Frozen Clean out Screw Help

[manwithbeers]

I have a new to me TC Hawken in .50 cal. I did a full strip and clean when I got it and I couldn't get the clean out screw out. I've been leaving it as is and cleaning as best I can by pulling the nipple and using Q-tips etc. to wipe out any bits in the flame channel. I try that screw every time I clean the gun. Still no Joy.

Does anyone have any tips other than brute force? I thought about a soak in WD40 but never tried it as I doubt it would penetrate those threads anyway.

Do I just leave it as is? I don't plan to use enough force to break the screw head off and I won't send the gun out for warranty work just for this either.

What's the point of this screw anyway? Why not just pull the nipple like all the other guns. LOL

Cheers.

 

[smokehouseman]

If it's a "new" T/C I'm not familiar with them as to whether or not it actually has a "real" clean out screw. I own a couple of T/C's that have a "fake" screw. If you're getting the nipple out and there's no scaring on the nipple my guess is that it's not a working screw, in which case just ignore it. For that matter I would suggest just ignoring it anyway. I own a T/C that the screw hole was filled in and another that doesn't have a clean out screw. On a T/C I got in the 70's which had the fake screw, I buggered that thing up so bad trying to get it out I'm ashamed for anyone to see it, one of these days I may grind it off and call it good. :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a penetrating oil, like Liquid Wrench, or Kroil, Break Free, and others- just ask at an auto supply store. to soak the threads on that clean out screw. You will need to plug the nipple hole, pour the oil in, and let it set for a few days. Then, use a screwdriver with the correct blade width, to take it out.

Sometimes, heating the screw up to red hot will break the thread loose from the crud that is holding the screw in the breech plug. Cool the screw before trying to remove it, of course.

Why remove the clean out screw??? So you can better clean out the flash channel with a pipe cleaner, from the nipple to the back of the powder chamber leading to the barrel.

It also allows you to enlarge that channel, and thereby clean out any burrs, or casting residue that may be in that flash channel. Use the next number sized drill larger than what fits the existing hole. Drill and then polish the heck out of the new hole to minimize the likelihood that crud will clog up that channel during shooting.

 

[roundball]

I have a new to me TC Hawken in .50 cal. I did a full strip and clean when I got it and I couldn't get the clean out screw out. I've been leaving it as is and cleaning as best I can by pulling the nipple and using Q-tips etc. to wipe out any bits in the flame channel. I try that screw every time I clean the gun. Still no Joy.

Does anyone have any tips other than brute force? I thought about a soak in WD40 but never tried it as I doubt it would penetrate those threads anyway.

Do I just leave it as is? I don't plan to use enough force to break the screw head off and I won't send the gun out for warranty work just for this either.

What's the point of this screw anyway? Why not just pull the nipple like all the other guns. LOL

Cheers.

I believe the original idea behind what we call the clean-out screw was actually a plug to deal with the way the fire channel was drilled at that time. We thought they were cleanout screws, but they always freeze shut unless you care for them properly from day one (remove, clean, dry, lube every time) then the screw slot breaks off when trying to remove them.

T/C ended up replacing a lot of breechplugs under lifetime warranty...so they eventually discontinued that design as a 'clean out screw' is obviously not needed, and went to a design where they bore the fire channel across from the left side, then permanently plug it with steel, grind it off flat, blue over it etc. My advice would be to leave it alone as there is nothing to be gained and everything to lose by trying to remove it at this point.

Of course you could send the barrel to T/C to remove it and they will...and either return it with a new screw or simply put a new breechplug on the barrel if they can't.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

clean and dry as best you can with the nipple out.
spray down well into the channel with JB Blaster turn the rifle to the right prop it up so the Blaster will soak in better. leave it a few days and if you don't have one contact a mechanic that has a handheld impact driver - the type you smack w/a hammer and use the tightest fitting bit in the set and give it a try - it likely will loosen then soak it again with JB, turn back and forth until it loosens well and back it out.
if the head wrings off (doubtful if you use the impact driver right to jar it loose) well you have the channel plugged anyways so nothing lost.
if it comes out (likely) then replace it with a s/s screw (allen head is more durable) or even brass slotted but use grease on either for easy removal. I've brought out several channel screws for BP shooting buddys this way.
make sure you get the correct length replacement too long and it may partially block the nipple flash.
IMO it's worth the trouble to do.

 

[renovato]

That's not really a clean out screw so much as a plug where they drilled the flash channel. I rarely pull mine and when I do it's just to relube the threads just in case. Whenever I do pull it and run a pipe cleaner through the flash channel, I find that it's clean anyway, so no need to clean from the screw. If you're flushing the breech with soapy water, it keeps the flash channel clean as the water is under more pressure going through the channel. This scrubs out fouling and corrosive salts pretty well.

There are those that will argue that you must remove the screw to clean properly, but my guns are just as clean and work just as well. I'd say just don't worry about removing it if it's going to be a major bother.

If you insist on removing it, you passed up the very thing that would probably have worked. They call it penetrating oil for a reason. Unsticking corroded screws is what it's for. Spray a bunch in, let it set a few days. You might tap the screw a few times too. This seems to help it penetrate. A trick I picked up for removing stuck screws without buggering the heads is to use a drill press (motor OFF!) to press a properly fitting screwdriver bit down into the screw. Then turn the chuck by hand or wrench. This keeps the screwdriver bit from popping out of the slot and messing up the screw head.

You can also heat the metal around the screw before you try to unscrew it. This causes the metal to expand faster than the screw, helping to release the threads. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

 

[3crows]

I have a Lyman GPR which had a clean out screw. It too became stuck. These are just threaded holes and allow you too screw the plug screw into the nipple threads if you over tighten them. I had too grind the end off with a dremel when mine got stuck. If its not into the fire chamber and blocking nothing Id leave it be. You can easily bend a pipe cleaner to fully clean the chamber.
IMHO

 

[cowpoke1955]

I've had my GPR for almost 30 years and never taken out the "clean out" screw. With the nipple removed and using a bucket of soapy water to clean, any crud should flush out. If you need to poke around in the chamber, a pipe cleaner works well. Besides, this way gives you one less thing to loose :rotf:

 

[smokehouseman]

I'm with you on that one cowpoke :thumbsup: ! I've got a couple of Lyman's with hex plugs in them as well and I'm thinking of grinding them down a bit and putting a dab of locktite on them and never look back. My one T/C has never been out in 34 years, and I've never had a problem with it.

 

[manwithbeers]

Well thanks for the suggestions fellas. I think the plug stays as is for now. The chamber and hole are clean every time as it is.

 

[kbeck]

my GPR cleanout screw was frozen and the screw head buggered up. I ground the head off smooth with a dremel tool, put a drop of cold blue on it and drove on.

 

[BrownBear]

One thing to watch on that GPR cleanout screw before abandoning it. In both of mine and one other I know, the screw actually bottoms out against the last thread or two of the nipple. If I remove the screw, I have to be sure to reinstall the nipple before the screw, or alternatively to take care not to set the screw so deep that it contacts the nipple.

I don't feel the need to remove that cleanout screw for cleaning, but kinda like it as an (admittedly unnecessary) lock on the nipple. If I was going to leave it in place and let it weld into place with crud and corrosion, I'd be darned sure that it wasn't deep enough to touch the nipple. I keep mine well lubed and remove it each time I clean rather than letting it get hung up, against the nipple or not, but that's me.

 

[ohio ramrod]

kano laboratory's areo kroil is the best penetrating oil I have ever used on black powder guns, tractors and old farm equipment.

 

[Ken Rummer]

I agree with ohio ramrod. Kroil is a great penetrating oil. If the screw is long enough to protrude into the flash channel then the end of the screw is probably coated with powder residue. When you try to remove the screw the residue just gets tighter in the thread.

Try laying the barrel on its side and fill the space around the nipple with Kroil and let it set for a few days to soften up the crud. Then start by turning the screw in first, then out. The in-out should let the threads in the breech plug scrape the crud off the screw.

You could use a shorter screw that won't protrude into the flash channel as a replacement.

 

[Rat Trapper]

TC has hex head screws that fit the clean out screw. I have these clean out screws on 3 of my TC rifles. When it comes time to clean them this screw always comes out and get lubbed with breech plug grease or choke tube grease. Never ever put one back in without the grease. Also never put the screw back in more than finger tight. If you get it too tight, you may have problems getting it out next time. I have also had some rifles with this screw stuck, and it can be cleaned just fine with out messing with it, if it's stuck.