Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Buggered action hole

I picked up a used 700 SA ADL for cheap the other day.

Last night I notice the front action screw hole is buggered.
Seems someone attemted an awful bedding job and when done, the screw can only grab the first thread or two. I'm guessing he buggered it up attemting to tighten the screw.

Not sure their is enough material to straighten out the threads, its pretty well buggered up.

Easy fix or do I have a paper weight? Can you drill it out and tap for an oversize screw?

Are you sure the threads are damaged? There could be some left over bedding material in the threads.

....and the screw is now "short"...use some citistrip to clean up the bedding if present. Will soften it enough to pick it out or simply run the screw into the hole.

I'd like to see a pic.

I'll try and get one tonight.

What's your plan for the action? If for a custom, I'd let my chosen smith take a look at it and fix it. Could be an easy fix. Maybe somebody here has already seen something similar.

If not for a custom, I'd be tempted to try to run a 1/4-28 tap through it and use a long action screw from Brownell's and cut it to length. Looks to still be plenty of thread left.

Tap as original and buy a longer screw. Nothing to worry about.

Kinda thinking you may not need long screws depending on how it sits in the stock properly bedded. Would be a good job for a gunsmith or machinist if you're not practiced with a tap so it doesn't get messed up worse.

I concur, there is plenty of thread left, and considering how many times a front action screw has to be trimmed to keep from interfering with the bolt lugs, the standard front screw should be plenty long enough to make it. Run a tapered 1/4 x 28 tap and chamfer the hole to remove the bur.

That...

Thanks fellas!

It looks like some one used the wrong size screw in that hole. Make sure you are using the correct one.

Did someone lose the 1/4X28 and try to substitute a 1/4X20, or did they have a very short screw and get "ham-fisted" when they snugged it up in the action.

Reckon this is why ya got it cheap. Well worth it.

How far proud does that rifle sit in the stock. It looks like it must really be sitting tall in the tang or channel.

I see Remingtons and others with short mounting screws all the time. Looks like someone tried to torque up and pulled the first thread. Just like already said just run a tap through it but would add to file that raised up burr off. I like to use long screws and sand then to the exact length to get 100% thread engagement.

I already took a dremel to the bedding. There was a lot of [bleep] packed in the stock.

I have a new barrel for it and will have the smithy chase the threads and figure the screws when it gets cut and chambered.

I'll re-bed into the old stock until the Mcmillan shows up.

Thanks again for the input!