Help with Screws

[grant]

I have a pair of 1971 era Pedersoli pistols with screws that I can't remove. Which means I can't disassemble the guns for cleaning so I can't shoot them. Hopefully you guys can help me. These screws have the narrowest slots I have ever seen. You can only just fit a razor blade into the slots. All of the screws are the same and they also have a checker pattern top. I've tried a Brownells master screw driver set and nothing fits. Any ideas?

 

You gotta make a screw diver, Sacrifice an old one and FILE it long and flat to fit the screw. Don't grind . file , no heat that way :v

 

[mbw907]

I have a lock with the same dillemma so I took a wide tip bit and slowly ground it thinner using a quick dip in water to prevent overheating.Then when I used it, I had to keep pressure on the screwdriver and slowly turn the screw until it broke loose. Be careful because the bit may try to break with you if you twist it too fast.Put a dab of grease or wax on the bolt threads before re-assembling it.

 

[mbw907]

I tried a file on the replaceable tips and it did not want to cut the hardened steel, but just my experience on that type tip. Thanks for the advice Mr. Bob. It is better not to grind it unless absolutely necessary.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I tried a file on the replaceable tips and it did not want to cut the hardened steel, but just my experience on that type tip. Thanks for the advice Mr. Bob. It is better not to grind it unless absolutely necessary.

All good advice given.

For working the SD blade down, if one has some quality abrasive cloth or paper and a piece of thick glass, by adhering the cloth to glass with adhesive spray, with care one can then shape blade to suit fairly easy.

 

[grant]

Hey I appreciate the tips. I've got a few old screw drivers laying around to play with. When the pistols were new, I wonder if a special Pedersoli screwdriver(now lost) was packaged with the guns. I can't believe they would have used such none standard screws.

 

[Rebel]

I had the same problem with the slot in the tang bolt of my Navy Arms double barrel. I wound up using a feeler guage blade of the right thickness in it as a screw driver. It worked and i got the bolt out and back in.

 

[Vaino]

I often hollow grind cheap, hardened screwdrivers to fit oddball slots and don't have a problem w/ over heating because they are ground slowly w/ frequent dunks in water. The grinding wheel dia. is used to achieve the hollow grind which is better than a "V" or wedge seeing the hollow ground blade contacts the bottom of the slot eliminating "chewed up" slots. Purchased some lock bolts from MBS and they have very narrow slots which really look good but required a ground down, narrow SD blade. A lot of European screws have much narrower slots and IMO look a lot nicer than the average American made, wide slotted screws.......Fred

 

[wszumera]

Grind a screw driver. Put penetrant on screws now while getting screw driver ready. When you get to trying to remove screw, a sharp rap on end of screw driver while holding torque on screw may help.

It this doesnt work, you might want to try placing a soldering iron against screw to heat it followed by attacking with screw driver and rapping.

Hope this helps.

Clutch

 

[dlemaster]

All the Italian guns use to have those narrow slots on their screws, as others have said you will have to improvise a screw diver that fits.
Another suggestion. If you have a soldering gun, put the tip on the top of the screws and on the bottom side if they come through. Heat them good and hot and let them cool several times, then a good soak with a good penetrating oil such as Kroil and try them again. The heating and cooling will expand and contract the screws and will often break the bond of a stuck screw.
Hope this helps.

Regards, Dave

 

[davy]

You mite try clamping the pistol onto a drill stand table and mount the modified screwdriver head into the drill quill and use it to HAND turn the quill SLOWLY while applying downward pressure on the drill arm, after letting it soak in penetrating oil overnight.

The pressure applied will stabilize the bit and gun, and allow more pressure to bear directly where it needs to in order to unscrew the stuck screw. :thumbsup:

Davy

 

[John Taylor]

After you get those screws out take a hacksaw and make the slot in each screw big enough so you don't have to have a special screw driver.

 

[wszumera]

Check my comment just moments before you. I guess great minds think alike. :winking: We must have been typing at the same time.

Clutch

 

[Vaino]

Most of my screwdrivers have square shanks and on stubborn screws the gun is clamped in a vise and a Crescent wrench is used to turn while a lot of downward pressure is exerted. Have loosened up many tight screws this way....just be sure the gun is well secured.......Fred

 

[renovato]

I've had that happen in the past too. The guys are right. You need to grind down a screwdriver to fit it, then when you get it out, file the screw slots larger to fit one of your screwdrivers. It's frustating that gun companies would do that in the first place.

 

[grant]

Hey thanks everyone I'm going to grind down a screw driver this weekend and get those suckers out.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I've had problems with thos kind of screws also. I put a thin cutting wheel on my dremel took and CAREFULLY and SLOWLY widened the slots slightly, and deepened them just a thousandth or two. That gave me a much better slot to get bite on the screw without slipping and buggering up the screw head. I also made sure the srewdriver end was flat and had a sharp square edge (round edges have a tendency to slip out). Before you try to force them out and maybe accidently break the head off the screw, put a couple of drops of penetrating fluid on the screws and leave them set for a few days. Kroil comes to mind as a penetrating oil I've used. Use an actual penetrating oil or fluid as that is what it's best for, NOT 3 in 1 oil or WD-40. They have been in there since 1971, so you have plenty of time to do it right and without problems.
Ohio Rusty

 

[grant]

Got the screws out ok! I doctored up a screw driver. The screws were not seized up at all. Now that I can take them apart I'm going to the range.