The screws on the rear sling swivel are not staked. However, the screws for the trigger guard (I believe) are. A previous owner really messed up the rear screw attempting to remove it. I like lambo35's idea of replacing the band and rear swivel as I would like to continue shooting it from time to time. His post also explains why Pecards had no affect on softening the sling! Thanks again for continued input - the knowledge here is extensive and appreciated.