Personal Reamers, Finish Only?

[OnlyInAJeep]

I'm considering ordering a 6BRX chambering reamer, just for use for personal rifles, I'd be surprised if it was used for more than 10 barrels. Do I need to order both a roughing reamer and finish reamer or just a finish reamer? Also, I assume headspace guages would be needed also, both go and no go?

Thanks, Steve

 

[Changeling]

You only need the finish reamer. Go & No gages are really nice to have, but not an absolute necessity. If you are short on knowledge dealing with modified cases, I would recommend them.
Changeling

 

[dantec]

CAUTION try to cut a chambrer with only finish reamer can or will make an oversize chamber and kill your throat grooves, best is to perhaps spend more money BUT use a rought reamer or even use steped drill WITHOUT pilot

good shooting

DAN TEC

 

[mikecr]

Funny you should ask. Being the worlds luckiest guy, I have alittle experience to share with you regard this & more.

I just received back from a famous gunsmith, a Bat action, die blanks and 2 Border barrels. I say the gunsmith is famous because there is surely nobody shooting a custom, who hasn't heard of him. I sent him a full reamer kit -Rougher, finish, sizer, 10 pilot bushing kit, a floating reamer holder, go/no-go guages, and prints. All stuff sent was brand new and verified perfect. He had 2 months to finish the barrel blanks.

3 months later my stuff arrives engulfed, every nook & cranny, with grime. One barrel was not headspaced correctly,I can't close the bolt with the GO guage). All chambers are oversize, including my dies. My GO guage, boltface, and sizing die are galled,from use while grimey).
There were other problems, but how did this happen?
Well aside from inattention to detail, lack of cleanliness, and poor work standards, the only things returned to me UNGRIMED,therefore -not used), were the ROUGHER and SIZING reamers.
So I would agree with DANTEC.

 

[Changeling]

A screwed up gunsmith doesn't change the fact that absolutely "PERFECT" chambers can be cut with a finishing reamer only!
You evidently had a "Known" gunsmith that wasn't doing his own work, but farming it out, or just plain becoming sloppy! It is certainly not unheard of! But to say you need all the equipment you suggest is ridiculous, especially with a case as small and short as a 6BR.
ANY, gunsmith that knows what he is doing and more important is concerned about his work, setting up his equipment correctly, can do "Exactly" as I said in the beginning.
I have seen bad and Very bad work from some very well known gunsmiths! I have seen some "EXCELLENT" work from gunsmiths in both camps, new and concerned and old and dedicated!
You sir picked the wrong guy!!!!

 

[Changeling]

Forgot to add, in regard to what Dantec said about using a "Starting reamer" to open up the hole is not anything new to an experienced "Smith". It is a common practice to "Open UP" the chamber with various reamers that the Gun smith has on hand to remove excess metal, and "Then" use the finishing reamer for ALL further chamber work.
The precision execution in milling the chamber is in the hands of the Gun smith, and the excellence of the Finishing reamer.

 

[ArtinNC]

I'm not a gunsmith and not a machinist. I bought a cheap A&B barrel to TRY my hand at chambering a barrel. If you dial indicate the barrel in "correctly" then drill the chamber under size,then bore it to .020 under size then finish ream the chamber you WILL NOT have a over size chamber . I can put a three time hot fired case in a Sinclair Concentricity gauge and it is right on, and the chamber is NOT over size. I have sent guns to "Famous" gunsmiths and because I'm not a big name benchrest shooter they WILL NOT do a good job. So I can reck a rifle as good as a famous gunsmith and a lot cheaper .
Thanks,Art

 

[dantec]

to try to be clear

cu the chamber with finish reamer is one parameter of the problem

you need or must request to get a TRUE axe between your barrel bore and your spindle and your tail stock IF this condition is not true you just create following your set up, floating or no floating reamer holder)

crooked chamber, chamber not cocentric with the bore ),SO you can even sucess to have a NOT OVERSIZE chamber but if your chamber is not in the bore axis your accuracy will be poor

oversize chamber because "off center " barrel or out of axis tial stock, create an oversize chamber with or without floating reamer use

after to have check your set up and most case an accurate and stiff machine tool as a lathe is a costly equipement and I have never see any good chambering works made on a blacksmith lathe use one hour before to make farm toll parts ...

as finish reamer ONLY use, IF you use a stepped drill or a set of drill as roughter you can make good chambering, my point of view is that a finish reamer is design to be stiff and accurate so you have not deep flutte cut and IF you try to remove a lot of raw material you fill the fluttes very quick and you need to cut only very small depth cut and you risq to to destroy your chamber by galling with ships

I agree that some home made /spare time machinist can make good job BUT that a not a general rule and that very false to write than any body without skill and without experience can make perfect chambering job on first trial with 100% of chance of accuracy

last point : a gunsmith refer as benchrest gunsmith is a gunsmith with competition result ou customer good reports on already done works, making accurace rifles is not gambling and when a gun builder know how that for all the rifles he produce

good shooting

DAN TEC

 

[ArtinNC]

As I said the barrel has to be indicated in correctly . A dill will not drill a true hole even if you have a pilot hole it will be out of round or off center even if you use a set of drills, major problem with a twist drill is the lack of a pilot to drill concentric to the bore). After the chamber is drilled it must be trued by boring so the reamer has a true hole to follow. After boring use a test indicator to check the bored hole to make sure it is still true to the barrel axis. Then ream,oil and clean every .050 and the chamber will be concentric to the bore.
A lot of top benchrest shooters do there own gunsmithing.
Last point: I bought a 1000yd benchrest stock from the number one maker in the bussness,and paid $300 for it. It was so far out of square that if I had finished it,it would not even look like the stocks that apear on the covers of Precision Shooting and if I was one of the IBS 1000yd shooter of the years Top 20 I would not have got a stock in that condition. POINT is when I buy something I don't care about the cost I just want it right when I get it ., mikecr knows what I'm saying,He sent a couple thousand dollers worth of parts out and got S---t back.)
Thanks Art

 

[dantec]

dear ARTINNC

I doesn t to have any fight on this forum but

you have write

I'm not a gunsmith and not a machinist.

But you know how to use a lathe and set up a barrel so tht a far more skill than 99% of the beginner and write on a forum than anybody can make a good chambering without any machinist knowledge is another thing

you have write

I have sent guns to "Famous" gunsmiths and because I'm not a big name benchrest shooter they WILL NOT do a good job. So I can reck a rifle as good as a famous gunsmith and a lot cheaper .

I am very surprise to read that because a real gunsmith in BR rifle have a name and most are very respectabbles, get problems with one why not ...get quality problem with severals is very questionable thing

now if your skill is great to challenge to the best BR gunsmith, I wish you a lot of suces in bussiness

good shooting

DAN TEC

 

[BountyHunter]

Art

Pretty sure I know who you bought the stock from. His patterns are known for being out of square and always adds money to the build cost to have your smith "true" them up.

For laminate, I always get mine from Bruce Baer. Never seen one not square or heard of one. Top notch stocks and cheaper than the others. Only charges $25 to have it inletted when you order it.

 

[ArtinNC]

I'm not wanting to start a fight . Like I said I'm not a gunsmith or a machinist and never will be. And don't want to challenge any gunsmith. And someone that don't know anything about chambering should be very careful chambering a barrel. I'm not even a good enough shoot to be a benchrest shooter,but I like accurate guns and enjoy plinking,and just like things right.
.
I think I have "HIGH JACKED" this post and am sorry for doing so.
I hope the orignal post was answered.
Thanks, Art

 

[ArtinNC]

BountyHunter,
I'll check out Bruce Baer's stocks.I got one from Richard's Custom Rifles and was very happy.I'll be needing another.
Thanks, Art

 

[OnlyInAJeep]

I got what I was after, thanks for the info!

Steve