no joy, rinse and repeat.

Todd.

 

[ThomasT]

You might want to put the tip of a soldering iron on the screw head and heat it up and see if that will help break it loose.

 

[jdavis123]

Apache has given you good advice. You will need to replace the screws. I believe that Midway and Brownell’s sell them.
While you are at it, order a set of gunsmith screwdrivers to prevent damage to gun screws. You will get flat blades made to fit gun screws rather than tapered blades of a standard screwdriver which do not mate to gun screws.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

While you are at it, order a set of gunsmith screwdrivers to prevent damage to gun screws. You will get flat blades made to fit gun screws rather than tapered blades of a standard screwdriver which do not mate to gun screws.

And then, when you use those good screwdrivers, always tip them side to side within the screw slot to confirm:

A) The driver reaches the bottom of the slot rather than catching high.

B) That the driver is fully on the flat verifying equal effect on both end of the driver's tip.

Todd.