A tip from a tight old timer!

[Larry (Omaha)]

I have a good many screwdrivers, but never had one for the lock hammer screw. Typically, a lock hammer screw slot is quite long and very narrow. I hate using a screwdriver that doesn't fit, cuz the slot gets bunged up every time. (At least for me) This photo shows what I do to remove or replace a lock hammer screw.
I use a discarded hack saw blade, with the teeth removed, trimmed to a usable length. If the screw is extra tight, I just grab the blade with the pliers placed at the center of the screw.

Flintlocklar

 

[Vaino]

I've always used a large hollow ground screwdriver and the tip just fits. Being hollow ground allows just the tip of the screwdriver blade to contact the bottom of the slot....this eliminates "buggered up" slots. In fact, all my screwdrivers are hollow ground and this is accomplished by holding the screwdriver at 90 degrees to the grinding wheel's surface and the grinding wheel's radius makes the screwdriver tip hollow ground. The only precaution is not letting the tip over heat by constantly dunking in water and by not using a finely gritted grinding wheel.

Through the yrs. I've wandered through hardware stores and depts and bought cheap wooden handled screwdrivers and found that the tips were always hardened. Have amassed in excess of 40 screwdrivers and when ever an "oddball" slot was encountered, the tip of a suitable screwdriver was reground. Because "buggered up" slots look horrible, the screw heads are case hardened. Also, shallow slots are more likely to become "buggered up". Most modern screwdrivers have "wedge ground" tips and will over time "bugger up" a slot.

Sorry for the slightly long post on a seemingly simple topic......Fred

 

[Enfield58]

I got this screw driver set for the Colt SAA. It turns out that the bits fit screws on all my C&B revolvers, muskets, single shot percussion, flintlock pistols, rifles and shotguns.

BROWNELLS COLT SINGLE ACTION SCREWDRIVER | Brownells

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I've always used a large hollow ground screwdriver and the tip just fits. Being hollow ground allows just the tip of the screwdriver blade to contact the bottom of the slot....this eliminates "buggered up" slots. In fact, all my screwdrivers are hollow ground and this is accomplished by holding the screwdriver at 90 degrees to the grinding wheel's surface and the grinding wheel's radius makes the screwdriver tip hollow ground. The only precaution is not letting the tip over heat by constantly dunking in water and by not using a finely gritted grinding wheel.

Through the yrs. I've wandered through hardware stores and depts and bought cheap wooden handled screwdrivers and found that the tips were always hardened. Have amassed in excess of 40 screwdrivers and when ever an "oddball" slot was encountered, the tip of a suitable screwdriver was reground. Because "buggered up" slots look horrible, the screw heads are case hardened. Also, shallow slots are more likely to become "buggered up". Most modern screwdrivers have "wedge ground" tips and will over time "bugger up" a slot.

Sorry for the slightly long post on a seemingly simple topic......Fred

Thanks for the good information Fred. I am aware of hollow grinding and have done it for specific tasks. As I said in my post "Title".......a tight old timer. My screwdriver that is wide enough to fill the whole length of the hammer screw slot is way too thick on the end. I do not want to sacrifice that big screwdriver for its' intended purpose.................large screws.
Flintlocklar

 

[kje54]

Thanks for the good information Fred. I am aware of hollow grinding and have done it for specific tasks. As I said in my post "Title".......a tight old timer. My screwdriver that is wide enough to fill the whole length of the hammer screw slot is way too thick on the end. I do not want to sacrifice that big screwdriver for its' intended purpose.................large screws.
Flintlocklar

I don't know how tight you are but I recently picked up a Wheeler 43 piece screwdriver set for $30 shipped. So many different screw heads that are thick or narrow I've found that one always fits.

By the way this was in case you have the money and are interested otherwise don't worry about it. Very ingenuous work around you've come up with.

 

[Prairieofthedog]

I have a good many screwdrivers, but never had one for the lock hammer screw. Typically, a lock hammer screw slot is quite long and very narrow. I hate using a screwdriver that doesn't fit, cuz the slot gets bunged up every time. (At least for me) This photo shows what I do to remove or replace a lock hammer screw.
I use a discarded hack saw blade, with the teeth removed, trimmed to a usable length. If the screw is extra tight, I just grab the blade with the pliers placed at the center of the screw.

Flintlocklar


View attachment 41972

I have a couple of putty knives that work nicely for that slot.Hacksaw blade would be nice to have in a hunting bag,and can be used for different things.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I don't know how tight you are but I recently picked up a Wheeler 43 piece screwdriver set for $30 shipped. So many different screw heads that are thick or narrow I've found that one always fits.

By the way this was in case you have the money and are interested otherwise don't worry about it. Very ingenuous work around you've come up with.

I have many many of these types of bits and have three screwdrivers to hold them. I don't see one bit in that selection that will fit a hammer screw slot. If they are wide enough, they are too thick and won't fit the narrow slot
Thanks for trying.
Flintlocklar

 

[kje54]

I have many many of these types of bits and have three screwdrivers to hold them. I don't see one bit in that selection that will fit a hammer screw slot. If they are wide enough, they are too thick and won't fit the narrow slot
Thanks for trying.
Flintlocklar

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I have a couple of putty knives that work nicely for that slot.Hacksaw blade would be nice to have in a hunting bag,and can be used for different things.

Good thought, an old putty knife could even be narrowed and shortened. I like that!
Thanks.
Flintlocklar

 

[SDSmlf]

Big fan of the Wheeler screwdriver sets (believe I have the 92 piece set). It’s great for modern guns and most traditional gun screw heads, but have found it somewhat lacking with reproductions and even more so with original gun screw heads. I’ve used both the hacksaw blade and putty knife hacks, but what @Vaino suggests works best, at least in my opinion. I also pick up all the old discarded wooden handled screwdrivers I can find and regrind them for specific applications. I particularly like the short stubby ones as they store near anywhere. Have some dedicated to specific guns

 

[Kansas Kid]

Larry, it a good idea and I do the same using old 3/4 and 1” saw bands cut to about 2.5” long. Fits the cock clamp screw perfectly with no chance of slipping or damage.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Plus it takes up hardly any room in your kit.

 

[toot]

I rely think that a hacksaw blade Shure fit's the bill. I would have never thought of using one for that purpose? but I will now! and take the yellow paint off of it and put / carry it in your possible bag. thank you for posting it!

 

[RonRC]

I don't know how tight you are but I recently picked up a Wheeler 43 piece screwdriver set for $30 shipped. So many different screw heads that are thick or narrow I've found that one always fits.

By the way this was in case you have the money and are interested otherwise don't worry about it. Very ingenuous work around you've come up with.

I have a Wheeler set and it has proven useful. However, an exception is the wide, but thin, bits. They seem to bend easily leaving a wavy and useless bit. I've had to retire 3 or 4 of the bits.
There are plenty of hollow ground bit sets available and I keep them around to replace the damaged Wheeler bits.
Ron

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I rely think that a hacksaw blade Shure fit's the bill. I would have never thought of using one for that purpose? but I will now! and take the yellow paint off of it and put / carry it in your possible bag. thank you for posting it!

Hey toot thank you! Didn't you know that yellow was period correct?
Flintlocklar

 

[kje54]

I have a Wheeler set and it has proven useful. However, an exception is the wide, but thin, bits. They seem to bend easily leaving a wavy and useless bit. I've had to retire 3 or 4 of the bits.
There are plenty of hollow ground bit sets available and I keep them around to replace the damaged Wheeler bits.
Ron

Good to know.

 

[toot]

Hey toot thank you! Didn't you know that yellow was period correct?
Flintlocklar

I guess that you are rite. most all of em come in yellow. can't argue with that. some one said that also come in blew? don't know about that?

 

[ord sgt]

I totally agree with you about buggered screw slots. I have a set of turn screw blades from Brownells. They have a very wide assortment of blades to fit almost every screwhead made for use in firearms. I have one that is the right slot thickness but it lacks enough width to entirely fill the huge screw slot on my Pedersoli Charleville. That is my only complaint about the turn screw set.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Here’s one I made from 1” wide saw band. Very strong and will tighten a flint down.

 

[rp77469]

I have a set of Chapmans that lives in the shooting box, but carry a turnscrew in the bag. The little one, not the big one .