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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blacktail434]

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the response. This sounds above my pay grade, which is kinda what I expected to hear. The tap I picked up at brownells some time ago and dont remember who made it. I thought this would be an easy thread clean out and not cutting new threads...

I guess I'll be looking for someone with the right tools now to get it out.

 

[Caseknife]

Yep, small taps are very easy if you use any force at all. Sounds like you may be beyond using an actual tap extractor, https://shop.snapon.com/product/supplemental/Tap-Extractors/WTE18001.
Good gunsmith is the proper answer.

 

[Lawnboi]

what do the screws look like? I only ask because I’m trying to figure out if there are out of spec screw about. I have a receiver that has stripped holes because of the wrong thread being torqued

 

[blacktail434]

Yep, small taps are very easy if you use any force at all. Sounds like you may be beyond using an actual tap extractor, https://shop.snapon.com/product/supplemental/Tap-Extractors/WTE18001.
Good gunsmith is the proper answer.

Yeah... I dont think I want to mess with it anymore. Honestly, I dont care if it has to be bored out and just left alone, I'll use the integrated dovetail to mount a scope at this point as long as I can still use the gun. The rail was just to swap out a scope I already use on a couple other guns.

 

[blacktail434]

what do the screws look like? I only ask because I’m trying to figure out if there are out of spec screw about. I have a receiver that has stripped holes because of the wrong thread being torqued

They were what came with the Area 419 rail for the T1X. I didn't think much of it until I went to put the rail on and couldnt get more than a turn or two on them and started looking at the holes and couldnt see the threads beyond the first couple. I just assumed they needed chaised out... and that's what it felt like until right before the tap broke.