We’ve all seen screws that are for a lack of better terms are buggered, mangled and fubar’d.
The screw slot is a mess because someone used the wrong size and wrong type of screwdriver. I see a lot of used guns that show the tell tale signs of some kitchen table gunsmith who used poor fitting tools to do God knows what to the firearm.
Guns with mangled screw slots or chewed up Torx heads are sure sign someone did work on the firearm, and if the quality of the work is anything like the mangled screw heads, I’d give that gun a hard pass. Who knows what other “improvements” were made on the gun.
I know we all have good intentions. You bought a 32-piece screwdriver set for $9.99 from Harbor Freight and you are flush screwdrivers.
Save those Harbor Freight tools for use around the house. Firearms need specific tools to get the job done properly and not deface parts and devalue the gun.
What’s A Hollow Ground Screwdriver?
A hollow ground screwdriver has a tip that is even across the flat. Your Harbor Freight screwdriver is shaped like a wedge.
A hollow ground tip allows the blade to fit into the screw slot with no wiggling when you apply pressure to turn the screw. Firearm screws generally have unique slots sizes.
A standard wedge shape screwdriver will slip out of the slot as pressure is applied and that’s when the bugger happens.
Phillips screw heads are another example. Apply some torque to the screw head and if it is stubborn and you are using an ill fitting screwdriver head, the driver will cam right out of the slot. That screws buggered.
Screwdrivers For Gunsmithing
The best money I ever spent was on a cased set of Pachmayr bits and a driver handle with a magnetic tip. That set helped to disassemble some stubborn guns and not muck up the screws.
Pachmayr doesn’t make that starter set any more, but Lyman, who owns Pachmayr, has the Lyman Master Gunsmith Tool Kit, which has all the tips you could ever need. A great starter set is the Wheeler Engineering 36 Piece Screwdriver Set, which is less and $20 and will handle most of your needs. Brownells offers full sets or sets specific to gun manufacturers.
For instance, if you work on Marlin or Winchester lever-action rifles, Brownells offers a set just for these lever actions. Or if you work on S&W and Ruger revolvers they have a set specific to your needs.
Real Avid Master Grade Gunsmithing Driver & Bit Set
My current go-to set of screwdrivers is the Real Avid Master Grade Gunsmithing Driver & Bit Set. Not only are there 83 hollow ground tips in standard and metric sizes, it comes with two driver handles.
Both handle have magnetic tips, so tips don’t fall out. The large handle driver has a built in flash light which sounds gimmicky but is actually useful especially in the shop when the over head light is blocked. It is equipped so you can add what Real Avid calls a force assit, a smaller screws, that acts like a small driver or can be attached to the larger driver handle for more leverage when you need to gorilla a stubborn screw.
I wish I had a dollar for every scope or red do I’ve ever mounted. A torque driver is a valuable tools for anyone mounting a scope.
The Real Avid set includes a torque driver. Dial in the desired foot-pounds and you are good to go. A torque driver like this is invaluable when mounting bases and rings. I’ve seen some rings with screw heads that looked like they were installed with a drill bit and not a Torx bit. A stripped screw head and be a real headache to remove. When mounting scopes you don’t want to over tighten the screws.
Dial in the manufacturer’s spec and can be confident the optic will stay attached to the rifle. The Force Asset small drive also attached to the torque wrench in the event you need more leverage.
Real Avid driver also have a free spinning cap so you can apply downward pressure while easily rotating the driver.
All the bits are held in a hard plastic case, so it is easy store. And when a tip falls into the black hole under your work bench you can buy replacement tips.
Don’t Get Screwed, Choose the Right Tool, For the Right Job
Firearms are investments and you don’t want to ruin your investment by mangling screw slots.
You want to save yourself from aches with stripped screws. Invest in proper screwdrivers for guns.
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