Wilson Combat grip screws

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mattw

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So today I got a set of hex-head gripscrews from Wilson Combat. The first screw I tightened down snapped in half and now I have the screw's shaft hoplessly stuck in the hole. Here is the letter I sent to [email protected]:

Chalona,

Since you are the one that e-mailed me about my order form and were very prompt in your reply I would like to continue to e-mail you as opposed to sending something to [email protected]. The problem I have is with the grip screws I recieved in the mail today. They looked nice, but when I tried to install them on my pistol the head of the very first screw I tightened snapped off. I put my old screws back on except for one, which will not work because the shaft of the Wilson Combat screw is stuck in the screw-hole. I am sure you can understand how disappointed and p.o.ed I was when this happened. I read the Wilson Combat defective product policy and have decided that I would like to send these grip screws back to you (Wilson Combat) and get a refund so that I can buy some Ed Brown grip screws. Please advise me on how I can get a pre-paid shipping lable for the return of your screws and wether or not Wilson Combat will pay to have the screw shaft removed by a gunsmith in my area.
Click to expand...

Nobody buy girpscrews from wilson combat, they will break on you! :fire:

What do you guys think?

MVC-092F.jpg
 
Guess someone else is having bad luck today ..

I had a new set of Ed brown hex head screws today and second oen snapped just like yours did there luckly i was able to spin it out with a flat bladed screwdriver
 
ok well i guess that means i won't get any ed brown screws either.. damnit! where am I supposed to find decent grip screws?! :banghead:
 
Does anyone know if the slotted head grip screws would be stronger than the hex head grip screws for any reason? would one widthstand more torque than the other? I twisted off that screw head pretty easily and i've never had that problem with my slotted head screws, no matter how much of a gorilla grip I get on the screw driver and no matter how hard i wrench down on them.
 
Might try the stainless grip screws from Hogue. Ive had real good luck with them. Midway may have them or order direct from Hogue.
 
do they come in blue steel? i would like them to match the finish of my 1911
 
thanks guys, looks like i'm going with houge once i get my money back from wilson and send them back their junk they call grip screws.

edit: on second thought, i think i'll get a set from www.woodgrips.com i've been talking to Pat from their customer service and these seem to be good screws
 
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Another reason to leave it like it came from factory. Regular old screws have worked for years. What is this new and improved look going to end up costing in time and money.
 
actually i just wanted some hex-head screws so that i wouldn't have to worry about tearing up screw slots and/or grips.. i had no idea that just because you change from having a screw head cut for an allen wrench instead of a standard screwdriver that it the screw would become weak and brittle and junky.
 
FWIW, YMMV, etc., years ago somebody, and I honestly can't remember who, told me to use the long end of the wrench in the screw and grip the short end - less torque that way.

I'm looking forward to finding out if there's an easy way to remove the broken screw because I can break almost anything sooner or later.

John
 
that is correct, i used the long end so that i could get the most torque. it should have bent the wrench before twisting off the head of the screw
 
Definitely not trying to be negative/derogatory by any means, but all fasteners have proper torque specs (whether the supplier actually tells you the specs is another story!) and WILL break if used in inappropriate applications and/or over-torqued.

It's possible that either (a) grip screws of unsuitable material or construction are being sold and/or (b) the screws are being overtightened. Again, not trying to criticize; just an observation as I've worked on race cars etc. a fair amount over the years and fastener issues come up all the time. (I actually had to modify/fab a special tool today to get an old Weber carb needle valve out.)
 
i'm getting really pissed here.. i sent that e-mail at noon on the 5th and still no reply. those screws suck, i've never broken the head off a screw before, on anything. i seriously doubt i twisted it off, once it was not turning from the weight of my index finger on the wrench i went one quarter turn to make it snug and it snapped off. further inspection of the screw shaft reveals that the top 1/8 inch or so from the head of the screw down is hollow.. is it supposed to be like that?
 
The same thing happened with a set of the same hex grips screws, and I was installing them on a Wilson Combat pistol. In my case, two of the four hex grip screws snapped in the same way. They were replaced with blackened or blued Torx grip screws.
 
Would somebody please explain to me why you would want to have grips screws that you can only tighten with a certain sized hex wrench? Makes no sense to me...like the whole 9mm AR thing I guess.. :D
 
well its not that big of a deal to me.. i just keep the wrench with the pistol or in the gun-cleaning box. when else would you need to remove the grips? can't think of one jam or mess that could be solved by removing the grips.
 
Who said anything about removing the grips? Not that I would want to give up that option either. You just never know.. But that's why WC makes the big bucks...they market the high tech tactical stuff...grip screws for $14... that they buy for $.50 per 1,000..
 
"Would somebody please explain to me why you would want to have grips screws that you can only tighten with a certain sized hex wrench?"

Because tight enough is tight enough. Why overtighten fasteners? I don't use an electric screwdriver to tighten the slotted grip screws, and scope ring screws, on my guns because I don't want to twist the heads off of them.

John
 
I just snapped off a Hogue hex head screw in my P226. Granted they've been in there a year, but I snapped the head of it clean off.
 
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