Stripped mounting screws for bases

[cfnewfie]

So i picked up a rifle pretty cheap because the screw holes for the bases are stripped and by the look of it gobbed up with loctite as well. Wondering about some recommendations for new screws tap size etc or if someone could tap and mount the bases for me. Thanx in advance.

[Dick284]

6-48's can easily be taken up to 8-40.

Btw, scope base thread pitches aren't the same as you find at most nut and bolt shoppes.

[CMichaud]

My Pachymar set has screws in:

#6-48
#8-40

I assume these are the common ones.

I don't have a tap mind you.

[cfnewfie]

The stock ones are 6-48 at 2 different lengths for the thinner base out front.

[fellwings]

had this happen to me

option 1 slot screw heads with small grinder blade/router and unscrew with flat

option 2 drill out screw heads and unscrew body with screwdriver

option 3 use commercial product for stripped screws to unscrew

[Kevlak]

Originally Posted by cfnewfie

So i picked up a rifle pretty cheap because the screw holes for the bases are stripped and by the look of it gobbed up with loctite as well. Wondering about some recommendations for new screws tap size etc or if someone could tap and mount the bases for me. Thanx in advance.

I have had this same issue. I gave my friend gitrdun a call and he was able to pop them out for me. Just send him a private message and he’ll be able to help you out as well. He’s done a few different projects for me and is the first person I call when I have issues or would like to get some gunsmithing done.

Kevin

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by Kevlak

I have had this same issue. I gave my friend gitrdun a call and he was able to pop them out for me. Just send him a private message and he’ll be able to help you out as well. He’s done a few different projects for me and is the first person I call when I have issues or would like to get some gunsmithing done.

Kevin

Thank you Kevin. You screws had been "butchered" by someone trying to remove them by drilling with what I'm assuming to be a hand held drill or a basic bench top drill press. The object was to cut off the screw heads and release the base without doing further damage. I decided that the best option was to unscrew the barrel from the action in order to clamp the action in the mill and go at it with an end mill rather that a drill. That was the easy part. However, unscrewing the action from the barrel should have been easy since this gun uses a barrel nut. I literally had to use a 3' snipe on a breaker bar fitted to the rear of the action. Luckily, my Rem 700 action bar also fits the Axis receiver (that was news to me). But dang, unscrewing that action from the barrel took every bit of strength that I could muster. It complained, whined and squeaked with every turn of a thread. Reason being is that the metal fillings from the butcher job and infiltrated the barrel and action threads. Now, even if the OP wishes to enlarge the receiver holes from 6-48 to 8-40, the drilling and tapping must be done on true center, and perfect alignment.