Finding the lands...Tool!
- Thread starter gunsandgunsmithing
- Start date
urbanrifleman
Site $$ Sponsor
This is mine. Still haven't found anything that works better or faster. 
hahaha. i thought mike was just outed as the guy from the youtube channel 'hook line & chill'
Whut? Y'all can't understand plain english, can ye? LOL!!
I didn't make a couple of things clear enough about it, but it is pretty simple. The tool is just measuring how much the long seated bullet is holding the case out of the chamber. So, in this case, the bullet just touches the lands and holds the case .0205 from bottoming out on the shoulder. To load a round at "touch", I'd seat the bullet .0205 deeper into the case. The loaded round in the video is .0205 into the lands, from the touch point. The indicator spring only apples a light pressure to the case. If nothing else, it's consistent vs feel, imo. But, there is the very slightest bit of feel when I pull it out of the lands. I mean slight! As in, barely detectable to me.
Same principle for checking shoulder bump....you just use an unsized case, zero out the indicator over it while in the chamber. Then size a case and do the same. The number will be the amount of bump on the sized case. Only caveat is a tight piece of unsized brass, ya jus wanna make sure it bottoms completely out. Oh, and make sure the chamber is clean, of course.
I'll make up a small run of these and post on here. I'm not sure of the price but the reloader model is pretty basic...maybe $25-$30 without the indicator...guessing. You can buy them for anywhere from roughly $30 all the way to the $400 range. No need in spending that kinda money unless you just want to or have one already.Cut, bore, ream, drill and tap plus materials. Tenons vary some. I can make it say, 1.065 ID, which should slip over any 1-1/16 bbl tenon.
The gunsmith model will be a good bit higher, based on the cost of parts I ordered yesterday to make a couple. The difference is it will use an interchangeable collet that will allow a very nice fit over a range of thread sizes. Haven't made it yet, so I'll know how it works in a few days...but should be great. I'm excited about it! I've been using the one in the video for about 15 years...Just made it out of a piece of scrap aluminum. I just have to be very careful with it when measuring for cutting the cone depth. The collet set up should cure that. The idea is to simply copy an existing bbl by taking the measurements from it and then working to zero when chambering and cutting the cone. I just use a hs gage rather than a piece of brass. Zero out of the go gage, in the old bbl, then ream to zero on the indicator. Then measure the cone, and again, cut to zero on the new bbl. Sure, there are other methods that work just as well but this is just easy and I love the digital indicator because of being able to zero it out at the touch of a button.
This method of duplicating the old bbl doesn't make the dimensions right or wrong...It just duplicates the old bbl. So, if the old bbl was wrong, the new one will be, too. I hope anyone doing chamber work would understand that, though.
I'll update here when I get a few done. Thanks for the interest. --Mike "Hillbilly" Ezell
Boss man, thanks for letting this stand. I think people are gonna like this tool and of course many can make it themselves.
I didn't make a couple of things clear enough about it, but it is pretty simple. The tool is just measuring how much the long seated bullet is holding the case out of the chamber. So, in this case, the bullet just touches the lands and holds the case .0205 from bottoming out on the shoulder. To load a round at "touch", I'd seat the bullet .0205 deeper into the case. The loaded round in the video is .0205 into the lands, from the touch point. The indicator spring only apples a light pressure to the case. If nothing else, it's consistent vs feel, imo. But, there is the very slightest bit of feel when I pull it out of the lands. I mean slight! As in, barely detectable to me.
Same principle for checking shoulder bump....you just use an unsized case, zero out the indicator over it while in the chamber. Then size a case and do the same. The number will be the amount of bump on the sized case. Only caveat is a tight piece of unsized brass, ya jus wanna make sure it bottoms completely out. Oh, and make sure the chamber is clean, of course.
I'll make up a small run of these and post on here. I'm not sure of the price but the reloader model is pretty basic...maybe $25-$30 without the indicator...guessing. You can buy them for anywhere from roughly $30 all the way to the $400 range. No need in spending that kinda money unless you just want to or have one already.Cut, bore, ream, drill and tap plus materials. Tenons vary some. I can make it say, 1.065 ID, which should slip over any 1-1/16 bbl tenon.
The gunsmith model will be a good bit higher, based on the cost of parts I ordered yesterday to make a couple. The difference is it will use an interchangeable collet that will allow a very nice fit over a range of thread sizes. Haven't made it yet, so I'll know how it works in a few days...but should be great. I'm excited about it! I've been using the one in the video for about 15 years...Just made it out of a piece of scrap aluminum. I just have to be very careful with it when measuring for cutting the cone depth. The collet set up should cure that. The idea is to simply copy an existing bbl by taking the measurements from it and then working to zero when chambering and cutting the cone. I just use a hs gage rather than a piece of brass. Zero out of the go gage, in the old bbl, then ream to zero on the indicator. Then measure the cone, and again, cut to zero on the new bbl. Sure, there are other methods that work just as well but this is just easy and I love the digital indicator because of being able to zero it out at the touch of a button.
This method of duplicating the old bbl doesn't make the dimensions right or wrong...It just duplicates the old bbl. So, if the old bbl was wrong, the new one will be, too. I hope anyone doing chamber work would understand that, though.
I'll update here when I get a few done. Thanks for the interest. --Mike "Hillbilly" Ezell
Boss man, thanks for letting this stand. I think people are gonna like this tool and of course many can make it themselves.
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I've advocated that all along but I was on the losing end so, if ya can't beat em', might as well join em'. Lol! Yessir, there's certainly more than one way to skin that cat.That's a slick deal, Mike.Knowing where the 'touch point' is on your seating stem is all we need to know. -Al
I think I replied to all pm's but if I missed anyone, just follow this thread and I'll update it with progress and a price asap. Thanks!--Mike
I'll post updates on here when I have some done or at least a price. Thanks!--Mike
Hoping to have a few of these done by sometime next week. I'm gonna make a nylon indicator tip rather than buying them. That way, I can allow for a primer that is raised or cratered a bit and it can be a diameter that will accommodate large and small primer cases better. I've not found an inexpensive indicator point that suits me. I can find some, but too much price wise. Trying to make it affordable to anyone. I'm gonna start at $30 without an indicator included and $75 with a good, solid digital indicator. Not a Mit or Interapid, but very much good enough for the application here. Of course, you can use your own indicator if you wish.
As for the gunsmith model, I made one for myself and it's great but is probably cost prohibitive for most of us. It's gonna have to be in the $300 range and I love it but I doubt many will want to spend that for one. The concept is good but took way longer to make than I anticipated and parts added up fast...as well as being pretty heavy and bulky. I could make a small batch of them if there is enough interest but I'd do it a lot differently, which would reduce parts cost but increase the time. I think it'd be the way to go but just don't expect to sell many in that price range.
I'll be updating again soon.
As for the gunsmith model, I made one for myself and it's great but is probably cost prohibitive for most of us. It's gonna have to be in the $300 range and I love it but I doubt many will want to spend that for one. The concept is good but took way longer to make than I anticipated and parts added up fast...as well as being pretty heavy and bulky. I could make a small batch of them if there is enough interest but I'd do it a lot differently, which would reduce parts cost but increase the time. I think it'd be the way to go but just don't expect to sell many in that price range.
I'll be updating again soon.
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
its a great idea you had/have there on finding touch Mike. Of coarse (imo) a tool that works with barreled action is what we really want. several ways i thought of doing that or making a tool to do it.
I'll ponder that too. It might be workable with a long indicator point and something like a bore guide. Problem is, off the top of my head...a consistent stop point and a different one for so many different actions, etc. Maybe more that I'm not thinking about/of. But, it doesn't seem too bad. I agree that it would be handy if it can be done with the bbl on. I'll think on it and come up with something. Thanks!
I’ll take one with a digital indicator. Let me know how to get you the $75. Thanks Mike.
Dave M.
Ackman
Gold $$ Contributor
Yep. Mine too. Works just real good, takes a couple minutes to make. 0 FB - 65 Vmax.
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Chaotik
Gold $$ Contributor
I would like one with the indicator.
Generally, brass is sized to be .002" shorter than the chamber. To find chamber size I use an EMPTY case with a USED primer that is just started into the primer pocket. I seat the primer by chambering the case and closing the bolt on it. The primer will likely be a little proud of the case and by using a comparator tool to measure it will give your chamber length.
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