finish reaming?

Ammo Junky · November 7, 2006, 09:25 PM

I am courious how hard it is to finish ream a new bbl by hand? I have a bbl vice and action wrench, so when the time comes I should be able to replace the bbl. Will I be able to finish ream a bbl by hand as well as a smith can do it? Do most smiths to it with a lathe or do thay finish ream by hand? What polishing should I do after reaming?

cntryboy1289 · November 8, 2006, 12:48 AM

You can finish ream a prechambered barrel by using a tap wrench to turn the reamer with. Get a decent book on the subject and read up before you try it though. No, it isn't as good as using a lathe, but you can get decent results and a lot of smiths have done this for years. Best of luck with it.

Clemson · November 8, 2006, 02:17 PM

The following from another forum may help you out with hand reaming. You can certainly do it that way. For a short chambered barrel, results should be as good as you could get with a lathe.

http://www.sporterizing.com/index.ph...topic=1608&hl=

Good luck!

Clemson

James K · November 8, 2006, 02:36 PM

With a normal barrel installation, I liked to finish ream by hand, as it isn't hard to cut too much using a lathe. Even when I used the lathe to chamber an unchambered barrel, I would leave the final reaming to be done by hand.

Jim

**Unclenick** · November 8, 2006, 05:57 PM

A lathe makes the rough cutting of a blank faster and puts a better surface finish on the work if you have a through-the-bore lubrication setup, like Greg Tannel's stuff. However, it is also easy to screw up on a lathe, overcutting, for one. I've seen some clueless guys put a reamer directly in a tailstock drill chuck, then wonder why they keep getting chambers that are too fat in the rear? It takes more knowlege and tooling to do well on a lathe, though it takes more sense of "feel" to do it freehand.

If you have a rough-chambered barrel, I have had very good luck with the pull-through style finishing reamers in service rifles, and can recommend that route. All hand reaming of roughed-in chambers presumes your rough cut was made properly concentric with the bore axis. If you know someone with a lathe, you might at least consider having them indicate a rough chamber for concentricity so you may return the barrel if it is crummy? Crummy would be in the same range as that of loaded cartridge bullet runout which affects accuracy - 4 mils or more total indicated runout (TIR). Great would be half mill and under TIR. One to two mils is not uncommon.

Nick

Harry Bonar · November 13, 2006, 03:27 PM

Hey Guys:
At first i thought immediately of reaming an iron muzzle-loading bbl.
Yea, they did that by the thousands.
I guess it gives my age away.
But, yes finish reaming you new bbl. chamber is very acceptable - yes, you can use a large tap werench with light pressure and plenty of sulfer lard cutting oil!
Harry B.

November 7, 2006, 09:25 PM	#1
Ammo Junky Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: IL Posts: 537	finish reaming? I am courious how hard it is to finish ream a new bbl by hand? I have a bbl vice and action wrench, so when the time comes I should be able to replace the bbl. Will I be able to finish ream a bbl by hand as well as a smith can do it? Do most smiths to it with a lathe or do thay finish ream by hand? What polishing should I do after reaming? __________________ Will work for brass. I apologise in advance for spelling errors.

November 8, 2006, 02:17 PM	#3
Clemson Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2001 Location: Greenwood, SC Posts: 875	The following from another forum may help you out with hand reaming. You can certainly do it that way. For a short chambered barrel, results should be as good as you could get with a lathe. http://www.sporterizing.com/index.ph...topic=1608&hl= Good luck! Clemson __________________ NRA Endowment Member, NRA Certified Instructor CWP Holder US Army veteran Gunsmith www.boltandbarrel.com

November 8, 2006, 05:57 PM	#5
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	A lathe makes the rough cutting of a blank faster and puts a better surface finish on the work if you have a through-the-bore lubrication setup, like Greg Tannel's stuff. However, it is also easy to screw up on a lathe, overcutting, for one. I've seen some clueless guys put a reamer directly in a tailstock drill chuck, then wonder why they keep getting chambers that are too fat in the rear? It takes more knowlege and tooling to do well on a lathe, though it takes more sense of "feel" to do it freehand. If you have a rough-chambered barrel, I have had very good luck with the pull-through style finishing reamers in service rifles, and can recommend that route. All hand reaming of roughed-in chambers presumes your rough cut was made properly concentric with the bore axis. If you know someone with a lathe, you might at least consider having them indicate a rough chamber for concentricity so you may return the barrel if it is crummy? Crummy would be in the same range as that of loaded cartridge bullet runout which affects accuracy - 4 mils or more total indicated runout (TIR). Great would be half mill and under TIR. One to two mils is not uncommon. Nick __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

November 13, 2006, 03:27 PM	#6
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	reaming// Hey Guys: At first i thought immediately of reaming an iron muzzle-loading bbl. Yea, they did that by the thousands. I guess it gives my age away. But, yes finish reaming you new bbl. chamber is very acceptable - yes, you can use a large tap werench with light pressure and plenty of sulfer lard cutting oil! Harry B.

November 8, 2006, 12:48 AM	#2
cntryboy1289 Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2004 Location: Ms Posts: 1,160	You can finish ream a prechambered barrel by using a tap wrench to turn the reamer with. Get a decent book on the subject and read up before you try it though. No, it isn't as good as using a lathe, but you can get decent results and a lot of smiths have done this for years. Best of luck with it.

November 8, 2006, 02:36 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	With a normal barrel installation, I liked to finish ream by hand, as it isn't hard to cut too much using a lathe. Even when I used the lathe to chamber an unchambered barrel, I would leave the final reaming to be done by hand. Jim