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Should I fix this?

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Bojangles

32 Cal
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This screw is rusted tight and I stripped it out trying to get it off. Should I drill it out? Or just let it go? It just kind of bugs me. It’s a cva sharpshooter I got when I was a kid.
A60F23B8-D2EF-44DE-B42E-74D20B5C50F2.jpeg
 
Messed up screw heads always bug me too. As Tenngun pointed out, there is also the question of what may lurk underneath. Unless you have good experience in removing damaged screws, I would get a gunsmith or machinist to remove it so as to avoid potential damage to additional parts. Hopefully a new screw is all that you will be needing.
 
I'd take it to a really good tig welder and build it up and then file it flush and square using filing blocks and then blue it. You can remove the nipple to see the back side.
If you screw up the bolster trying to remove it you run the risk of ruining the barrel trying to replace the drum on a CVA.
That's what I would do. others will have their own opinions

If you do decide to remove the screw take it to a professional, you've already botched it once by using the wrong screwdriver.
 
You could try letting it soak in some penetrating oil for a couple of hours or days. Then try to remove the screw using an easy-out. You might even try heating the bolster a little with a propane torch to get the metal to expand and contract a bit to loosen up the screw.

You could remove the nipple and fill the bolster’s inside with the penetrating oil.

Just a thought...
 
Personally that would make me nuts. I had a similar issue on a T/C, I made a new screw that properly fit the opening and had a bit more mass to it
 
Leave it alone or have someone with the equipment and skill to remove it do the job. Those spiral flute easy outs are a disaster waiting to happen. Person usually drills a too large off center hole and hammers the disaster waiting to happen into the damaged fastener wedging it even tighter and if that ain’t good enough they start to turn it making it even tighter. Then they break it off flush with the hole and then the fun really starts.

I removed a thousand damaged fasteners as a USAF machinist.
 
I bought a product that has tiny diamond chips in it that you put in a wallowed out screw head to extract the screw. The product won't compress and actually temporary renews the slot by filling the voids.. I was sceptical when I bought it but it does work.

By knowing you through your post and a gut feeling of your capabilities, fix the darn thing.
 
If it was mine, I would probably leave it at this point, but unless you have a drill press and can get it centered to drill out, take it to a machinist/gunsmith to get it removed. After the new one is in place leave it. I've never pulled a "clean out" screw.

BTW, Harbour Freight sells left hand drill bits. They work great to take out a broken screw or bolt. Often the offending screw comes out on its own during the process of drilling it. They also avoid the expansion that happens with and ez out.
 
Leave it alone or have someone with the equipment and skill to remove it do the job. Those spiral flute easy outs are a disaster waiting to happen.

Yep, easy outs are a 4 letter word.
Before you attempt to remove that screw you might want to order a replacement screw from deer creek so you can see just how tiny it is.
 
Most of my stuck and damaged screw removal was 10-32 size. Most often we drilled with a cobalt split point #40 drill and used high speed lathe bits that we hollow ground to a square/taper. Installed into a socket and a speed handle with a large knob. Lean into the screw hard while bumping the speed handle back a forth will burrow the lathe bit into the screw and form a square drive to remove the screw.
 
Thats one reason I always pull and clean the clean out screw ( thats what I call it so no need to correct me). Then it always come out easy and it makes dry ball a LOT easier to deal with as far as dribbling powder. All my guns have a removable "clean out screw" except one, I bought it used from a guy that always leaves em alone and I do believe it would take a drill out repair which I am not into yet. Selling it anyway, .54 GPR with peep. I just cannot use the site, hooded front don't help either.
 
This screw is rusted tight and I stripped it out trying to get it off. Should I drill it out? Or just let it go? It just kind of bugs me. It’s a cva sharpshooter I got when I was a kid.View attachment 24713
You don't know what is underneath, and don't like what you see! No brainer to me, fix it. I would try to make a slot or drill some holes for tool grab to remove. If that fails, then drill it out. Just make sure you start with a small hole and work up your sizes so no damage occurs to the internal threads.
Good Luck
Flintlocklar
 
I've drilled out some and retapped the holes, but honestly I really don't think it makes a lot of difference. I just sort of think of some as not having a clean out screw and that makes it acceptable in my mind. I always take out the screws on most of mine to clean them, but I have one now that is in poor condition and would need to be drilled to get it out. I clean it in a normal manner and have no problems. It's just sort of your choice as to whether you can live with it or not.
I had one TC once that I acquired with your kind of problem and I took my wire feed welder and just built up the area over the screw and dressed everything down to where you couldn't tell there had ever been a screw there. never gave me any problems.
 
I'd take it to a really good tig welder and build it up and then file it flush and square using filing blocks and then blue it. You can remove the nipple to see the back side.
If you screw up the bolster trying to remove it you run the risk of ruining the barrel trying to replace the drum on a CVA.
That's what I would do. others will have their own opinions

If you do decide to remove the screw take it to a professional, you've already botched it once by using the wrong screwdriver.
It's never a good idea to weld in or near a breech area in any barrel steel as you will alter the breech area metallurgical hoop stress strength.
Just the other day I was asked to clear out some scope block holes welded over on an original Ballard barrel made to handle black powder cartridge pressure and ever hole was rendered to hard to drill at each weld site. These hard spots is what occurs with such ill advised even dangerous practices. Folks will say "well what about forge welded barrels"? A forge weld is their full length and the reply is they are not fillet welded as MIG , TIG,stick or gas welds are. In a forge welded barrel the weld is of the same steel as the rest of the barrel and accomplished at the same time and temperature ( no hard spots if accomplished correctly). The two weld procedures are completely different animals.
Some folks will weld the muzzle seam on liner jobs and then clean them up to make the line disappear but even that is not a good practice in my opinion as the muzzle will certainly be harder and possibly distorted, than the rest of the barrel.
I am aware that most drums can be separated from the barrel for the weld but my advise is the same as it it could not be.
Drill it out and replace the clean out screw is the correct fix.
 
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