Stuck screw

[RugerNurse]

Hello, this screw is stuck to the point where I broke a T10 bit trying to loosen it. Any tips to help?

[RustyIron]

Was it a GOOD wrench, or one that comes from a country that routinely dumps trashy products on our shores? Make sure you have a GOOD wrench, and then heat the threaded side with a hairdryer. Don't go crazy; you don't want to goof up your optic. Maybe go 180 Fahrenheit, max. If you can put your finger on it for a couple seconds, you're ok.

[RugerNurse]

I think it was a Harbor Freight set. Don’t know where they come from. I also broke the Sig Sauer key they have too

[remnar]

You can apply heat directly to the screw by holding a soldering iron on the screw head. Again, be careful not to damage the optic with too much heat.

[JestersHK]

Yep try heading with iron, if that doesn't work slowly drill it out with a sharp bit. Take it slow...
I think with some great and a good bit of will come free.

[WyoJon]

Gently tap it with a small sharp center punch, in the direction you need it to rotate.

[WyoJon]

Or slot it with a die grinder and cut off wheel. Or run a drill bit into the screw where it comes out the other side.

[Xplorer]

All good advice above^

I assume that mount is aluminum. Aluminum galls very easily. Galling is basically like metal smearing on a tiny level. When galling happens (especially under a screw head) it creates some additional bond. It's basically like there's a little glue under the head now and you usually hear it "click" as you break that bond. A quick shock of force is best for breaking that bond free...like how you can hang a 250lb weight on an epoxy bond all day, but give it one quick rap with a hammer and the bond breaks instantly.

A good penetrating lubricant is also worth trying. Spray a little around the screw head and let it soak for 15 minutes. PB Blaster is a pretty good choice that can be found at any auto parts store.

When you go to remove the screw, press firmly down on the torx driver and turn it with a hard and fast/quick/sharp twisting motion. That quick burst in the beginning is usually what will pop the screw free from the galling bond without damaging the screw head. If you try to slowly increase how hard you turn the driver you're much more likely to accidentally ease up on your downward pressure and strip the screw head.

[RugerNurse]

I actually got it unstuck by letting some ballistol sit on it for a bit then gently using my impact driver to loosen it up. Glad I got it off. I’ll be more careful next time.

[TomAiello]

Is the screw captive in the optic?

If it's not, I'd swap it out for something else.

I've had a lot of bad luck with harbor freight tools (and I buy _a lot_ of stuff there--just not tools). I bought a nice PB Swiss set and haven't looked back. I know a lot of folks that love the Wiha ones, but PB Swiss is working great for me.