Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

Discuss work on firearms; whether that is making yours from the ground up, milling an 80%, putting together a kit, or fine tuning a trigger job.
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BigNate
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Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#1

Post by BigNate »

OK - looking for tips / tricks / advice here...

"Someone" snapped the tip of an allen wrench off in the front screw of their Buckmark's site mounting plate (see image below)... Must have been a cheap Chinese tool because there was really very little force applied and it had only deflected a couple of degrees when it yielded (yes - I've since picked up a set of "good" allen sockets). It yielded completly flush with the screw face so there is no way to grasp the nub with anything.

Anyway - I've tried tapping it lightly with a drift (on as much of an angle as I can get) to losen it in hopes that I can get it to drop out - no dice...

Any other suggestions / tips / tricks that I should try before putting it in a padded vice on the drill press and drilling the head off of the screw?
Browning Screw IssueJPG.JPG


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xerts1191
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#2

Post by xerts1191 »

Nate, yeah drilling is all I can think of, anybody else with an idea?
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dread_scott
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#3

Post by dread_scott »

Is it magnetic? Put a strongish magnet on it and see if it pulls out? Maybe also heat it up a bit?

Do you have a pic of the actual broken piece?
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#4

Post by etprescottaz01 »

dread_scott wrote: September 11th, 2020, 10:39 am Is it magnetic? Put a strongish magnet on it and see if it pulls out? Maybe also heat it up a bit?

Do you have a pic of the actual broken piece?
Strong magnet was my recommendation also, blast from an air compressor?
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#5

Post by Winmagbill »

Super glue? I’ve never done it but they sell “special Glue” in kits and the internet is full of DIY. Might even try JB welding a new Allen right on top then getting a new screw.
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#6

Post by Harrier »

In the past I have loosened a tight or rounded-off bolt using a sharp punch to make an indent at the desired angle/place then impact the punch to back the screw/bolt out... like using an impact driver... if you can visualize that... The allen is probably metric & the wrong size and is slip-wedged in there, so it just might punch back enough to fall out.
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BigNate
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#7

Post by BigNate »

dread_scott wrote: September 11th, 2020, 10:39 am Is it magnetic? Put a strongish magnet on it and see if it pulls out? Maybe also heat it up a bit?

Do you have a pic of the actual broken piece?
Here are a couple of pictures... It is pretty flush...
Sheared Allen Key 1.jpg
Sheared Allen Key 2.jpg
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#8

Post by Pale Rider »

The best way is to use a small carbide burr that's smaller than the allen hole. It's best to use a drill press and basically grind away at the center until it can be popped out. I've done it to similar types of broken tools like this many times.
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#9

Post by Brlux »

I recently had something similar happen to an expensive piece of equipment at work. I used a dremel to cut a notch across the screw and broken key and once big enough use a flat head screw driver to turn it out. Mine was a bit easier being a button head allen screw. In your case I would use one of those amber stone cutoff wheels on some other scrap steel to wear it down small enough to get in there without contacting the slide cover. Perhaps profile your Flathead to match the curve of your cut if you can't get it very deep.
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#10

Post by QuietM4 »

Perfect excuse to sell it and buy a new gun!

Dremmel cut-off wheel, small flat head screw driver to remove it, contact Browning (or Natchez) to get a new screw.
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#11

Post by smithers599 »

QuietM4 wrote: September 11th, 2020, 3:26 pm Perfect excuse to sell it and buy a new gun!

Dremmel cut-off wheel, small flat head screw driver to remove it, contact Browning (or Natchez) to get a new screw.
That's my thought. Use a Dremel cutoff wheel to cut a slot into the Allen wrench piece, turning it into a slotted screw. Then use a screwdriver to unscrew it. That process will also cut into the surrounding area, but no big deal; nobody is going to ever notice.

Or, drill a tiny hole into the top of the broken piece, then hammer a slightly oversized small screwdriver into the hole, and unscrew the piece.
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#12

Post by Harrier »

That's worse than I thought... I think Pale Rider has one solution- drill it out with a flat bottom mill and collapse the sides in... or like the others said, grind a slot and unscrew the whole thing then replace the screw from browning - or maybe send it back to them to fix...
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#13

Post by Crippledtrigger »

Write off the screw. Get a small easy out and remove it.
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#14

Post by BigNate »

Thanks gents... I've ordered some tiny burrs and I'm going to try to cut the middle out of the tool and see if I can pull it out. If that does not work I'll slot the screw and replace it... if that does not work ... well ... I might be mad enough to go the oxy-acetylene route... :-P
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Re: Drilling Out a Snapped Allen Key

#15

Post by redj »

I would think any competent gunsmith could remove it fairly easy and be reasonably priced.
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