what/how to order a reamer

[pressedRat]

im looking into ordering a reamer (or two) to be used whenever a new barrel is made for my rifles.

i would like to be able to use this reamer with various gunsmiths.

Im assuming that i always want to purchase a 'finishing' reamer. there are a couple of options though, oil grooves and bushings, steel or carbide.

what do folks normally do? do they work with a smith and purchase what he specifies for these options or can you order one with 'generic' options?

Are there other things i need to ask for besides these options (pulled from JGS website).

This assumes of course that i know the configuration of the reamer (the blue print)

thanks for any info.

 

[Scott Harris]

Here are some questions to address:
1. What style of shooting? hunting, plinking, tactical/repeater, f-class, benchrest (answers here drive all the answers below)
2. What cartridge?
3. SAAMI body dimensions or something "tighter?" (go with SAAMI minimum by default)
4. what brass? (determines loaded round neck diameter, thereby setting chamber neck dimension..go with SAAMI neck by default)
5. what bullet? (determines freebore number)
6. repeater or single-shot (also determines freebore number)

If you want the short story, decide what cartridge, bullet, brass you intend to use and whether you will use a single-shot or repeater. The two key variables are chamber neck size and freebore length. Unless you have a good reason, stick with SAAMI minimum chamber dimensions, to include the neck. This is the safest route for a newbie.... and most of the rest of us too. Pick a freebore dimension that is either perfect for your bullet or allows you to meet magazine length restrictions.

A high-speed steel finish reamer that uses bushings is the way to go for an individual. Stick with SAAMI/CIP-certified cartridges....no wildcats.

Now, some people may ask why stick with SAAMI/CIP specs. The reason is chambers, sizing dies, cartridges, and magazines all must interoperate. SAAMI standards define both the chamber and cartridge dimensions to ensure everything works safely and reliably. Mess with these numbers at your own risk....see post below.

 

[FeMan]

Your idea for your own reamer is a good one. I am no expert so others will hopefully chime in with better info, but I order live-pilot steel reamers from JGS by sending them a dummy round set up the way I want the chamber throated. I asked for a minimum/tight chamber on my first reamer. It was a bit tight for tactical speed shooting. I now ask for a wider base dimension. They added 2-thousandths to the rear. That is working much better. HTH.

 

[TAJ45]

My Bud and smith that I assisted in the brainstorming of his tooling arrived at this:

Use drills instead of a ruffing reamer, re indicate* then follow with a boring bar** to establish absolute concentricity ( at least = to the head stock run out) before running your finish reamer in.
* Use range rods to indicate with.
** Reamers follow the hole. You can not straighten an off ctr hole with a reamer.

You will have to establish drill depths per dia, per cartridge profile, natch.

He said after the first couple of chambers, he can make good time. With the bux saved on the rougher, get one ground for your die - should you start cattin' a round.

His chamberings are in the threes @200yds. Not moa. Ex BR competitor.

Hope this gives you some options and ideas.

 

[pressedRat]

thanks for the replies, as to points 1-6 above, yes in some cases i want a SAAMI spec reamer and in another instance (6mm dasher) i have a 'blue print' that contains all of the specifications. this reamer is not for my use (i dont have a equipment to chamber barrels). it is for me to own and send to any gunsmith who would then chamber a barrel for me and also perhaps to have custom dies made with.

this issue came up because i have had a rifle re-barreled to saami specs several times and the results have varied (freebore in particular).

as to the post above me, thats good advice (I guess, im not a smith and have no control over how the rifle is chambered other than via a reamer i would own). I'd like to own the equipment to chamber my own barrels but regardless of cost (and i guess i could afford the best, i assume the equipment would run into several tens of thousands of dollars) it would be silly as i would at most do four or five barrels a year, and most likely less.