Stripped 1/16" hex...HELP!

[OriginalDuplicate]

Got my 2nd m&p 9mm and am installing the apex dcaek kit. All has gone well except when I went to remove the rear sight.

There is a 1/16" hex screw keeping the rear sight in place. When I went to remove this my Allen wrench (hex key) just slipped, popped and spun. Never had a tight fit. Has anybody notice or heard of stripped screws coming from brand spankin' new guns?

The next size up Allen wrench obviously doesn't fit. Is there some way for me to remove this? All suggestions are welcome.

[the86d]

http://www.amazon.com/Alden-8440P-Grabit-Damaged-Extractor/dp/B001A4CWHO

These work pretty well on stripped phillips screws...

You can sometimes find them on eBay.

[Colt562]

I've heard of super gluing the Allen wrench to it...havnt tried it but heard it works

[Eddy's Shooting Sports]

Are you sure the screw head is stripped? Look at your wrench and see if it is rounded off. There are a lot of cheap hex keys out there.

Barring that, the screw removers mentioned might work if there is a small enough size. The other option is a left hand twist drill bit. Usually when drilling, the screw will bind on the bit and come right out. If not, then you use a screw extractor in the hole you just drilled.

In extreme cases I have heard of cutting the sight in half so it simply falls out of the dovetail. This is obviously a last resort.

Good luck and if you feel you are in over your head, by all means, take it to a gunsmith!


Greg David
Eddy's Shooting Sports
400 Moffett Blvd.,Suite F
Mountain View, CA 94043
(660)969-GUNS

T-F 12-7 W 12-9 Sat 11-5
Closed Sun/Mon

[klewan]

If you have some metric keys, try those. Sometimes that will be just enough bigger to fit a buggered screw.

[orangeusa]

If you have some metric keys, try those. Sometimes that will be just enough bigger to fit a buggered screw.

It might be metric.. Either way, that's good advice, I always have one of the SAE and Metric kits. Sometimes, a slightly buggered screw will come out with randomly trying all of them...

Also, that's a danged small screw, so an eazy out won't work. (the reverse threaded tools that are for removing mushed up screws).

I have forced bigger allen wrenches into a screw and had that work. Obviously, youll need a new replacement, and ACE hardware usually has what I want.... I dunno.... Never tried the superglue thing, but you have nothing to lose..

.

[FastFinger]

If you're going to try a different Allen wrench, try heating up the screw first with a soldering iron. The factory may have used Loc-Tite during assembly and heat is an approved method to softening up the Loc-Tite.

Haven't ever used the Superglue, but if I was to try a binding agent I'd go with an epoxy or JB-Weld first.

Have you called S&W to get their advice?

[OriginalDuplicate]

Thanks for all the ideas.

I have tried a couple different allen wrenches. All of them spin. I dont have any in metric that I know of. The screw is pretty small so finding something like an easy out may be tough. I'm not passed giving the super glue trick a try. That's a good idea about using epoxy, if I'm going that route might was well use the best stuff. Never thought about calling S&W. I will see what they have to say.

I will let you know how I get this thing out. Now just waiting for that elusive time where nothing needs to get done and I can play with my guns again.

[OriginalDuplicate]

FINALLY got that little bugger out.

I tried the super glue method with a cheap allen wrench. No go. Wrench just spun and all the dried superglue crumbled out. I then tried super glue with a decent allen wrench that I could actually feel the wrench slipping. This better fitting allen wrench caused clue to get all over the the top of the screw. After the clean up and the drying I tried this...still nothing.

In my frustration I jammed a Torx size T-6 into the now totally stripped out hex screw covered in super glue...The thing came right out.

Thanks again for all the ideas!

[gunboat]

Desperation is the motherhood of invention --
Good-o on you for getting the chore done --