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The extractor screw head on my No 1 was mauled badly sometime in its long life so rather than try and remove it myself I took it to my local gunsmith. He has tried to remove it with no luck. He said the screw is so small , hard and stuck an EZ out would not work. Does anyone have a tip that would make removal easier? :surrender:
What about getting a jeweller to cut the screwdriver slot a little deeper/crisper and then use a hollow ground blade after dunking the bolthead in easing oil overnight
Mr. Laidler
Good suggestion. I am not certain what is left of the screw but I will pass the suggestion on. This seems like a pretty basic gunsmithing job but as I learn more Enfield work might be better left to someone with Enfield experiance. I am a bit concerned I may end up with a new bolt head rather than a replacement screw.
Heat may also help. Use a soldering gun - no torch - and heat and let cool 3 or 4 times. The expansion and contraction may help free it.
Good luck
B
HOH, did you get the screw loose? If you're still working at it heres a method I learned in the Millwright trade that may do the trick, it's not guaranteed to work but worth a try. If theres enough slot left or if you were to be able to deepen it some as Peter suggests clamp the bolthead, or the entire bolt for better stability, in a machine vise on a drill press or mill with the correct size screwdriver bit in the chuck and turn the chuck by hand while applying a good amount of down pressure with the press. Be sure to pad the part and have the vise secured to the bed so it won't slip and bugger the bolt or head. Good luck.
Further to Vintage Hunter's idea, if you could find or modify a hexagonal shafted screw driver (like the ones that come with some multi-drivers) then you can slip an appropriate spanner on the shaft and put lots of turning force on the driver whilst holding pressure vertically with the press. This is similar to a trick I found for disassembling Triumph motorcycle clutch centers, something you do every 100 miles!
Ridolpho
I've just had to do the very same as suggested by Vintage Hunter and Ridolpho to a jammed solid with butched screw heads on a No32 sight bracket. But had to mount the bracket onto a worn out No4T slave action and set that up square in a drill press. THEN use hex screwdriver bits locked down. Saved 3 screws, ruined most but they did unwind, destroyed two and only sheared one. What a bxxxxxd! Used the same drill press set-up to set up[ and drill out the broken screw
Perhaps It was not as basic as I thought given the fact others have obviusly had the same issue. I suppose the small size of the screw combined with the fact it has in all likleyhood been in the same position for 94 years makes it a bit stubborn.