Finish chambering with T-handle piloted reamer?

[Varminterror]

What's the general consensus for doing chamber finishing with a hand turned (t-handle mounted) piloted reamer?

Not talking about a bench rifle, but thinking about adding a second barrel to a 700 I have as a DGR, could save a bit of money by ordering the barrel short chambered and renting a finishing reamer, but if it's not even "hunting rifle worthy" to do so, then I'll fork it over to have it chambered by a smith. I did a .243AI and a .30-06AI ream job on Savage barrels (so headspace setback wasn't an issue), but that was before I learned ANYTHING about the importance of runout and concentricity - for what it's worth, the rifles shot incredibly well for hunting rigs under $1000. I've also done dozens of throat reaming jobs on revolver cylinders and forcing cones back in my cowboy action days and done a few T-handle recrowning jobs, but I'm a bit hesitant to tackle a 700 barrel finish ream without hearing that it can actually produce chamber jobs that aren't pure crap.

 

[Preacher]

You shouldn't have a problem finishing a chamber by hand, lots of smiths do the last little bit by hand.
Go slow, clean and check often, and you'll do fine..

 

[Tokimini]

I did it on a short chambered Shilen barrel for my Remington 700 chambered in 204 Ruger. She'll do 5 shot groups in the .3s at 100 yards if I do my part.

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

You can also think of the reamer rental and purchase (or rental) of the handle to go toward a smith doing the final cut. I may be wrong but when I do my final cut and let the reamer in the lathe do the last few rpm's just sitting at zero it makes for a great finish.

 

[Timgunner]

I have done 5 rifles this year just like you are describing and every one of them shoots at least .5moa at 100 yds. One was a ruger m77 in 25-06 the rest remington 700's in .308, 300wsm, 270 and 30-06. All these rifles are now wearing shilen pre-threaded and chambered barrels. I rented the reamers and headspace gauges from Elkrigde reamers(<$50); all of them were PTG's and came in perfect condition and did a great job. I used a liberal amount of thread cutting oil to keep things moving smoothly. Every few revolutions i pulled the reamer out and used compressed air to clean out the reamer and chamber and then checked the headspace. I did my best to make sure i was making even downward pressure on the reamer at all times not forcing it and NEVER turning it in reverse. I hope this helps

 

[akajun]

The problem with doing that is you can cut an egg shaped chamber if you put pressure on one side. That said, I have done that on several rifles and it has worked out, but I was only advancing the chamber .010 or so, mostly on mausers with nos military barrels. I think a pull through reamer is your best option for a shirt chambered barrel without a lathe.

 

[Cort]

Has anyone tried a Remage setup? McGowen sells barrels with barrel nuts that work like a Savage barrel for Remington actions. I think you just need an action wrench, a barrel vise, a nut wrench and headspace gauges to headspace the barrel. I have been wanting to try this but haven't done it yet.

Cort

 

[Dgd6mm]

This can be done, and it is done often, also very successfully I may add. I believe lastyear one fellow on here took a 6BR and hand reamed it out to a 6BRX or Dasher, can't remember. It turned out well, he posted groups from load developement that were not shabby at all. wish I could remember who it was, guess I could use the search engine and find it...

 

[RW]

I would like to find out where you get a reamer handle that is long enough to attach to the reamer to do a short chambered barrel? I would think it would have to be long enough to reach thru the action or do you have to un screw the barrel each time you take a little off the chamber to set head space? Thanks RW

 

[LRCampos]

.

I bought a T Handle extension on Brownells that attaches to the reamer and allows to deepen the chamber easily, by hand.


LRCampos.

 

[Bobby Bailey]

Cort, We have done several rifles for customers with the "Remage" system. We have used a few McGowen barrels but, several by CBI. All have shot under .4" at 100 yd. with three shots. Customers like the idea they can easily change calipers, though so far none have.
Bobby