doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Screw for Lyman 48

I am missing one of the two very tiny screws that secure the cap or bar at the end of windage arm that holds the windage screw and knob in place. Lyman doesn't stock them anymore but they tell me it is a 1/16-64 UNFS-2A thread. Does anyone on this site have one for sale or know where I can find this screw? Apparently it's easier to find a fossil of Archeopteryx than this screw.

Jerry Liles

I may have one. I'll check in the morning and let yopu know.

Wow! That is a tiny little screw. Sounds like something that might be used in optics or eyeglasses. Maybe a well stocked optician could help you out.

It is itsy bitsy for sure. I've tried online but can't see where anyone stocks such a size screw. I'll need to check with the optician and try hobby sites that do miniature machining and models. Unless, of course, Bill comes through with the screw.

I do appreciate the response.

Jerry Liles

Jerry,
I thought these were 2-56 screws which might be a bit easier to find. Your missing screw was produced with slotted flat heads and slotted rounded heads. Since either will be hard to find in a slot headed screw the size and pitch this issue is moot.

Another note on the 48's--I have been told that the windage screws and elevation screws for 48's were produced with different pitches through the long history of production so the taps and dies I got from Victor Machinery to make the windage screw for the damaged sight that I got for my 400 Whelen project are only for the version that I have. Fortunately Michael had the needed parts so didn't have to make a screw.

Ah, firearms archeology. Hope you are retired like me so that the quest for a little tiny screw doesn't make you crazy.
Dennis

I'm a mere 68 in three days and looking at another 4 years till retirement.

The needed screw is a slotted flat head. A dome shaped flat spring that tensions the windage screw and provides the clicks for the knob is anchored by fitting over the head of the missing screw to keep it from turning. I do not know all the evolutionary changes that have occurred in the 48's long production life but I wouldn't be surprised to find the screw sizes changed more than once.

I miss Michael's expertise and resources.

Jerry Liles

Miniature screws are available, but the closest standard size is a number 0, which is available only in 80TPI. The next size, number 1 is available in 64 TPI. It is 0.073" nominal diameter and might be convinced to thread into a 1/16"-64 hole. Alternately, a #1-64 tap could be used to tap the hole oversized. As the difference in diameters is only on the order of 0.008", that would be doable.

Are you sure it's not #1-64 instead of 1/16-64? At any rate I have a bunch of tiny screws from #1-64 through big sizes like 3-48. PM me and we can figure out what you need and if I can help, I'll send you some. I have flat head and round head slotted, some steel, some brass. (Sometimes I'm glad I'm a pack rat!)

Gary,

I'm going by what the people at Lyman told me. A 1-64 may be the correct size though it may be an 0 or 00. At any rate it is a tiny screw with an odd ball thread pitch that was likely much more common a hundred years ago when the sight was designed. The screw head is slotted and a very short cylinder and flat rather than flat with a conical bottom like most flat head screws. I suspect a round head would substitute if necessary. Steel or brass would probably suffice in this application. If Bill doesn't have an original I would appreciate one of your's.

Some very old tap and die sets have fractional threads that match precisely some later standardized number thread.See Gary, there are other packrats on this site.
Mike