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Milling Machine Suggestions

Slickrick0999

I'm considering buying a milling machine for hobby gunsmith use. I'm not looking to make this my profession. I am not even sure what all I will be doing with it to be honest. Of course i would like to be budget friendly (i have teenage kids lol) but don't want to buy junk either. I've been told no belt drive and then been told that belt drive would be fine.
So, what do you guys suggest and how much $ am I looking at? I want to learn how to build my own rifles and work on pistols maybe.
Thanks everyone!
 
Mills aren't super important for rifle work. They do come in handy and I wish I had one, but you can build a rifle without one. The lathe on the other hand... A bit more important.
Opposite is true for pistols. A mill is essential. Lathes are nice but the bigger machines that riflesmiths use are not necessary for pistolsmithing.

Look at the Precision Matthew's. They make a nice machine for a fair price with great CS. They will be my source for a machine when I have the spare loot.

Good luck.
 
+1 for the Bridgeport, or a Bridgeport clone. While a vari-speed is nice (re. REALLY nice), a belt drive will work just as well and be less expensive to purchase. Parts are available everywhere, and R8 tooling is relatively inexpensive, as well.
 
I recently got a 1980 Enco (Bridgeport clone). I use it for lots of little things but mostly I got it for inletting stocks. It needed a bit of work as the back gear and brake were inoperable when I purchased it, but the price was right at $1,000 and the repairs I did weren't that expensive due to all the new and used parts available.
 
Bridgeport

A vertical mill is just that..... vertical. They take up space differently than lathes. So,going from a small to medium to BP in footprint isn't like going through that with horizontal machines. Vertical bandsaws,drillpress,tool storage is a bigger bang for the buck as you go "up" in size,vs "out".

Buy used,sell used. At the very least,snag a Chinese whoflungdung round column mill,used. Even if you get a BP later..... you can keep the first one as a drillpress? or sumthin?..... or pass it on to a shooting bud for what you have in it.
 
Used Bridgeport will be the best value. Parts and tooling are plentiful and reasonable. Look around for a decent BP and remember that a mill doesn’t need to be in perfect condition to work just fine for most gunsmith work. A couple thousandth wear in the ways and a few drill holes won’t hurt a thing inletting a stock , cutting a bolt release , or cutting the back of a magazine well for an extended magazine. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good in your search. Good luck!
 
And yes a variable speed BP can have some issues but worn plastic bushings are not extremely hard or expensive to replace and the average hobbyist would never wear a variable head out in a lifetime if rebuilt. I wouldn’t let the fear of a variable head wearing out deter me from buying one.
 
OP I say get a full size knee mill, Bridgeport or a good clone if you can swing it.Step pulley machines definitely have less stuff to break, the 2hp variable speed was a little better than the 1.5HP IME. As stated above nothing in that head that cant be fixed or rebuilt. That being said I would look for one that is pretty tight and sounds quiet in high and low ranges. Check the quill feed to be sure it works. Also good idea to check the worm gear that rotates the head and the one that "nods" the head to make sure they are not broken also the rack that move the ram back and forth.
 
Keep in mind when you do buy a mill, the mill is going to be the inexpensive part of the equation. Tooling is an ongoing rabbit hole.
The fun I have with my equipment.:D:D:D
 
I love my belt drive Precision Matthews mill. I see no downside to belt drive. Never an issue. I only see the positive of less noise! The spindle bearing quality is what really matters.

A mill is not needed for most work on rifle barrels or actions, but a mill IS essential for doing work on rifle stocks. I also use my mill for drilling and tapping scope bases to 8-40 screws, opening magazine ports and modifying ejection ports, etc...

If you buy any machine new, make sure you follow the break in procedures to a "T"
 
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A full size machine's footprint is similar to a bench top's, that's true but it's not all of the equation for a hobbiest.
A full size Bridgeport or clone is easily 1500-2000 pounds.
A bench machine is 500-600 (maybe less depending on model).

It's a LOT easier for a hobby guy to move a bench top machine from spot to spot in a garage/home shop than it is to move a BP or clone.
Also, when looking at moving from residence to residence, the bench top is again much easier to move.

It's not always about footprint when size is a consideration.

Additionally, the bench mills from PM and the like will need, at most, 220 single. No need for running a converter of any kind. Simple set-up and breakdown if it's needed.

They also sell faster as they don't come up as often. IME, anyway.
 
I have only had a lathe and mill for six months. My lathe is a Taiwan built PM 1340 GT 3- phase with Dr Mark’s control board and I am extremely happy with it.

My mill is a Chinese built PM 727V. I was able to use it to successfully install a rudder on a ST-1000, but I wish the table had more X travel. It has 15”, and the next step up in mill has 23” of travel.
 
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I would caution you on a Bridgport. Just about every used one I have looked at had dips in the ways. You need to put a lot of work into them and need to have a lot of experience under your belt to get them back to 100%. If you are just a novice look at the Precision Matthews lines of Taiwan made mills.
 
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