I Stripped my Reciever Base Screws!!

[Ingwe]

I am really crazy now!!!! Dammit!!!

I didn't check my torque wrench setting before mounting a set of bases for my Winchester M70 and I stripped the threads right out of 2 receiver holes!! Threads are GONE.

Before sending it to a gunsmith to have it re-threaded for thicker screws, is there anything else that I can do myself? Is it difficult to re-tap for a novice?

I dont want to use JB, Steel Epoxy, etc. I want it to be done correctly whether I do it myself or send it out.

Any suggestions for me, or can you recommend a gunsmith who does this?

Did I mentioned that I'm ****ed?

Thanks!

Frank

 

[Brewer]

its not hard to drill and tap, you have to have the drill and tap and atleast a tap wrench. id do it myself, but then I do some smithing work and have tapped 200 holes or better.

thats the only way I can think to do it.

 

[Hired Gun]

Sorry to hear your misfortune. A drill whether hand held or in a drill press will just follow the old hole and a drill doesn't cut round holes. The correct way is to plunge mill the hole out for 8-40 screws in a mill with a short stubby plunge cutting end mill. if you have it done by any sort of accuracy smith this is an opportunity to get them corrected to on center with the bolt raceway. This is routine work around here.

The next way is to spot drill to the bottom of the hole to open it up and tig weld the hole shut from the bottom up. Then we still use the mill to locate and mill the holes back to original size. Then reblue or recoat and it will be like it never happened.

 

[Ingwe]

I'm using the 840 screws now.

Who should I send it to??

This sounds like a disaster

 

[Hired Gun]

Are both the front ones involved?

 

[Ingwe]

Just the rears

 

[LoneTraveler]

The threads in the receiver is one part, The screw is the other part. That makes the connection Whole. Is the screw in perfect condition or is its threads scrubbed off. If the screws threads are in bad shape or nearly gone you may have got some soft screws and its threads are stripped off in the receivers threads. Making it look like the receiver is stripped. If the screw is missing any threads, I would run a tap in the receiver holes, new screws and see if they will take torque to specs. then remove and check screws. If they are in good form it was soft screws with no receiver damage.

 

[Brewer]

Sorry to hear your misfortune. A drill whether hand held or in a drill press will just follow the old hole and a drill doesn't cut round holes. The correct way is to plunge mill the hole out for 8-40 screws in a mill with a short stubby plunge cutting end mill. if you have it done by any sort of accuracy smith this is an opportunity to get them corrected to on center with the bolt raceway. This is routine work around here.

The next way is to spot drill to the bottom of the hole to open it up and tig weld the hole shut from the bottom up. Then we still use the mill to locate and mill the holes back to original size. Then reblue or recoat and it will be like it never happened.

So, how do you measure the bolt raceway. With your mill I mean. do you measure off the passenger side one and then measure the distance between the two to get the width? im an amature gunsmith.

 

[Ingwe]

Guys thanks for the replies...I was away from the computer for a week.

I sent the gun off to Hill Country Rifles!