doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com what to do with buggered screws?

I've got a nice little 16g double on the way that is in very good condition with the exception of a couple buggered screws. These hurt my eyes. No, they hurt my soul. OK, maybe they're not that bad, but I don't like to look at them. I figured someone on this board has probably solved this problem already. I'd appreciate it if you want to share your experiences. Here are some solutions I've thought about:
1. Get new screws made. Probably expensive. Might not match the patina of the rest of the gun.
2. Take a file to the most offensive parts of the buggering. If I make things worse, I can resort to solution #1.
3. Live with it.

Opinions appreciated.

4. Find a good welder, weld up the screw heads, recontour and cut the slot.

That's the way everybody I know does it.

I've talked with several people that had the screws repaired or replaced on several Parkers by Turnbull mfg. and were quite happy with the results and the cost in doing so was quite reasonable. I've also seen several of their screw repair jobs and was amazed as to how they were engraved and color blended to match the surrounding patina. I ran a finger across each screw and swore it felt original to the gun. This would probably be your surest bet and you'll be quite pleased. G

ghostdog,I agree with your sentiments regarding bxxxx screws, and for that matter damaged to cover,lock and trigger plates caused by the use of incorrectly fitted/prepared turnscrews.
Scarcely an edition of the D.G.J arrives without evidence of damaged Screws/plates.For example;in the Spring 2011 edition, on page 37, a fine Baker shotgun is pictured with a a"butchered screw".To make matters worse the screw slots are out of line, another pet peeve of mine.
In the winter 2010 D.G.J page 30 we see the damage to the bottom plate of Newton boxlock Caused by use of a badly prepared/fitting turnscrew[This kind of side-slip,mishap can be avoided by simply filing a radius on the outside edges of your turn screws].In this example the sharp edge left on a turnscrew gouged an arc of metal from the trigger plate.This same illustration highlights the adverse appearance of misaligned screws.
As recommended by Dick Jones,Welding up the damaged screws and recutting the slot so as to be,"in correct alignment after assembly",followed by polish and re engraving to match the origional screw,is an excellent method.

If the damage consists of metal from the screw slot being lifted up
etc. it is surprising how much it can be improved by removing the screw,putting it in a vice, and working carefully with a small flat faced punch and hammer to move the metal back into the slot.
Touching up the slot with a screw slot file and a little aging
will make a big difference. Maybe not perfect, but a lot easier on the eyes if you don't want to go the weld/engrave route.

Roy, I here ya. Look, not every guy needs to have all his screws perfectly timed on his gun, but if you're going to putit in DGJ, you might want to line them all up. I remember one of the Italian shotgun makers (thinking Franchi or Fausti) had an add a couple years back with misaligned screws. Nothing against those guns- I own a Franchi and like it, but that sort of thing doesn't too much for the reputation.

Welding the heads of screws is one way, here's another. These screws will get a "shop slot" for fitting, then will marked to be cut flush to the forend surface and a slot marked in alignment with the desired direction, then cut off, filed flush and slotted.

Ghost:
If you have a firm in your area that does micro-TIGing, for electronics or aerospace industries I think, they may be able to help you. I have a friend who had a Piotti with a buggered-up slot on the lock screw that ties down one of the trigger guard screws (Now you know how narrow those Italian slots are to begin with). He sent it to a micro-TIG welding firm, and darned if they didn't weld up the EDGES of that screw slot, so all he had to do was trim off the top of the head and straighten the sides of the slot. It was an amazing piece of work, must have been done under a microscope. Not cheap, In think it was around 50.00 or so, but way less than having a new screw made, fitted, and timed.

Craig Libhart

There are good ideas in just about every post but IMO the above is the best/least expensive idea if the metal has just been displaced. It's amazing to see the improvement that can be made by working carefully with a small hammer,punch and file. If that doesn't work to someones satisfaction then one of the other alternatives can be considered.
Jim

How about if you filled the slot with a thin piece of steel or a screwdriver blade and then tapped the burr with a hammer and a punch?