RE INDEXING SCREWS

[Pittypatdugan]

Since most of us are not the original owners of the Parkers that we have, the screws that are not properly indexed were replaced by others. I am sure a lot of screws were over tightened ,under tightened or replaced with trash in the treads ect. I have fixed a few with a little Teflon tape, but have not had much success if the screw is way off. Do you shorten them , or file off a little of the underside of the screw or what? I know this is a real open question, but there must be some hints to try that wont hurt the screw or the gun.

Thanks

PDD

[VH20]

The first thing to do is make sure they are in the proper locations. Typically, the left-side screws have a "-" mark on the tips. Have you checked that?

[Bob Jurewicz]

If screw is in proper location, all threads clean an channels clean, I carefully file the underside of the scrw head for metal to metal fastening. For butt plates I ream the plate recess alittle deeper.
Bob Jurewicz

[Chris T.]

I have never tried, but have heard of people who put a few wraps of soft wire under the head instead of filing the bottom.

[Big D]

Doesn't that depend on whether the screw is proud to the surface, or recessed?

[Pittypatdugan]

I did not know to check for the " - " Mark for the left side. I will be checking.

PDD

[Chris T.]

John your are right, but if a screw and its hole are clean and are still higher than the surrounding surface it is probably in the wrong hole.

[Richard Flanders]

If the screw is proud it's likely in the wrong hole or is a poorly made replacement. I have been thinking of punching out v thin washers of soft copper that would fit floorplate screws that have been overtightened and improperly indexed. There must be sheet copper of shim-like thicknesses available that could be used for this, something in the .002" range. They would fit on the screw and would crush down to a certain extent if one was careful and would allow screws to be indexed properly and the soft copper would actually serve to prevent screws from backing out.

[AmarilloMike]

Originally Posted by Richard Flanders

There must be sheet copper of shim-like thicknesses available that could be used for this, something in the .002" range.

When I read this I thought of the feeler gauges they sell at auto parts store. You get 20 or 30 different sizes and the incrments can be as small as 0.5/1000th or one half of a thousanth or 0.0005". Joe Wood made some shims for the pins of my off face shotguns out of the feeler gauges. Of course they are steel. But as someone pointed out there may be a galvanic corrosion problem if copper is used. But in my opinion unlikely.

Best,

Mike

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by Mike Shepherd

...as someone pointed out there may be a galvanic corrosion problem if copper is used. Mike

The joys of galvanic reactions. This is not gun related but one of those things that shows the truth of "Murphy's Law". The house we have was built in 1983. We purchased it in 1996. The basement became my "play" area. About 8 years ago, I was down there and thought I could hear water running when I knew nothing else was going on in the house that should make me think that. I started to investigate. I eventually found a covered sump hole and had a look inside. I could hear the water running there but not see it. The hole is only about 8" deep with a sand base. I moved a bit of sand and found the water supply line to the house was in there, as well as an outlet. I kept moving sand along the water line (copper) and encountered a 2" common nail with head resting against the line. I also saw water finally. I lifted the nail and suddenly had a lot of water spraying me and anything within ten feet. Dropped a bucket over the line, called the water utility, had the main shut off, cut the line and spliced in some new copper. Water back on and no problems since but that leak had been going on for years and created an underground mudhole. As that has dried out over the last 8 years, the cement floor has heaved and cracked and the teleposts (jackposts) have needed adjustment to re-level the whole house. All for the sake of a nail that ended up resting against the copper line.

Based on that, maybe copper shims for gun purposes would only see the shim needing replacement in a few decades. I'll leave that to the metalurgists to verify.

Cheers,
Jack