Thomas,

When you find yourself putting in a dowel, couldn't you do as you stated above except glue the dowel last? That way north-south alignment would be guaranteed, no matter how the screw is started. Not that I have ever done any of these things on a gun, just asking.

It is a good idea but it doesn't work all that well. The screws are tapered and and will split the dowel. One might try putting the dowel in a lathe collet,drill a pilot hole and get the screw in there with out splitting the dowel. Then your idea might work. thanks Tom

I agree with Gary. You can just shove long thin wood shavings of something relatively soft like spruce or pine that will impress into the existing wood threads and maybe a touch of yellow glue(not enough to glue the screw in permanently) or Miniwax "wood hardener" or tung oil into the hole and keep experimenting until you get the screw aligned at the right depth with the right tension. If the screw was properly indexed previously this method will always work if you monkey with it long enough. You can fix a pretty wallowed out hole this way.

That or some acra-glass in the hole. Put some release agent on the screw and trigger guard and run the screw in but leave it just shy of correct. After the acra-glass hardens finish tightening it up.