Uh-Oh. Broken Screw

[alfsauve]

Giving my revolvers their spring cleaning, what with Southern Region ICORE coming up.



It's the forward side plate screw that holds the crane in, if you're curious. Why do they have to make it so complicated? A screw design like the strain screw would be just fine. A hollowed out screw with a spring loaded center is just unnecessary.

 

[Bama59]

Brownells , Numrich or Midway should have them in stock , order extra stuff since shipping cost just as much as screw. There is a thread about the screw assembly on S&W forum

 

[Riomouse911]

At least you were able to get it out! nothing is worse than a sheared screw that's wedged in the hole and inaccessible.

I have an AR -15 lower that was assembled by a friend of mine (This was before I knew how to put them together.) He used loctite on the pistol grip screw. I tried to take the stock pistol grip off and replace it with my preferred BCM Mod 0, and the screw sheared off flush with the metal of the receiver.

Since I have others, this just sits in my safe. Someday I'll drag it in to a machine or gunsmith shop and have it drilled and tapped out.

Stay safe!

 

[edwardware]

He used loctite on the pistol grip screw.

That's just mean. Might get it loose with a soldering iron.

 

[Mizar]

Older S&W revolvers used strain screw and square yoke channel, but it required fitting of the parts. That new design requires no fitting and it is self-limiting for the front-back play of the yoke when the V-channel wears out from use.
Solution A: Buy a couple of spare screws and accept it's faults (rare).
Solution B: Buy only older S&W revolvers and visit your friendly local gunsmith every time the yoke develops a play (rare).

Riomouse, that hollow yoke screw is actually far, far easier to remove with a screw extractor than a broken solid screw.

 

[alfsauve]

Yes, the hollow screw was very easy to remove. I'm thankful it was. No need to bother Brownells, Numerich, or MidwayUSA. Have spares. But more commonly they fall out at the range than break. NOT that mine ever have but I've seen it happen to others enough times I stock spares.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I had a beretta grip screw insert that was faulty from the factory. Wouldn't let me remove the screw and wouldn't turn out either. Took some fixing.

 

[Riomouse911]

That's just mean. Might get it loose with a soldering iron.

That may work, but even if I heat it I can't get a grip on the broken screw itself because it broke flush to the level of the screw hole. I think it'll need a drilling-tapping of the old grip screw just to get a purchase on it...and with my limited equipment and skills I'll probably have a drill bit that will end up sliding off of the hardened screw and gouge the bejeezus out of the aluminum...

Stay safe!

 

[earplug]

Your current yoke design works better then the older design.
Heavy N frame cylinders put a lot of torque on the older retention screw when you were reloading on the clock.
We were taught how to peen the yoke end to refit the parts when they developed end shake.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

You have to use a center drill and a solid milling or drilling vise to get the hole started properly. If you don’t have that kind of setup then it would be easier to have somebody else do it.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I have, in the past used a dremel with a small wood/metal engraver and cut a line across small broken bolts/screws. Turn them into a flat head screw that way. Then heat and turn out

 

[ontarget]

I have, in the past used a dremel with a small wood/metal engraver and cut a line across small broken bolts/screws. Turn them into a flat head screw that way. Then heat and turn out

VERY good idea. I have also used this method and it sometimes works like a charm. If not ....well you were going to pay someone else to do it anyway so you aren't out anything. Be sure to use some heat to loosen the locktite.

 

[reddog81]

What Gun was it in? The same screw in my 929 broke a couple weeks ago. I called S&W and they were going to mail me a new one, but come to think of it the screw still hasn’t shown up. Thankfully I had an extra one laying around.

 

[alfsauve]

For those interested. On the RIGHT is a 686 No Dash yoke and screw. While on the LEFT is the current design for L frames (and others). From my broken one you can see the screw is hollowed out and has a spring plunger. You can also see the newer designed yoke has a simple V shaped cut while the original yokes had a recessed notch all the way around.

(and yes they are dirty, that's why they're getting cleaned.)