T1X, Help!

[blacktail434]

So… bought a .22LR T1X and an area 419 rail. Went to install the rail and the screws wouldn’t go past a couple turns. Looking at the holes on the receiver I noticed they didn’t look threaded all the way through. Assuming maybe they just needed cleaned out, I took a 6-48 tap and started to work one of the holes and it seemed to be going ok. Well, just about done with the first one and SNAP! Broke the dang tap. So now I’ve got a broken tap with just enough tip though the hole to not be able to run the bolt.

Only reason for the pic rail was to swap the scope
I already to the T1X for some plinking for my 7 and 8 year old boys. Now I cant get the broken tap tip out and really don’t have the proper tools to extract it. I tapped on it with a punch a couple times hoping to break it, but stopped before doing too much damage. At this point I don’t even care if I can’t use the rail for it, but would like to get it out.

Looking for advice or a smith to send it to get the dang thing out. Kicking myself right now.

 

[Fred@Exterra]

Broken taps a tough to get out. The first thing I usually try is to place a #6 nut on top of the broken tap & do a quick bead of weld through the hole in the nut onto the tap. Then turn the tap out using the nut. Probably 50% success rate, depending on how much weld I can get on it.

Second thing I’d try is a 3/32” carbide endmill in a milling machine. In theory this should always work. Bore out the center of the HSS tap and the flutes fall away. Hopefully you were using a hardware store Hansen tap. Those a basically carbon tool steel and cut pretty easy. Probably 25% success rate.

Last option is to take it to an EDM shop. They can burn out the tap using a hole popper. My buddies shop charges $60 and a 12 pack of artsie micro-brew. You probably will need to pull the barrel to fit it in their machine. Generally 100% success rate.

If the threads get bunged up you can always tap the holes 8-40 and order some appropriate fasteners from Brownells of most hardware stores that have better assortment of fasteners.


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