Ring Screws Wont budge

[trigger]

Morning

 

Got given a scope with a set of scope rings already attached. The screws on the rings wont budge so I have soaked them in oil but any handy tips to on how to remove them without knackering the screw heads?

 

Thank you

 

Trigger

[22/250 foxer]

Morning

 

Got given a scope with a set of scope rings already attached. The screws on the rings wont budge so I have soaked them in oil but any handy tips to on how to remove them without knackering the screw heads?

 

Thank you

 

Trigger

 

have you tired heating them up a little bit. has the guy used locktight on them ! i would be pretty worried about has the scope had and damage from being done up so tight,

 

if you cant get them undone then the only other way i think is to drill out the holes and get some new screws

[TonyH]

Morning

 

Got given a scope with a set of scope rings already attached. The screws on the rings wont budge so I have soaked them in oil but any handy tips to on how to remove them without knackering the screw heads?

 

Thank you

 

Trigger

I find repeated applications of WD-40 can work, with enough time for it to seep into the joints - it's a very good penetrant. I wonder what sort of heads they are? Awkward if old slot-head, better if cross-head, best if hex-socket or Torx/spline: place bottom half of ringmount in a vice, use appropriate bit with a right-angled wrench plus tommy bar if needed, and hope that the worst result is a sheared machine screw...

[SteveW]

have you tired heating them up a little bit. has the guy used locktight on them ! i would be pretty worried about has the scope had and damage from being done up so tight,

 

if you cant get them undone then the only other way i think is to drill out the holes and get some new screws

 

 

Trigger, try as 22/250 foxer advised, luckily for me my wife's hairdryer worked on two, the last one sheared and had to be drilled out. I used Kroil soaked in over night to assist. Never used Locktite since.

 

Lets us know how you get on

 

ATB Steve

[Snowz]

i had this on a set of OPTILOCK as the screws for them are shite. I tried soaking in penetrating oil and in the end i drilled out the HEAD of the screws when the head was drilled out removed the top half of the rings i then used a pair of grips and unwound the thread. I avoided heat as this could possibly cause a problem with gas filled scopes. Just take your time try all of the above then if you drill them out try to get them in a held in a vice and take your time drilling

 

 

atb Richard

[eldon]

Better still, drill in a milling machine if you know somebody who has one as they are a more rigid and so accurate set up.

 

You could try a soldering iron on the screwhead as a pointed heating source. Alternatively boiling water or a hot air gun used carefully.

 

Slowly slowly catch your monkey

[Glensman]

Did you try taking a small punch and hitting it a gentle slap with the hammer? That released mine no problem...

[varmartin]

You haven`t said which is worth more ...scope or the rings ...LOL

[Ronin]

All the above will work

 

 

I find that a gentle tapping with small hammer whilst applying torque with screw driver or similar will free most stuck ring screws.

 

 

If you replace the screws, a tip is to grease the threads and heads before refitting and apply lube at regular intervals to prevent this happening again.

[trigger]

Thanks everyone

 

I gave it another go last night and got 3 out but the other 5 are still stoook. soaked it in WD40 and will leave it for another few days then try again.

 

Will definately put grease on the new screws when I put the rings back on.

 

Martin its the scope thats the important bit.

 

Will put up a post to let you know how I get on.

[trigger]

PS

 

I was told by someone that an old stalker once he had his scope set up he spot welded the rings together so nothing would move again... a bit severe I thought!

[Redfox]

Grease on the screws is not a good idea, it will cause you to overtighten them when you put them back, as you have then changed the friction dramatically and that is not the reason for sticking anyway. Same with soaking in oil, wd or others, if the screws have been overtightened to begin with, the pressure under the head is so great no oil will penetrate there anyway. Over time particularly if the tightener upper was a bit enthusiastic the heads of the screws bind to the ring material ( called galling) and make it very hard to start them moving, as two others have said, take a parralel pin punch ( the ones with a flat end not pointed) the same diameter as the screw head and place the lower ring ear on a vice or steel block, not only as suppoprt but to give more effect to the tap, then place punch on screw head ( with an assistant holding scope/rings in place) and give it a sharp rap ( you dont need a big hammer a pin hammer will do) repeat the rap and you should find the screw undoes ok , if not repeat the tapping as it shocks and loosens the screw. When putting back or replacing a wipe all over with 3 in 1 oil or similar is all you need and dont go mad on tighteneing it is not necessary for the rings to work. Optilock ring screws arent crap its just people use cheap nasty allen keys and overtighten them which is even less needed than ordinary rings. The best tool for all is either a "T" handle allen key or a 1/4 drive socket and screwdriver handle, or flat screw socket.

I get these out regularly for the local gunshop and rarely have to drill the heads off unless they have been butchered.

Good luck with the last ones.

Redfox

[AHPP]

PS

 

I was told by someone that an old stalker once he had his scope set up he spot welded the rings together so nothing would move again... a bit severe I thought!

 

 

There's a rifle made by a one man band (I forget the name) that has the scope zeroed on the bloke's range and has to go back to the factory for any change. John someone maybe. How helpful is that...