Grip Bushing Stuck

[Jon Merricks]

I think the name for the piece is the grip bushing. Its the piece that screws into the frame of a 1911 and then the grip screws into that. Well they are stuck to the grip screws. What trick do you use to get them off your screws without messing up you grips. I tried plyers with no luck and have almost stripped the screw.

[Duane Thomas]

Well, just for your info - preventive maintenance - next time have the grip screw bushings peened in place so they won't unscrew. That's your first choice.

Next option, after you realize the bushing is starting to unscrew, turn the grip screw back down, thus setting the bushing back into the frame. Do it hard. Then, after you've got the bushing set hard in the frame (and the screw now set hard in the bushing, too, of course) take your screwdriver, insert it into the screw slot, and snap it hard counterclockwise. More often than you'd think this snaps the screw loose from its "set" in the bushing and you can now unscrew it.

I realize you're past both those points now, just putting that out to possibly stop it from happening again. When you've got to the point you're at, and we've all done it so don't feel too bad, you've got basically two choices as far as I know.

(1) Pliers & screwdriver. You may have already done this. You're going to have to sacrifice the bushing. Grip the threaded portion of the bushing (I find a vice grip works better than pliers); this of course will crush the threads and trash the bushing. Insert your screwdriver in the screw slot. Turn the vice grips and screw in opposite directions. Hopefully this will separate the two.

(2) Once you're past that point, i.e. you've stripped out the screw slot trying other things, it's time to whip out the dremel tool and drill out the bore of the screw from inside the bushing. That's about the final option. Strangely enough, with the metal of the bushing protecting the grips from the dremel bit, you can usually still get things apart without damaging the grip panels.

Hope that helped.

[Jon Merricks]

Thanks Duane the dremel tool worked. I have had it happen before but was always able to get it loose. It had only been a couple of weeks since I had them off. One problem was the flat head screws. I replaced them with the hex head. Thanks again.

[Duane Thomas]

You're welcome. Glad it worked.

[kaseyj5056]

Welcome to the forum!