doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com European screw slots

Most screw heads in these guns were engraved, and narrow slots are easier to hide with the engraving(sometimes you really have to look hard to find them).
Mike

I have not understood grinding a driver bit with a wheel unless they are set up to have parallel sides up to where the bit engages the top of the slot. Otherwise they seem to damage the top of the slot by being wider at the top.

Jerry Kuhnhausen's diagram, from his book on Colt Double Actions, Vol. 2, seems to make more sense to me. The bit only engages at the bottom of the slot, the drawing is exaggerated for those that may think the bit will break.

I don't buy "gunsmith" screwdrivers. I have bought a bunch of old drivers at country auctions. I grind or file these to fit as needed. Every screw, every time. There are no shortcuts to do it right. I have so many that sometimes they are ok with little to no work.

I don't like drivers with multiple bits. I can always feel a little play in the bits. The older quality screwdrivers seem to be made of tough steel. I have never broken one.

Recoil Rob,
I talk about grinding blades to fit, but in actual practice I file them(I may start off grinding if there is a lot of metal to remove).

Hammergun,
You seem to be a man "after my own heart".If you use old screwdrivers, you won't hesitate to file them to fit, but nobody wants to mess up an expensive set of screwdrivers, and as a result, mess up an even more expensive gun.
Mike

Hammerguns bench probably looks like mine. No two screwdrivers look the same.
Most from unkn or long forgotten sources but you can spot the good ones when you see them. They don't have to be pretty to be good.
I grind them on a belt grinder to what blade shape & width I need. Then file them from there for final fit if needed.
I've never liked the gadgety replacable bit type tools. Just seems to be a pain to work with and slows me down.

The breakage/replacement guarentee on some of them for the individual bits is nice I guess.
But I just could never see myself sitting around and waiting for someone to send me another screwdriver to use 'cause the one I have twisted or chipped the blade.
Make another one and go back to work.