On hand chamber reamers?

[drbill]

I know some gunsmiths have alot of different chamber reamers on hand.

Are certain reamers a must to have on hand or is it better to rent reamers when needed?

 

[lazylabs]

I dont know anyone that rents reamers for customer work.

 

[mountainman56]

There are a couple places that rent reamers. 4D Reamer rentals has an extensive selection, however I am hesitant to rent a reamer that someone else has used. Many others use this service with good results.

Delivery for a new reamer is usually just a few days so I just order as needed.

 

[shortgrass]

Rent a reamer? Not a chance! With the sudden urge of many to "do their own gunsmithing" , I'd not trust a rented reamer as far as I could throw it. I don't buy a reamer until I have a job for it, and then it must be a tool I expect to use again in a reasonable amount of time. If the customer wants an obscure or special chambering he needs to supply the reamer and gauge(s) or agree to added fees if he expects the gunsmith to supply the tools. If the customer supplies the tools they are his to do as he sees fit with. Most reamer makers today have many different chambering reamers 'on the shelf'. Don't order it 'till you need it. With three major reamer makers one of them is bound to have what you want when you need it and you'll have it in less than a week.

 

[sable tireur]

drbill,

Are certain reamers a must to have on hand...

That will depend on your clients and your field of choice.

In general though, I use .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 RSAUM, .300 Win. Mag. and .338 Lapua the most. But I have a full complement of most of the other common reamers plus some not so common wildcats. I also have variations of the same reamer (such as .308 Win.) but with different throats, leade and neck diameters.

Look into your chosen field of endeavor to see what the most common chambers are for the type of work you plan to solicit. Don't over buy but let your clientele help you select. I buy all standards and most variations but oddballs and wildcats are up to the client to arrange.

Regards.

 

[J E Custom]

Rent a reamer? Not a chance! With the sudden urge of many to "do their own gunsmithing" , I'd not trust a rented reamer as far as I could throw it. I don't buy a reamer until I have a job for it, and then it must be a tool I expect to use again in a reasonable amount of time. If the customer wants an obscure or special chambering he needs to supply the reamer and gauge(s) or agree to added fees if he expects the gunsmith to supply the tools. If the customer supplies the tools they are his to do as he sees fit with. Most reamer makers today have many different chambering reamers 'on the shelf'. Don't order it 'till you need it. With three major reamer makers one of them is bound to have what you want when you need it and you'll have it in less than a week.

+1 If you are just starting out. don't buy an assortment of reamers, Buy what your customers want you to build for them and decide if you want to split the cost with him or have him pay for the reamer if it is a wildcat or something exotic and offer it to him If he wants to keep it.

Normally you can get a new reamer faster than a barrel, so time is normally not an issue.

Some reamers will never get used more than once even though they are well known because the demand is just not there anymore. Also where your customers hunt or come from makes a big difference it there choice of cartridges.

I will never rent a reamer for the same reason others have said. I have bough used reamers and had them re sharpened to SAMME spec. for less than a new reamer and sometimes faster.


J E CUSTOM

 

[Edd]

What is your opinion about cutting the chamber in three separate steps? Use a reamer to cut the body and headspace, cut the neck with a second reamer, then the throat with a third reamer.

Gre'-Tan Rifles

 

[lazylabs]

No thanks... I can see modifying one chamber here and there but to cut chambers like that all the time would be very tedious. It also increases your chance of alignment problems or missing a depth number a bit.

 

[Buttermilk]

I've had two chambers cut using three seperate steps. Both turned out to be good shooters.

 

[J E Custom]

What is your opinion about cutting the chamber in three separate steps? Use a reamer to cut the body and headspace, cut the neck with a second reamer, then the throat with a third reamer.

Gre'-Tan Rifles

I know this is done all the time, But I prefer to do a chamber in one step using one finish reamer.

I don't have a production schedule, so I don't use roughing reamers ether.

I don't believe that you can cut a more precision chamber with more than one well made reamer
and one set up.

Buy the reamer with the dimensions you want and In My Opinion, you will lower the risk of a poor chamber.

Just My opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[drbill]

I have an idea on what to do from the responses. Thanks for the replies.

With guys discussing necks and throats etc, what is your advice on live pilot bushings and uni-throaters for each caliber as well?

Thanks.

 

[shortgrass]

If the work is being done with a CNC and the programing is good and complete it becomes as simple as 1, 2, 3. Measurements for tool setting have to be precise, but thats what the tool setter is for. It would become like any other machining done on a CNC controlled machine. Bring up the program, insert the tools in the appropriot station(s) and record the setting with the tool setter, make a visual 'dry run' on the computer screen, and away we go! Repeatable and accurate. Faster, too... Because you've calculated the spindle speed and feed rate and entered them into the program,,,,,, even if you slow the 'rapids' to 25% ("rapids' are the movements made at high speed when the tools are not engaged in the work). CNC machines aren't necessairly better, they're just more 'capable' than most mens' hands are. You turn control of the machine over to the computer, where as a manual machine is run by hands controlled by a brain,,,,,, and sometimes the two don't coordinate as we'd like them to! On the other hand,,,,, garbage in = garbage out. I cut mine on a manual machine with a reamer that has the body, neck, and throat on the same tool. I do, sometimes, use a throating reamer.

 

[shortgrass]

I have an idea on what to do from the responses. Thanks for the replies.

With guys discussing necks and throats etc, what is your advice on live pilot bushings and uni-throaters for each caliber as well?

Thanks.

Live pilots only, caliber specific throating reamers. You'll need a 'set' of pilots for each caliber. Live pilot on the throating reamers, too.