Removing Stuck Gun Screws

Next Level Removal

If a screw won’t turn out with moderate force or the screwdriver tip begins to bend, something is seriously wrong. Usually, the problem is one or more of the following — it was overtightened by a careless brute, rust or other corrosion has anchored it in place, the threads were clogged with dirt when it was installed, there’s mechanical damage like a peened end or bent shaft, it’s been purposely retained by an arsenal-applied stake, punch or chemical thread locker (ex. Loctite). Less often, it’s cross-threaded in the hole.

Many times you won’t know exactly what the problem was until you get the screw out. Address the problems you can see and assume the ones you can’t are present too. Use patience, penetrating oil, vibration, judiciously applied heat and the correct screwdriver bit. Combined, these five things maximize your chances of successful screw removal without breakage.

Lubrication, vibration and heat will reduce the torque needed to loosen up screws locked in place with clogged threads and/or corrosion, and will likewise help ease the removal of damaged screws.

Some mechanical damage, like a mushroomed end, requires correction before you attempt removal. You’ll find this type of damage on screws with exposed ends, like the ones that hold on sling swivel loops or attach the rear of the trigger guard to the action’s tang. An oversized tip presents a serious removal problem because the extra torque needed to swage down the mushroomed end and spread open the hole is going to exceed the strength of the material itself. This usually results in the screw breaking. To avoid that, I carefully remove the mushroomed end with files or a tiny sanding drum or grinding stone in my rotary tool.

A heavy retaining punch mark or staking mark may need to be drilled out before the screw can turn. You drill it out or grind it away with a rotary tool on the screw itself, not the frame! Carefully mark your starting point for the drill bit with a sharp center punch. There’s no need to drill all the way through the screw head and weaken it. You just want to remove most of the displaced metal locking it in the hole.
The thickest diameter gun screws are usually no more than ¼”. This means they are all on the small side and very easy to break by over-torquing. They are rarely hardened. Always work a stuck or tight screw by hand, slowly, so you can feel when the screw starts to turn and when it starts to hang up. Once a tight screw starts to turn, it may get easier and easier to turn, which is a sign it is going to come out with no further trouble.

Alternatively, it may tighten up again. If you feel it tighten, don’t try to turn it any further in that direction. Instead, reverse the direction until it tightens. Repeat this process, going back and forth, to loosen up the screw in the threaded hole gradually. As you turn back and forth, the penetrating oil is drawn deeper to lubricate the threads until it eventually comes out.