Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Broken Tap

I picked up a 700 from a guy that was in need of cash sometime back. It had a set of bases and rings on it. Got ready to get it scoped up, and found when I removed the bases and rings to put on a set that I wanted to use, that one of the screw holes (not able to see under the ring)had a tap broke off almost flush with the reciver. The guy has since moved to parts unknown and I have this mess. Can anyone tell me how to get this out or tell me a smith that can remove it.I have the barrel off and reciever stripped of trigger. Thanks-SJ

That is a tough one. This might or might not work. Taps are hard steel. A very pointed hard punch might be able to bust it up enough to get it out. Most likely it was broke of after getting hung up on a chip, as most do it yourselfers' don't back out the tap every 1/4 turn or so. If not possible to remove, you might have to have the action re-tapped by moving all holes forward or back 1 a 1/4 " or so

I once had a friendly dentist that removed a broken tap in his office. Best way I've found. A dremel tool with a diamond tip will take it out, I learned from the dentist. Brownells sells a tool with fingers that go in the tap flutes and if you are lucky you can turn it out. If you have the right size punch you may be able to break it out. Find a sharp corner and chip away. Carefully, of course.

I keep a few mini endmills that are Tin coated carbide. They work great, but needs to be done in a mill.
Butch

E.D>M. it Out.
Steve

Friendly dentist?? I'd say......... Did you call first and say," My son, Remington, has a bad tap, er, tooth that needs extraction right away. Can you fit him in?" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Go see your friendly dentist and ask him for some of his dull cutters. My dentist always discarded his cutters while they were still sharp enough for some metal working. He usually had a small box of assorted diamond and carbide cutters and stones that he gave me when I asked. They have a 1/16" shaft and will work pretty well in a Dremel, although higher speed is better.

RWO

Thanks guys-If a smith on here will do it drop me a pm.

Excellent idea. I will be seeing my own dentist for a cleaning in the next two months; I"ll ask him about it...

Send me an email, I am sure we could get it out. Would need the bases also in case we need to open them to 8-40. Which bridge is it in, front or back? Where are you located?
Jkob60@msn.com

Jim

Probably not a tap but a broken mount screw. If it wasn't put in with lock tight you may be able to use a fine pointed punch to back it out. Have used an easy out for that purpose.
Make sure if you get used dental burrs that they have been sterilized. I give them away all the time but onlt after they have been through the autoclave.Rick.

Thanks-I have someone that has a die shop that has a EDM that said no problem. Thanks to everyone-SJ

The dental burr is the best option but there are others that will work. If you have pulled the barrel, it is obviously a through hole. A good lick with a close fitting punch will shear the threaded flutes and push the tap on through. If it is a broken screw as suggested, carefully center punch and drill it out with the proper tap drill, #31 for 6-48.
Finally, last resort, is to heat the tap red hot with the smallest welding tip on your oxy-acet torch, then turn the acetylene off, leaving the oxygen flowing. It will “boil” the broken tap out with minimal heat to the receiver. Even so, I would not use this method on the front receiver ring, rear only.

Yup... I had one broken tap I couldn't get out.. Took it to a machine shop in the town west of me that had an EDM.. I had it back the next day... Only time in 23 years I needed that process, but it sure works...

Weren't all 700's factory D and T'd? Probably a broken screw. Drill it out.

Removing a broken tap is definately not a job for the inexperienced. The suggestion to take it to a machine shop that has an EDM machine is the way to go. Tap extractors with the fingers are definately NOT the way to go, fingers break and then you have a bigger mess. Dental burrs and Dremel tools aren't the way to go either. How ever much a machine shop charges for the job is money well spent, your receiver will be returned to you with the threads undamaged and you won't even be able to tell there was a broken tap in the hole. I spent 40 years as a Journeyman Tool & Die Maker and during that time dealt with countless broken taps and screws.

carbon or tool steel tap

I have a great track record using a small carbide burr in place of an endmill in the mill. Plunges right through them.

Depends on how its broke off, if it's a ragged break it'll break any drill or mill bit you attempt to use. You'll need to use a small sharp punch and break off pieces until its flat. And then use a small high speed solid Carbide drill. Once it's drilled through it'll be easy to turn out.

Phil

Whether it is a broken tap or screw, the best way to remove it is in a mill using a bottom-cutting carbide milling cutter. This way you can find its center without risk of the bit wandering off and ruining the workpiece. As Phil pointed out, you'll want to first knock off any projections; even then you risk breaking the cutter. If you don't have a mill, take it to a competent machinist who will not scratch anything up.