Fixing buggered screws the easy way

[manny]

In this day and age of Modern sporting rifles and polymer guns with their push pins and what not this sort of information may be irrelevant.

But those of us who love the feel of wood and steel may get some useful info out of this.

You can even use a drill in a vise with clamps to keep it going.

http://youtu.be/aRl2PD-s30Q

[ar15barrels]

In the video, you are sitting still with the file which tends to load up the file teeth in that one area.

You will get better results if you were to just push the file a little as you are rolling it along the contour of the screw head.

[saki302]

If you do it like the video, you're removing a lot of material.

I've done screw restorations. First, clamp the thing in a padded vise.

Then, I take a ball peen hammer and try to hammer in the 'buggerings'. You want to hammer with a pull on the hit back towards the slot, like doing auto body work, and hammer many times lightly vs. a few hard hits.
Doing this will push most of the meat back in place.

Now, by hand, file the top of the screw to take off any remaining bits sitting above the top level. Work slow, it's not easy to put metal back! I spin the screw by hand on a sheet of sandpaper after if I need to match factory 'spun' machine markings.

The finishing touch will be to use a THIN file or stone to cut the slot square and back to functional shape. Follow up with cold blue, or hot blue if you have it.

I've restored old screws on antique guns that you can't tell are restored. I suppose there's no need to be so picky with modern stuff, but why bother when you can buy new screws from Numrich for a buck?

You'll get good at filing if you do it a lot. I had Randall weld up material on an old antique revolver hammer to make a new firing pin (TIG). After reshaping it myself over a couple hours, you can't tell it's not original

-Dave

[kcstott]

Lets see here. Maybe on some old clunky Savage, Steven's, Springfield $100 pile of parts sure. But now your screw head will sit below the surface of the counter bore is was meant for and will look like Crap

I buy new screws cut to length and if needed turn the head to correct diameter and height. I'll also set up a slitting saw to cut to the slot deeper if need be.

The funny thing is in your opening statement in the video you say the #1 reason screws get buggered up. Incorrect fit of screw drivers and incorrect screwdriver in general.

Oh By the way Things don't "just happen". There is a cause for everything, Careless actions lack of attention to detail, will allow you to screw up.
I take my time on the weapons I work on to prevent such hallmarks of a novice