Grip Screw Stuck

DevinRPD · May 10, 2018

Building a new pistol lower and used a ergo grip with the screw it came with

installed it and at about 80% of the way in it wouldnt go in anymore so i tried to unscrew it and it wouldnt budge. ended up stripping the screw so i cut the grip off and Dremeled a flat cut into it so a flat head would fit and that didnt work either

i used heat and wd40 and sure enough the whole head of the screw came off so im out of options

is there anyway to retap the lower or is it a total waste?

Note: i compared the size of the screw with some other spares i had and this one, for some unexplainable reason (thanks ergo), appears to be slightly thicker than the other grip screws which would explain the fitment problem

Gcs7th · May 10, 2018

Is there anything sticking out still try a pair of vice grips.

DevinRPD · May 10, 2018

yeah i tried that both clockwise and counter clockwise and didnt budge

Alea Jacta Est · May 10, 2018

Who made the lower??

I had that same problem here recently...

I didnt yet shear or cut it off.

Heat and vice grips are next on the agenda

kyserthehun · May 10, 2018

DevinRPD said:
Building a new pistol lower and used a ergo grip with the screw it came with

installed it and at about 80% of the way in it wouldnt go in anymore so i tried to unscrew it and it wouldnt budge. ended up stripping the screw so i cut the grip off and Dremeled a flat cut into it so a flat head would fit and that didnt work either

i used heat and wd40 and sure enough the whole head of the screw came off so im out of options

is there anyway to retap the lower or is it a total waste?

Note: i compared the size of the screw with some other spares i had and this one, for some unexplainable reason (thanks ergo), appears to be slightly thicker than the other grip screws which would explain the fitment problem

Sounds like you've had a hell of a day. Definitely try a heat gun like everyone else is saying. You can retap it as well.

clandestine · May 10, 2018

Sounds like you may have to drill it and use an ez-out. They sell them at the hardware store but drilling it is the precision part.

jrumann59 · May 10, 2018

Stainless steel screw probably. I was working on an MRI room wall and they 118 stainless steel screes that had to be used to secure the foil screen bewteen the MRI and its cooling room. Got 117 screws in no problem. 118 seemed to go in fine and at 80% liked hard and eventually broke. It somehow got cross threaded and seized tried everything

DevinRPD · May 10, 2018

Nnztg8r said:
Who made the lower??

I had that same problem here recently...

I didnt yet shear or cut it off.

Heat and vice grips are next on the agenda

American Defense so id rather not scrap it lol

clandestine said:
Sounds like you may have to drill it and use an ez-out. They sell them at the hardware store but drilling it is the precision part.

yeah im gonna try that next cause i really dont want to scrap it

Alea Jacta Est · May 11, 2018

Mine is PSA. The screw is Daniel Defense.

DevinRPD · May 11, 2018

Nnztg8r said:
Mine is PSA. The screw is Daniel Defense.

yeah definitely learned a lesson about making sure the screw fits before moving it in too far. magpul screws have always fit good for me

Bountied · May 11, 2018

I've had screws that were too long or screw holes to shallow. I guess it's good to test them out to make sure it will seat fully so the grip can be snug without the screw being overly tightened.

magwell · May 11, 2018

First off get rid of that wd40. If the screw was stainless they are generally very weak. If the easy out works and the threads are good you should re tap the thread. If threads are bad try drilling and inserting a heli coil.

DevinRPD · May 14, 2018

magwell said:
First off get rid of that wd40. If the screw was stainless they are generally very weak. If the easy out works and the threads are good you should re tap the thread. If threads are bad try drilling and inserting a heli coil.

thanks, good advice. i tried all kinds of lube but i just didnt want to waste my gun oil on it. ill drill it out and see which of these ideas would work best

magwell · May 14, 2018

I think many on the forum would recommend Kroil for penetrating oil or maybe PB Blaster.

CBo · May 18, 2018

while you're at the hardware shop get an impact driver, if you can manage to make a hole that any bit can be very tightly jammed into. You know, the tool people usually use for rusted on hardware? you hammer it and the impact of the hammer turns the end a hair at the exact time. I tend to use an impact driver before using any other items that you risk destroying any threads you dont want destroyed. If possible make the slot you made into a phillips style to use a phillips head with the impact, or drill an actual hole and try fitting different bits, (square, hex, torque,) and find the tightest one.

T48 · May 18, 2018

It would be good to have pictures of the situation. If you can not grab on to anything left of the grip screw. It might be best to try to grind a flat of what’s left of the screw with a Dremnel , center punch and step drill out the bad screw. Many of the materials being used have inferior foreign materials steels are being used. Many of the accessories being sold are coming in from China even though the cost of those accessories do not reflect where they are being made.

DevinRPD · May 21, 2018

T48 said:
It would be good to have pictures of the situation. If you can not grab on to anything left of the grip screw. It might be best to try to grind a flat of what’s left of the screw with a Dremnel , center punch and step drill out the bad screw. Many of the materials being used have inferior foreign materials steels are being used. Many of the accessories being sold are coming in from China even though the cost of those accessories do not reflect where they are being made.

Drilled through the bolt before someone mentioned what a screw extractor was, bought one of those and actually got the screw out but the threads were kind of mangled because i dont own a drill press :sad20:

so i just retapped it and used 2 1/4x28 helicoils

it appears that its fixed right now, a stock a2 grip screws in tight with no play but im not really sure how helicoils work normally or under vibration

i might add some kind of removable thread locker to it when i order another grip

jrumann59 · May 22, 2018

DevinRPD said:
Drilled through the bolt before someone mentioned what a screw extractor was, bought one of those and actually got the screw out but the threads were kind of mangled because i dont own a drill press so i just retapped it and used 2 1/4x28 helicoils

it appears that its fixed right now, a stock a2 grip screws in tight with no play but im not really sure how helicoils work normally or under vibration

i might add some kind of removable thread locker to it when i order another grip

I have seen spark plugs that have lasted in engines for years using helicoils.

Boxcab · May 22, 2018

I know plenty of aircraft that have helicoils in them. If the helicoil is installed correctly, no problem.

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Grip Screw Stuck

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