New Agent Seized Grip Screw

[myusername]

I'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction with a problem I have.

I bought a New Agent on Saturday. I shot it today for the first time. It runs great and the sight wasn't really the problem I thought it would be.

This evening I cleaned it. I wanted to take the grips off to clean the frame. One of the screws is siezed and the head started to strip slightly so I stopped messing with it. The other three were fine.

I am hoping one of you could tell me if this is a problem Colt will take care of?

I plan on calling them in the morning as well as a gunsmith to see what they would think needs to be done.

Thanks for any advice.

[MoneyTree]

Welcome to the forum .http://img125.echo.cx/img125/8038/01welcome7jb.gif I don't have the pleasure of owning a Colt but I feel sure they will take care of you . But do you want to be without your pistol however long the turn around time turns out to be ? It should be a cinch to fix with a new screw and an easy out screw extractor , if you don't want to tackle it your gunsmith shouldn't have any trouble fixing it for you .

[Rich-D]

Call Colt at 1-800-962-2658 and they will send you a new grip screw and bushing. When it arrives you can attempt to unscrew the old grip screw after using a penetrating oil. If you are not successful, a gunsmith should be able to remove it easily.

Rich

[myusername]

Thanks for the info guys.
I'll call them in the morning.

I completely forgot that the screws go into replaceable bushings. That will make things much easier.

Thanks again.

[Hill]

Get penetrating oil soaking into it from the inside/backside. You can access it by removing the other grip. Let it soak a while, tap lightly on the head of the screw with a non marring instrument - the plastic handle of a screwdriver will do as you're not trying to hammer it in, only to cause the threads to move against each other a little to better allow the penetrant to get between the faces of the threads.

Try again, but be sure to use a screwdriver that fits the slot in the screw well, both across the screw width and as thick as the slot. Turn with downward pressure very slowly.

The gun's not old; this should not be a problem that needs return to the factory with the attendant wait times.

[gfavaron]

The most important thing is to use a proper screwdriver. Ordinary household drivers are not suitable for guns. They have tapered instead of flat ground blades.

[myusername]

Thanks for the info guys. Colt is mailing out the parts I will need.

[MoneyTree]

Thanks for the info guys. Colt is mailing out the parts I will need. Good deal ! Post some photos of your new pistol when you find the time .

[myusername]

I will post some once I get them hosted and sized appropriately.

Can you guys tell me if the new agent uses special sized grip bushings and screws? I would really like to put some allen/hex screws in but do not know exactly what i need.

Thanks

[MoneyTree]

I will post some once I get them hosted and sized appropriately. Most of us use Photobucket http://photobucket.com/ to host the photos , it's a free service , and instructions on how to post them is found in the FAQ http://forum.m1911.org/faq.php?faq=a_few_words#faq_postingpictures it's really easy to do and you can resize them on the Photobucket site .

[myusername]

My parts came from Colt yesterday. I didn't check the mail until today.
They sent me a bushing and a screw. I asked to buy 4 extra screws but they said they didn't have a price list yet but they would just pull some for me from the production line. I guess he wasn't able to send them to me. Oh well. I think I will ask the gunsmith to fit it with allen/hex screws.

Do you guys know if anyone sells screws that have a tough finish on the such as melonite or something similar?

[MoneyTree]

My parts came from Colt yesterday. I didn't check the mail until today.
They sent me a bushing and a screw. I asked to buy 4 extra screws but they said they didn't have a price list yet but they would just pull some for me from the production line. I guess he wasn't able to send them to me. Oh well. I think I will ask the gunsmith to fit it with allen/hex screws.

Do you guys know if anyone sells screws that have a tough finish on the such as melonite or something similar?Nighthawk Custom sells a full line of grip screws , they should work if your looking for black screws .

http://www.nighthawkcustom.com/PartsAccessories.aspx

[myusername]

Thanks. I'll check them out.

I just looked at them, they look much longer than the new agent screws.

[MoneyTree]

Thanks. I'll check them out.

I just looked at them, they look much longer than the new agent screws.Well there you go . Have you done a search of midwayusa of brownells ? They're the first places I look for parts .

http://www.midwayusa.com/

http://www.brownells.com/

[myusername]

Yeah I did. I found some at Ed Brown I like and at Brownells, as well as some unique ones at wiked grips.

Does the New Agent use smaller screws? I have the one from Colt sitting right here and it looks much shorter than any I am seeing online and IIRC it looks shorter than the ones in my full size 1911. I don't have that gun here to compare though.

[MoneyTree]

I don't have a New Agent but maybe you have slim line grips , they use shorter screws . I just noticed the Nighthawk has a third type of screw that looks much shorter than mine . Hopefully someone else will chime in here and help you out . Ed

http://www.nighthawkcustom.com/detail.aspx?ID=47

[myusername]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/jagnoir/newagentscrew.jpg

I was able to use a photo account. This is my new agent screw. It may just that the screws online look longer but this one looks shorter than them to me.

[MoneyTree]

It does look awfully short . :confused:

[Landman]

The New Agent comes with slim grips so the grip screws and bushings are shorter. I wanted to put a standard size set of grips on my New Agent and found that the screws that came with the New Agent were obviously too short to work. I had some standard length hex head screws from Wilson Combat so I tried them and they worked perfectly. They were long enough to be able to leave the short bushings. Exchanging the bushings is something I really didn't want to do. It doesn't take much to mess up that bushing hole, especially in a lightweight frame.

Here is a picture of mine with standard size Stag grips and the hex head screws.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h196/onexco/Gun%20Collection/ColtNewAgent06_Small.jpg

[Rich-D]

Landman, While I prefer the slim grips on my Agent, I must compliment you on your choice of grips. They look great!


Rich

[Landman]

Rich, thanks. I actually like slim grips too but I thought these looked great on the New Agent so I swapped them out.

[MoneyTree]

I agree with Rich , very nice grips Landman . We had another thread going in the Parts - Grips forum that mentioned the splitting of some bone grips . Have you seen any such evidence on yours ?

[Landman]

No, I haven't seen any sign of that on these grips or any others that I own. That can be a problem in any set of grips that have grain if the grips are cut too slim.

[myusername]

I had mine fixed today. The bushing didn't need to be replaced. The screw from the factory was put in with loctite on the threads. The smith got it out and the bushing was fine so I still have the new bushing, he put the new screw in for me.

He said he knows of no hex/allen head screws short enough to fit this gun. For $3.00 a screw he will cut and finish some standard screws to fit. He will need to have the gun to fit them. Since the gun is new I want to get some more rounds through it before I leave it to have it done.

[MoneyTree]

I had mine fixed today. The bushing didn't need to be replaced. The screw from the factory was put in with loctite on the threads. The smith got it out and the bushing was fine so I still have the new bushing, he put the new screw in for me.

He said he knows of no hex/allen head screws short enough to fit this gun. For $3.00 a screw he will cut and finish some standard screws to fit. He will need to have the gun to fit them. Since the gun is new I want to get some more rounds through it before I leave it to have it done.I'm glad you got it fixed so easily . Enjoy shooting your new pistol .

[Hill]

He said he knows of no hex/allen head screws short enough to fit this gun.

Politely refer him to page 31 of his brand new Brownell's catalog #61 .... http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=24892&st=slim%20grip%20screws&s=

[myusername]

Thanks for the link. I'll order some and try them out.

[tbird911]

Thanks for the link. I'll order some and try them out.


Let us know how those work out-- I'm geting ready to switch out my grips too.

Tbird