Looking for work reaming .36 pitta cylinders

[TheOutlawKid]

Hey everyone, im new to the forum and hopefully am posting this in the correct area of the site. I have some pietta .36 navy's and the Chambers measure .367-368, with groove to groove diameter at .372, wondering if anyone out there reams cap n ball cylinders and could help open up my Chambers over groove diameter to about .001 over, so to about .373 . Just looking to get the most accuracy out of my navies. Heard of others doing this and it helped a bit with closing up their spread. Thanks to all in advance.

[Wayne Smith]

PM Dougguy. I don't know if he's done C&B but I'll bet he can.

[TheOutlawKid]

I have messaged him and we have been talking, although he doesn't work on cap n balls much he did say .375 was possible, but probably not .373, but we're still talking on possibly settling at .375 chambers. Does anyone have an idea or expreience on knowing if .003 over groove diameter on cap n ball revolvers is too much or should I only go .001-.002 over at max? Anyone able to help with some input?

[Good Cheer]

Just fyi...

Once upon a time I asked Erik at hollowpointmold if he would do his precision grinding work on percussion revolver chambers to the size I wanted and he declined the job.

John Taylor has done two revolvers for me to make a .40 and a .41 from (repro 1851 and 1858). The work you are describing is probably well within his capabilities. At present he is reportedly booked up for about a half a year.

Another possible means of accomplishing what you are after is to get a 9.4mm (.370") reamer and either doing the reaming or finding someone to do it. That's what I'm fixing to do with a 6" barreled 1849 with .32 groove diameter and .310 chambers. Found an inexpensive 8.1mm reamer on ebay.

[TheOutlawKid]

Will you be doing your reaming by hand or on a drill press? I was thinking I could do it but it seems as if this type of a job would be something that can't really be done unless special machinery was used to center the reamer etc. I was actually going to open it up slowly with very fine sandpaper and a dowel, keeping it snug just adding a single layer of sand paper around the end of the dowel each time it wore away at the chamber, I was going to run the wooden dowel through the barrel too so that its always perfectly straight ...but I stopped myself from possibly ruining a good cylinder. I know precision is very important for cartridge guns when it comes to chambers...but I wasn't sure if the rules are just as strict with an Italian colt replica which to begin with doesn't have the measurements cut to precision. I'm thinking my idea would have been a bad one. Are there any hand reamers that can be had in the measurements I need that will give great results?

[curator]

Try Goon's gunworks for chamber or action work on cap & ball revolvers. He posts occasionally on here.
http://www.goonsgunworks.com/

[square butte]

Last time i checked with Mike, he was not doing chamber reaming. Perhaps he's doing them now . . .

[Soundguy]

find a REAL machinist. it's pretty much just true and endmill.

[clodhopper]

You could purchase a .373 chucking reamer for about 25 bucks.
If it was my pistol, I would chuck the reamer and work it down each hole of the cylinder by hand.

The existing holes would be good guides, don't force it, and don't sweat a few thousandths difference in depth of the cylinder.

[TheOutlawKid]

Mr. Clodhopper, do you know of a tool I could use to Chuck it by hand and keep it centered? Is there a kit or something kinda like what brownells has for .45 cylinders? I can work tools, but I've never reamed...but I'm not a complete greenhorn with tools either.

[clodhopper]

Well if I was doing it, I would take piece of 2X4 lumber and cut a hole in it with a hole saw as close as possible to the diameter of your cylinder. Then cut across the hole with the grain, a rip cut.
This piece of wood will allow you to grip the cylinder firmly in a vise with out damaging it.

If you can, find a drill chuck to clamp on the reamer shank so you have enough traction to turn the reamer by hand.


A small amount of oil, first choice, thread cutting oil, second choice chainsaw bar oil. any oil is better than dry, will help the cut.

With a small square check to see your reamer is square to the face of the cylinder. Check two directions 90 degrees apart.


Gently turn the reamer with light down pressure, ream until the tool reaches the bottom of the hole. It will take a lot of revolutions to cut away the excess material. If you choose to use a power tool, keep the rpm about 300 and feed about 1 1/2" per minute, very few drills turn this slow. I recommend turning it by hand.

Reamers have a slight bevel on the end, it will find center, you keep it reasonably straight and the hole will guide the reamer.
221452


Here is what I would use, but the reamer is .374, no .373 reamer in my tool box.

[TheOutlawKid]

Mr.clodhopper, I think your idea on how to get it done would provide excellent results. Thank you for the info! After reaching out to many gunsmiths I finally found one has done what i want and willing to do it at an affordable price. Thank you all who responded. The gunsmith is Mr.Charlie Hahn if any of you are interested in getting work done