Troublesome screw, could use some advice

[Shawnba67]

I am trying to take out the side latch pivot retaining screw on a 1897 Winchester shotgun.
Some one sometime has boogered the screw with regular screwdriver and i cant get a god bite on it as the sides arent parralel anymore. Slot is only .100 wide and maybe .030 thick. I have broken one bit when i managed to keep it snug.
Id like to fully dissassemble this as it is gummed up something awful and Im hoping thats why the hammer follows the bolt unless you work it real slow like.
heres the pic

 

[hammerjack]

Do you have a impact driver I think is the correct name.

 

[Shawnba67]

Do you have a impact driver I think is the correct name.

Ive got a big one with a half inch socket drive, thought about it but it seemed well over kill for a screwdriver blade thats only .025 thick.
If i am wrong please tell me

 

[tobnpr]

If you broke a tip, seems you were able to get a pretty solid "grip", no?

Did you try penetrating oil? Kroil works wonders... overnight if need be. It's never failed me.

 

[Tucker65]

Soak with Kroil , if that doesn't work take a flat round punch and give the screw head a few good whacks. That sometimes breaks loose the connection. If that doesn't work then some quick heat with a small tipped acetylene torch to the screw head followed by cooling it in water will shrink the screw enough to get it broke loose.

 

[Lucky Shooter]

Do you think this screw might have a left hand thread ?

Winchester used a left hand thread screw on the Model 12 so this
isn't totally unheard of.

A. Weldy

 

[wkdickinson]

I am trying to take out the side latch pivot retaining screw on a 1897 Winchester shotgun.
Some one sometime has boogered the screw with regular screwdriver and i cant get a god bite on it as the sides arent parralel anymore. Slot is only .100 wide and maybe .030 thick. I have broken one bit when i managed to keep it snug.
Id like to fully dissassemble this as it is gummed up something awful and Im hoping thats why the hammer follows the bolt unless you work it real slow like.
heres the picView attachment 1107015

Heat can do wonders. I am not talking about getting it "red-hot", but if you use a small butane torch (they make the about the size of ball-point pen) to pinpoint the heat, you may surprised. Sometimes if you heat a fastener you can't break loose and then let it cool, it will come loose very easily - other times, not so much. Just offering a suggestion.

 

[Shawnba67]

I have soaked it overnight in kroil, the dissassembly guide i have makes no mention of it being left handed.
I will give the punch a try. It cant be that tight!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Local heat and the correct hollow ground screwdriver

 

[Riesel]

These can be tough,,,,,,,,,........ so above all be patient. I have found that the small butane torch heated up and then while hot add Kroil oil and let set a spell, Re-heat and do again and after the oil stops smoking wipe it clean or better yet use air to get the oil out of the slot and like Dusty said "use the correct size hollow ground screwdriver," If you don't have the small butane torch, get one. The are quite handy.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Called a “pencil torch” in most circles.

 

[Gun Smith]

Soak the little rascal in Kroil, then gently heat with the mini torch. Then use a snug fitting hollow ground screw driver bit, such as Brownells sell, and lock the bit in the chuck of your drill press if you have one. Then put heavy downward pressure on the bit in the screw slot, and turn the chuck counter clockwise by hand to break the bond of the dried up curd. Use the chuck key, or a piece of drill rod to turn the chuck, and ease off the pressure as the screw turns out.

 

[Spotshooter]

Kroil soak, put the best fit screw driver you can find in it and hit it hard a couple of times. Try to turn it BOTH ways to help break up the seal / get the Kroil do penetrate further.

Kroil soak overnight again, repeat a couple of times - day 3 it should break free, heat it if you have too.

 

[matthias]

If you have to grind a screw driver for a light pressure fit.

 

[Shawnba67]

The way this thing is buggered up my impact driver just rides up the wallered out side. Was very disheartening to smack the impact driver with a hammer and watch it just turn up and out!
Im threatening to throw the whole thing in my ultrasonic cleaner, but it will remove the Patina finish. At least it did on the trigger guard.
Anyone know if its the simple green in the ultra sonic cleaner or the ultra sonic itself that removes the patina?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Both

 

[Boyd L.]

The way this thing is buggered up my impact driver just rides up the wallered out side. Was very disheartening to smack the impact driver with a hammer and watch it just turn up and out!

I provided a “third hand” for a local gunsmith having a similar experience with a Browning A-5 bottom tang screw. We used a 1/2” drive impact driver and couldn’t budge it. My advice was to get the vertical axis of the screw aligned on the knee mill then use a left hand twist drill.

 

[Shawnba67]

Both

Thank you, so thats the easy way off the table!

 

[Paul Seaman]

I’d like to add a piece to what has been said here! Normally you try to enlarge one part with heat, thenpart that has the fastener attached to it! Reason you want it to expand and release the fastener,,,, not enlarge the fastener and make it tighter! Done hundreds of bolts this way in machined blocks with permanent loc-tite or in antique engines! Always a bugger! This is just my .02 worth!

 

[Pwc]

Riffler file to deepen the buggered slot, then soak and heat as above; new screw as necessary