Revolver cylinder chamfering?

AndABeer · January 13, 2002, 12:05 PM

I have a 610 (and probably some other revolvers) that I would like to have the chambers chamfered lightly for quicker reloads. Does Brownells make a tool for this? Do most professional smiths just use a Dremel and their highly honed skills? The online sources I have seen "only" want $25-35 for it so I can't imagine their are too many expert tricks to do it. IF I decide to give it a go myself, what are the stumbling blocks for this operation.

LIProgun · January 13, 2002, 06:35 PM

Brownell's does indeed make a cylinder chamfering tool. I've used the .38/.357 tool on several cylinders, and it does a fine job if you do your part.

WESHOOT2 · January 14, 2002, 06:54 AM

Lesseenow.......$25-35 for a pro with the right tools to chamfer my $150 cylinder...........or me and my Dremel and crocus cloth to chamfer (hopefully) my $150 cylinder..........hmmm.........or I can buy a $?? tool and experiment on my $150 cylinder..........

This, of course, is meant only as humor; I too will hack away at any of my guns in a (amateur) attempt to improve them (although chamfering the cylinders of my seven revolvers has admittedly not been attempted as yet -- I'm hiring a professional to do it!).

AndABeer · January 14, 2002, 09:32 AM

Well I never considered going after my cylinder with a Dremel. I was just wondering how the professionals did it. The main point of my post was to inquire as to whether there was a self guiding tool that would accomplish the task with little risk. I did locate the Brownells tool but did not realize it was caliber specific. I only thought you needed to pick a chamfer angle. My thinking that with one $40 tool I could chamfer all my revolvers, .357 through .45, rather than spend the $300 for a smith to do them all. Again, provided it was not deemed to be too difficult. However, the only one I am really anxious to have done is my 610 so I will call around locally for wait times.

Brian Williams · January 14, 2002, 09:45 AM

How much metal is removed when a cylinder is chamfered and does it really help... is it a problem with hot loads aka the unsupported Glock 40's

thanks

AndABeer · January 14, 2002, 11:40 AM

Perfsessr,

Not much at all, just enough to break that harsh edge. If you were to remove a lot (i.e. too much) your ejector would no longer function (at least on normal rimmed caliber revolvers). I have seen people drop a loaded moon clip from about an inch or two above the open cylinder and they fell right in.

Everyone,

A call to local smiths put the price at $45 and over a month wait time. Called Brownells, the tech guy recommended not cutting into the ejector and just chamfering the outer edge of the chamber. Not sure how this would help me as it seems my loaded clips get hung up on the inner edge of the ejector. The tool is $60, caliber specific, but extra pilots ($15) are all you need to do different calibers as the cutter is the same for all calibers. I am still undecided but the do-it-yourselfer is winning out.

WESHOOT2 · January 15, 2002, 02:14 AM

I've been too scared to try it on ANY of my wheels (see earlier post), and my LSWC IPSC loads get caught all the time.

Plus, I've had great results with any pro work I've had done; not too shabby with me D-I-YS, either.

(I've read that the ejector star is untouched.)

labgrade · January 15, 2002, 09:33 AM

While I won't say that I've chamferred my cylinders, I have chucked Kratex abrasive on a Dremmel & just broken the edge on a few. Works quite well.

No so much to remove any material (you do), but just to make the edge less sharp.

Kratex, BTW, is an abrasive-impregnated rubber - comes in sticks or as pre-molded shapes for Dremmel mandrels, etc. Neat stuff & in many different grades.

AndABeer · January 21, 2002, 05:32 PM

Received the tool Thursday but just now sat down to remove the cylinder and use the tool on it. Worked pretty well. Did not remove much metal at all and loading seems much improved. Thanks to all the replys.

JimmyDee · January 22, 2002, 11:32 AM

Did you chamfer the ejector star, too? That's a question in my mind: will chamfering affect ejection relibility? Don't want to end up with a hard-to-extract case under the star, you know...

AndABeer · January 22, 2002, 01:32 PM

Yes I did cut into the ejector on this gun because that is where I was getting hung up the most on reloads. However, this is a 10mm revolver so the ejector wasn't working off the cartridge rim anyway. I'd have to completely butcher the ejector to keep the moon clips from working. If I get subsequent pilots for other rimmed calibers I will most likely avoid the star.

pahrumpcaveman · January 23, 2002, 04:01 PM

I had a similar problem with a security six I have . The cylinder had such a sharp edge it would bite into the case as you loaded it . I took my de burring tool to all the holes ( just enough to remove the edge ) and it works fine now .

January 13, 2002, 12:05 PM	#1
AndABeer Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2000 Location: Lakeland, TN Posts: 1,622	Revolver cylinder chamfering? I have a 610 (and probably some other revolvers) that I would like to have the chambers chamfered lightly for quicker reloads. Does Brownells make a tool for this? Do most professional smiths just use a Dremel and their highly honed skills? The online sources I have seen "only" want $25-35 for it so I can't imagine their are too many expert tricks to do it. IF I decide to give it a go myself, what are the stumbling blocks for this operation. __________________ "The key is to not pull the trigger but to squeeze it." Evil Emporer Zurg "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts." Unknown

January 13, 2002, 06:35 PM	#2
LIProgun Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2000 Location: Hudson Valley, NY Posts: 489	Brownell's does indeed make a cylinder chamfering tool. I've used the .38/.357 tool on several cylinders, and it does a fine job if you do your part. __________________ MOLON LABE. - Leonidas of Sparta, 480 B.C.

January 14, 2002, 06:54 AM	#3
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	HIRE A PROFESSIONAL Lesseenow.......$25-35 for a pro with the right tools to chamfer my $150 cylinder...........or me and my Dremel and crocus cloth to chamfer (hopefully) my $150 cylinder..........hmmm.........or I can buy a $?? tool and experiment on my $150 cylinder.......... This, of course, is meant only as humor; I too will hack away at any of my guns in a (amateur) attempt to improve them (although chamfering the cylinders of my seven revolvers has admittedly not been attempted as yet -- I'm hiring a professional to do it!). __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

January 14, 2002, 09:32 AM	#4
AndABeer Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2000 Location: Lakeland, TN Posts: 1,622	Well I never considered going after my cylinder with a Dremel. I was just wondering how the professionals did it. The main point of my post was to inquire as to whether there was a self guiding tool that would accomplish the task with little risk. I did locate the Brownells tool but did not realize it was caliber specific. I only thought you needed to pick a chamfer angle. My thinking that with one $40 tool I could chamfer all my revolvers, .357 through .45, rather than spend the $300 for a smith to do them all. Again, provided it was not deemed to be too difficult. However, the only one I am really anxious to have done is my 610 so I will call around locally for wait times. __________________ "The key is to not pull the trigger but to squeeze it." Evil Emporer Zurg "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts." Unknown

January 14, 2002, 11:40 AM	#6
AndABeer Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2000 Location: Lakeland, TN Posts: 1,622	Perfsessr, Not much at all, just enough to break that harsh edge. If you were to remove a lot (i.e. too much) your ejector would no longer function (at least on normal rimmed caliber revolvers). I have seen people drop a loaded moon clip from about an inch or two above the open cylinder and they fell right in. Everyone, A call to local smiths put the price at $45 and over a month wait time. Called Brownells, the tech guy recommended not cutting into the ejector and just chamfering the outer edge of the chamber. Not sure how this would help me as it seems my loaded clips get hung up on the inner edge of the ejector. The tool is $60, caliber specific, but extra pilots ($15) are all you need to do different calibers as the cutter is the same for all calibers. I am still undecided but the do-it-yourselfer is winning out. __________________ "The key is to not pull the trigger but to squeeze it." Evil Emporer Zurg "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts." Unknown Last edited by AndABeer; January 14, 2002 at 12:22 PM.

January 14, 2002, 09:45 AM	#5
Brian Williams Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2001 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 1,289	How much metal is removed when a cylinder is chamfered and does it really help... is it a problem with hot loads aka the unsupported Glock 40's thanks

January 15, 2002, 02:14 AM	#7
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	LET US KNOW I've been too scared to try it on ANY of my wheels (see earlier post), and my LSWC IPSC loads get caught all the time. Plus, I've had great results with any pro work I've had done; not too shabby with me D-I-YS, either. (I've read that the ejector star is untouched.) __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

January 15, 2002, 09:33 AM	#8
labgrade Member In Memoriam Join Date: November 29, 1999 Location: west of a small town, CO Posts: 4,346	While I won't say that I've chamferred my cylinders, I have chucked Kratex abrasive on a Dremmel & just broken the edge on a few. Works quite well. No so much to remove any material (you do), but just to make the edge less sharp. Kratex, BTW, is an abrasive-impregnated rubber - comes in sticks or as pre-molded shapes for Dremmel mandrels, etc. Neat stuff & in many different grades.

January 21, 2002, 05:32 PM	#9
AndABeer Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2000 Location: Lakeland, TN Posts: 1,622	Received the tool Thursday but just now sat down to remove the cylinder and use the tool on it. Worked pretty well. Did not remove much metal at all and loading seems much improved. Thanks to all the replys. __________________ "The key is to not pull the trigger but to squeeze it." Evil Emporer Zurg "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts." Unknown

January 22, 2002, 11:32 AM	#10
JimmyDee Member Join Date: December 30, 2001 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 79	Did you chamfer the ejector star, too? That's a question in my mind: will chamfering affect ejection relibility? Don't want to end up with a hard-to-extract case under the star, you know...

January 22, 2002, 01:32 PM	#11
AndABeer Senior Member Join Date: April 9, 2000 Location: Lakeland, TN Posts: 1,622	Yes I did cut into the ejector on this gun because that is where I was getting hung up the most on reloads. However, this is a 10mm revolver so the ejector wasn't working off the cartridge rim anyway. I'd have to completely butcher the ejector to keep the moon clips from working. If I get subsequent pilots for other rimmed calibers I will most likely avoid the star. __________________ "The key is to not pull the trigger but to squeeze it." Evil Emporer Zurg "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts." Unknown

January 23, 2002, 04:01 PM	#12
pahrumpcaveman Member Join Date: December 1, 2000 Location: pahrump,nevada Posts: 65	I had a similar problem with a security six I have . The cylinder had such a sharp edge it would bite into the case as you loaded it . I took my de burring tool to all the holes ( just enough to remove the edge ) and it works fine now .