Chambering A Barrel

[Edd]

When chambering a barrel, who leaves the chamber as reamed and who does some type of sanding or polishing after reaming?

 

[DaveTooley]

I polish. 240 grit followed by a pass in and out with a piece of Scotchbrite pad to blend the finish. Makes it look purdy.

 

[Preacher]

I polish with used 360...

 

[GenePoole]

Since going with a thru-coolant flush system, I've not needed much more than a wipe with Scotchbrite.

 

[ridgeway]

I flush with oil and get clean, bright round chambers. I cross hatch chamber walls real quick with a stick and a flapper piece of 320.

 

[Will Henry]

I polish with ScotchBrite. WH

 

[jackieschmidt]

On my competition rifles, where I tend to shoot elevated pressure loads,I leave chamber exactly the way the reamer cuts it.

I have found this to be the best finish for extraction while avoiding too slick of a finish that can allow the case not to grip the case walls.

i believe I am in the minority on this.

 

[tobnpr]

Rifle Chamber Finish & Friction Effects on Bolt Load and Case Head Thinning Calculations done with LS-DYNA

 

[std7mag]

I'll admit to being surprised at the number doing more than just the finish reamer.

 

[boltfluter]

I used 400 grit way back when I chambered up a few barrels for myself and friends.

Paul

 

[DickE]

Scotch Brite for mine. getting way up to freebore, I think it helps shorten the break-in period.

 

[spitfire_er]

Scotch Brite. Use to use 320 for a quick cross hatch, then had a good talk with a custom gun builder thats been doing it way longer than me and switched. Never went back. Very happy with how mine turn out now.

 

[linebaugh]

Scotch brite but I won't use new scotchbrite because it's to aggressive. I like it to be used and have actually used the same piece for the last 10 or so chambers. I keep it down under the tail stock for just such an ocassion. I also spend very little time with it in the actual chamber and do not prefer to cross hatch much.
Not saying what's right or wrong but you kind of develop a system over time and when it ain't broke, don't need to fix it.

 

[jkohler]

I like the gray scotch bright instead of the red it’s very fine. I’ve used worn 320 in the past.

 

[dskogman]

I’ve found that polishing the chamber with 1000 grit greatly reduces clickers in my 300WSM with older brass. I’ve tried everything from 220 and up.

 

[butchlambert]

I’ve found that polishing the chamber with 1000 grit greatly reduces clickers in my 300WSM with older brass. I’ve tried everything from 220 and up.

I've had just the opposite experience. I use 320 in the chamber and 0000 steel wool in the leade and throat.

 

[holstil]

I’ve found that polishing the chamber with 1000 grit greatly reduces clickers in my 300WSM with older brass. I’ve tried everything from 220 and up.

My only experience with clickers went away when I replaced an anorexic reamer at the web.

A touch of mild lapping compound after throating, nothing to chamber after reaming here.

 

[butchlambert]

I've found that most "clickers" were from a tight chamber at the base. I spec my reamers with about .005" larger at the base and it allows the die to size the base enough to not have "clickers".

 

[jackieschmidt]

I've found that most "clickers" were from a tight chamber at the base. I spec my reamers with about .005" larger at the base and it allows the die to size the base enough to not have "clickers".

^^^^^^^^^
Too slick of a finish can result in difficult bolt lift when shooting in the upper load window,
Clickers are usually a brass sizing problem, or as you said, the original diameter of the chamber at the web is simply too tight.

Butch, if you remember, a number of years ago a very well known shooter had a reamer design for his 6PPC that featured only .001 clearance over the web of a Lapua 220 Russian case. Just about everybody that ordered that reamer ran into that click.

 

[DaveTooley]

In a perfect world you need, at a minimum, .003" clearance. That only works if you a perfectly matched sizing die.