carbide vs. high speed steel reamer?

[atlatl]

Is there a significant advantage (or downside) of one or the other for a reamer that will be used by an individual for a few (less than a dozen) chambers?

Thank you.

 

[Larryh128]

Carbide will stay sharper longer but the down side to carbide is if it slips out of your hand & hits the concrete, it's probably a 2 piece. Tool steel is more than enough to cut many chambers as long as you use it properly.

 

[Erik Cortina]

I agree, HSS reamers will cut a few dozen chambers with no issues if used properly.

 

[shortgrass]

Carbides need to be run at significantly higher speeds and feed rates than HS does. Many times, a decent finish depends on it. There's no real reason to run carbide on a manual machine fed by hand. I've got to hustle to keep up with HS, turning @200 rpm as it is! And, by calculation, I could turn as fast as 340/350 rpm, but I wouldn't be able to keep up with the reamer,as fast as it would/will cut.

 

[Rustystud]

HSS Tool Steel Reamers handled properly will last for thousands of chambers. I have three reamers with over 2000 chambers on them. I use a high pressure flush system. Reamers not handled properly want cut one chamber.
Nat Lambeth

Outside of the commercial setting there is no reason to buy or use carbide reamers. Most gunsmiths don't have the set up to run the feed and speeds needed to use them.