The 1/8-inch punch fits into a matching hole in the head of the staking tool. A couple of moderate strikes with a hammer are all it takes to flare the bushing skirt.

But the owner would put his screwdriver in the slot, give it a good twist and more often than not just peel away part of the top of the bushing. Now he was in trouble. The stock screw threads in the bushing were often damaged as well as the end of the bushing.

On rare occasions I could run a tap inside the bushing and clean up the stock screw threads. The stock screw has a .150-50 tpi thread. Yep, it's another odd thread used only in the 1911. And, yes, the only place I know to get a tap for this thread is Brownells.

If the bushing was damaged so badly that it couldn't be saved, it would have to be removed. I found the best way to do this with the least amount of risk to damaging the frame was to use the Brownell grip bushing Magna-Tip bit. With 360 degrees of support all around the top of the bushing in addition to the screwdriver blade to fit the slot, you have the maximum possible amount of support and engagement. Even if half the top of the bushing is torn away, this bit will still support the remaining portion and allow the bushing to be turned.

A trick to make removal of a severely damaged bushing easier is to first use either that round grinding stone or the carbide cutter to chamfer the inside of the bushing skirt in the frame. By grinding or cutting away the steel in the skirt and thinning it, you'll weaken its attachment to the frame. Once this has been done, it will be much, much easier to unscrew from the frame.

Normally these are about the only problems you'll run into with grip bushings. With a bit of patience and a few specialized tools, you can handle just about all of 'em.