Proper tools to disasemble a...........

Neil · 11-20-2004, 10:32 PM

Proper tools to disasemble a S&W 442 j frame revolver.
I have tried small screwdrivers and only twist the screw heads now they're all mangled

Might just have been my first gun newb mistake.

CountryGunsmith · 11-21-2004, 12:12 AM

I use hollow-ground screwdrivers that I have fitted to the sideplate screws. You also need a mallet with a non-marring head (plastic or whatever) to tap the grip frame to dislodge the sideplate. You might also need an ejector rod tool or at minimum some non-marring pliers to loosen the ejector rod.

Pistolsmith · 11-21-2004, 12:30 PM

Not every gun enthusiast or gunsmith has the proper fixture to grind screw driver bits.
Brownells have purpose fitted sets of screw driver bits for the S&W. They also have short handled drivers with magnetic or clip tips. One of the longer handles has a hole for a leverage rod so that pressure can be applied downward and torsionally at the same time to loosen the tight ones.
You should order a set of replacement screws before you remove the damaged ones. You can order them from Brownells or from S&W Service, Parts Dep't.
If you have a drill press, you can chuck a bit, apply hard downward pressure via the handle and torque the screw loose with a rod in the chuck key hole. I have a piece of thick hard rubber I use to hold the frame under the chuck.

stash247 · 11-22-2004, 12:38 AM

All this was good advice. Let me add; When I had kids at home, and a wife, nothing was sacred insofar as tools were concerned, and I found everything, everywhere, all the time. When my ex decided to cut some wire with a Hienkels chisel, the whole world changed. After my BP and pulse both got back below 200, I locked up ALL my dedicated tools, screwdrivers and chisels included- (1) lock, (1) key. No more buggered screws, no more split wood; shortly, not even any more adult supervision!
If you don't have a screwdriver that fits, make, or buy, one, label or mark it, and use it for that chore ONLY.
A screw can be replaced, only time lost, but rip into a sideplate, and the costs go up, exponentially.
Good tools last a lifetime, and practically guarantee better results.

Pistolsmith · 11-22-2004, 12:50 AM

Yes, good tools last a lifetime.......but not wives, sometimes. After over fifty years of being incommunicado, when she came back into my life, her first remark was: "You still have all that junk?"
Beginning to come back to me why we parted company.

Xracer · 11-22-2004, 06:57 AM

A good set of hollow ground screwdrivers is a must for working on guns. I've had a Chapman Set for over 30 years, and they work very well......

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...CREWDRIVER+SET

11-20-2004, 10:32 PM	#1
Neil Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Stanwood washington Posts: 678	Proper tools to disasemble a........... Proper tools to disasemble a S&W 442 j frame revolver. I have tried small screwdrivers and only twist the screw heads now they're all mangled Might just have been my first gun newb mistake. __________________ God Bless America, This Great Land we call HOME. -->

11-21-2004, 12:12 AM	#2
CountryGunsmith Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Deep Piney Woods of East Texas Posts: 5,116	Re: Proper tools to disasemble a........... I use hollow-ground screwdrivers that I have fitted to the sideplate screws. You also need a mallet with a non-marring head (plastic or whatever) to tap the grip frame to dislodge the sideplate. You might also need an ejector rod tool or at minimum some non-marring pliers to loosen the ejector rod. __________________ The autonomic nervous system provides for involuntary muscle function - the work of breathing, digestion, and so forth. On some folks, that's a pure waste of ingenuity.

11-21-2004, 12:30 PM	#3
Pistolsmith V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 185	Re: Proper tools to disasemble a........... Not every gun enthusiast or gunsmith has the proper fixture to grind screw driver bits. Brownells have purpose fitted sets of screw driver bits for the S&W. They also have short handled drivers with magnetic or clip tips. One of the longer handles has a hole for a leverage rod so that pressure can be applied downward and torsionally at the same time to loosen the tight ones. You should order a set of replacement screws before you remove the damaged ones. You can order them from Brownells or from S&W Service, Parts Dep't. If you have a drill press, you can chuck a bit, apply hard downward pressure via the handle and torque the screw loose with a rod in the chuck key hole. I have a piece of thick hard rubber I use to hold the frame under the chuck. __________________ A man who does not learn the lessons of history is condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. George Santana

11-22-2004, 12:38 AM	#4
stash247 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Central Texas Posts: 2,815	Re: Proper tools to disasemble a........... All this was good advice. Let me add; When I had kids at home, and a wife, nothing was sacred insofar as tools were concerned, and I found everything, everywhere, all the time. When my ex decided to cut some wire with a Hienkels chisel, the whole world changed. After my BP and pulse both got back below 200, I locked up ALL my dedicated tools, screwdrivers and chisels included- (1) lock, (1) key. No more buggered screws, no more split wood; shortly, not even any more adult supervision! If you don't have a screwdriver that fits, make, or buy, one, label or mark it, and use it for that chore ONLY. A screw can be replaced, only time lost, but rip into a sideplate, and the costs go up, exponentially. Good tools last a lifetime, and practically guarantee better results. __________________ Don't start no s**t and there won't be none, Terry

11-22-2004, 12:50 AM	#5
Pistolsmith V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 185	Re: Proper tools to disasemble a........... Yes, good tools last a lifetime.......but not wives, sometimes. After over fifty years of being incommunicado, when she came back into my life, her first remark was: "You still have all that junk?" Beginning to come back to me why we parted company. __________________ A man who does not learn the lessons of history is condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. George Santana

11-22-2004, 06:57 AM	#6
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Re: Proper tools to disasemble a........... A good set of hollow ground screwdrivers is a must for working on guns. I've had a Chapman Set for over 30 years, and they work very well...... http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto...CREWDRIVER+SET