Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Stripped head of base screw...HELP

Leupold bases pre torque type head on the screws. I broke the 1st one loose with an alen wrench but the 2nd one started tearing up. This is a rifle I bought with the scope on it... I'm guessing the past owner might have used loc tight. Suggestions on how to get them out???

2ndwind - If they did use loctite (blue or red) heating the screw will help release it. I've used a hair dryer on high for the blue stuff and the tip of a hot iron for the red. You can also try putting some Kroil on it and letting it penatrate for a while before trying again. Good luck!

I have a little"mini torch" the size of a pen that I use. Try heat and Kroil first, then get back...

Thanks, this is killing me... I just picked up a like new 4.5x14x50 long range Leupold <thanks dronofrio, who BTW shipped it before the check got to him so I'd get to use it before deer season ends this week>and now this<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
I got a set of Talley 30mm light weights from Rick so either this set of bases comes off the 25-06... or I'll be putting this BIG scope on my .308 TI for the rest of the week<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
I'll get it soaking in Kroil tonight.... thanks again.

No problem. Get a star head bit just slightly larger than the allen head and drive it into the screw and turn it out. Works great! I have done it many times without failure. Raghorn

second raghorn. I had this happen a couple years ago and took it to local gunsmith. He took a little oversized star head and used a small hammer to drive it in, after that, it turned that screw loose and out it came.

Drill heads,grab hold of shank with needle-nose visegrips and swapaloo....................

Yep, thats what I've done.

raghorn - Good idea! I'll have to add that one to my list! Thanks!

They be called Torx, it should work, but Big Stick and mark65x55 mention a method that would work fine too.

I've also used Raghorn's method. The only roblem with Stick's method is it's easy to marr the gun, and also possible to break the shank off, which ain't hard to do on some of the older, or softer screws. At this point you are [bleep], and a simple job becomes a project. I know a guy who did this very same thing. He then drilled the shank out and tried to tap it for oversize 8-40 screws. He busted the tap off.....Took it to a local gunsmith and he could not get the tap out, and basically did not want to mess with it any more. I bought the gun off the guy cheap. In about an hour I got the tap out with a Brownells 3 flute tap extractor. Of course it now wears 8-40 screws.......

I heat up a low wattage soldering iron (37.5 watt), and place the tip of the iron on the screw to warm up the loc-tite to get the screws out.

Don

Exactly...

Redneck---I've used that same method. But have also seen the screw shank simply snap off when gripped tightly. All on older rifles, never on new.....Anyhow, I'm sure you've more experience with it than I.....

Soldering iron.

2ndwind - How'd you make out with the screw removal?

Tried the kroil soak/ heat thing....didn't work...began thinking about the use of a big hammer...knew it was time to walk away.... went to the gunsmith...came home with SWEET new scope mounted<thanks again dronofrio> got it dialed in and was able to spend a few hours sitting in my long range shot possible stand. The wind was really moving tonight, but the deer were not.
I was very pleased with the 4.5x14x50 long range Leupold though. 324 yards away and a bit of tweaking with the side AO and I could clearly see the bark pattern on a white oak tree. I had been planning on a lighter 40 mm scope to save weight, but went with a good deal on the bigger scope. I think I was able to see later into the deep shadows than I have with standard size Leupolds....Guess I'll need to put an Edge stock on the 25-06 now to save the weight back<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

2ndwind - Sorry the info didn't work out for you but I'm glad to hear that the smith got it working for you. CEJ..

OK, it took me a few minutes to think this one over. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />(I've not needed to do this, yet)

You left out the obvious (now to me) step "remove base" as in:

Drill heads, remove base, grab hold of shank with needle-nose visegrips, and swapaloo.

Is that right?

Sycamore