Best/preferred tap brand for the smaller sizes?

[JSnover]

Anyone who has used a lot of smaller taps, can you recommend a favorite or "best" brand? I've drilled and tapped plenty but the smaller sizes always make me nervous. There are a few brands I avoid like the plague.
I'm mounting a rear sight on an Enfield action, need to drill and tap two 6-48 holes near the charging clip guide.
Brownell's carries a Rieff & Nestor tap, 5 star reviews.

[beshears]

Buy from Brownells

[405grain]

I prefer the GM series high performance taps from Widia for hand tapping, but they don't make a tap in 6-48. From available sources for a 6-48 tap it looks like Brownell's has the best price.

[Kenstone]

Two Flute Spiral Point has always been my go to tap design, in both my professional and DIY stuff, and the 6x32 size being the most likely/most often the one that breaks.
6x48 has less thread depth and is NOT as prone to breakage in my experience.
I hate 4 flute taps that have to be "backed off" during use because they more often bind up or break when backing off.
jmo,
:smile:
.

[koger]

I have used Brownells for nearly 40 years with great results, I dont even give other brands a second thought. Another good thing about Brownells taps is, If you break one off in a gun, You can take a center punch and hit it hard, will shatter and you can easily pick the pieces out with a pic and magnet, and salvage a potentialy bad situation. I have had to do this 4 times, with no issues.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve heard of gunsmiths taking jumper cables from a 12 volt battery and quickly touching the spot to be drilled. Supposedly the heat from the momentary contact anneals around the spot to be drilled, making it easier to drill and tap. I’ve never tried it. It’s just something I heard during my 55+ years of fooling with guns.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I like OSG taps. Typically most are 2 flute Spiral Point which fold the chips down, so they are to be used on thru holes.

Spiral Flute taps direct the chips up out of the hole and are designed for tapping blind holes.

Form or Roll Taps don't make chips. They reform the hole into a threaded hole. If you are working soft or very ductile metals Roll Taps are the way to go. They are by far the strongest design of tap.

As stated above 6-32 taps are the weakest. You really need to pay attention when using them as they are prone to ruin your day.

Randy

[curdog007]

My go to tap brand has always been Greenfield - I do not know how many tens of thousands of holes I did with them in 30 years.
Like the others say, spiral point for through holes - make sure the tap drill is the correct size, both for diameter and also it may need adjusted if a deep hole. Use good tapping fluid.

[NikA]

I don't have a strong preference amongst the quality tap brands. I used to buy lots of taps from closed machine shops, until I was sufficiently saturated with the common sizes. Now I will occasionally pick up a lot when l know it has a size I'm looking for, but I mostly buy specific sizes NOS off sites like eBay. I have so many boxes of new taps in the common Imperial sizes below 1/2" I've just left them on a workbench until I find a place to store them. Most are "Chromate" brand I think, but I'm pretty sure Chromate was a reseller like Grainger so I don't know the actual manufacturer past being ground in the USA.

[JSnover]

Thanks for the recommendations!
Tapping procedure isn't a problem, I just don't want the tool itself to be the problem.

[gishooter]

Check out the taps you can buy from a machinist supply house such as KBC tools. Buy quality. Cost a bit more but you will not regret it. I buy sets (start, plug.bottoming) and replace individual taps as they wear. OSG, Greenfield/Widia, etc. I have all the well known brands, including some of the Polish made ones (excellent quality also). Careful setup, technique, and cutting oil is just as important. Good quality tap wrench, etc. I like the Castrol brand tapping fluid. Black from suspended moly. but cuts better than anything else I've tried for steel. And practice on a piece of scrap before attempting on actual work piece!
Sometimes use a little shop made tapping block like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNmd1-v62tw

[pastera]

USA made tap and a tap guide in the same setup used to drill

https://www.shars.com/spring-load-tapping-guide

[BS2]

Greenfield is what I have always used.
Never liked the spiral fluted taps, they break easily.

[Kenstone]

Greenfield is what I have always used.
Never liked the spiral fluted taps, they break easily.

A spiral point tap does not have spiral flutes.
I believe spiral fluted taps are designed for use on CNC machines, not for hand tapping or manual machine use.
just sayin'

[M-Tecs]

OSG and various other premium taps have served me very well. The Polish or Chinese stuff not so much. Some of the Polish stuff has gotten a lot better in the last ten years but due to past bad experience I avoid them like the plague. With taps you get what you pay for.

I never use anything other than spiral point or form taps unless they are not available in that size. I use hand taps as little as possible.

This will clear up the nomenclature https://www.cnccookbook.com/different-types-thread-taps-complete-guide-choosing/#:~:text=1%20Spiral%20Point%20Taps%20%28Gun%20Nose %20or%20Bull,cut%20threads%20at%20all.%20...%20Mor e%20items...%20

[uscra112]

I buy whatever McMaster has in stock. They never stock anything but the best.

Hate four-flute hand taps. Won't use 'em at all in any size under 1/4 inch.

Whenever possible, I tap with the part in the mill, using a guided tap wrench.

280178

[JSnover]

No need to worry about my procedure, I plan on using a mill, good cutting fluid, etc.
I actually can't remember the first time I tapped a hole, might have been back when I was a teenager. My problem is I've lucky enough to not tap much under 1/4" and as a result I just don't like doing it.
Good quality tooling, slow and gentle with the tap...
Thanks again.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My go to tap brand has always been Greenfield - I do not know how many tens of thousands of holes I did with them in 30 years.
Like the others say, spiral point for through holes - make sure the tap drill is the correct size, both for diameter and also it may need adjusted if a deep hole. Use good tapping fluid.

It's been a decade or so, since I was the one requisitioning them for the Jobsite I use to work at...But I always spec'd Greenfield. Usually got them from McMaster-Carr...but sometimes Granger, if we needed them same day.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A spiral point tap does not have spiral flutes.
I believe spiral fluted taps are designed for use on CNC machines, not for hand tapping or manual machine use.
just sayin'

"spiral fluted taps" .... I guess I can't say what they were designed for? But we did use them on occasion for tapping thinner steel. They seemed to last longer (not get dull), used in the Tap-O-Matic mounted in a drill press.

[JSnover]

"spiral fluted taps" .... I guess I can't say what they were designed for? But we did use them on occasion for tapping thinner steel. They seemed to last longer (not get dull), used in the Tap-O-Matic mounted in a drill press.

Spiral flute taps are the best choice for interrupted cuts or thin stock. The spiral gives sort of a 'lead-in' effect as the flutes cross the gap.

[gishooter]

"Polish stuff has gotten a lot better in the last ten years but due to past bad experience I avoid them"

M-tecs, I don't want to get on a tangent but this caught my attention. I've only used a few of the TMX brand taps and a few of their split style threading dies over past 4 years or so. Usually from MSC or KBC. And satisfied with them. I'm curious where you got those earlier ones you had problems with. I want to avoid them if at all possible. You can PM so as not to clutter this thread. But I'm sure other members would be curious to know.

[M-Tecs]

Before I retired I managed a military machine shop. They were purchased though the the GSA system. Whenever possible we would try to local purchase or sole source so we could control the quality but due to funding streams that was not always possible. The same Federal Stock Number could be sourced from various manufactures. Some good and some not so good. The Polish stuff varied from OK to bad but as i stated the early stuff was mostly all bad and latter some of it was OK.

[Rifle 57]

I buy American made taps from MSC .

[uscra112]

I can recall buying some custom taps made in Poland via Victor Machinery when I first got into Ballards, a good 15 years ago. They were literally made-to-order. Lead time was only a couple of weeks, and they were perfectly fine. I'm sure I still have them as they got used only once or twice.

When it comes to metalworking, Poland is not a third world country.

[JSnover]

Before I retired I managed a military machine shop. They were purchased though the the GSA system. Whenever possible we would try to local purchase or sole source so we could control the quality but due to funding streams that was not always possible. The same Federal Stock Number could be sourced from various manufactures. Some good and some not so good. The Polish stuff varied from OK to bad but as i stated the early stuff was mostly all bad and latter some of it was OK.

I had the same experience. We received a box of 3/4" drill bits stamped "Bosnia" (no manufacturer info) that were pretty impressive.

[JSnover]

Form or Roll Taps don't make chips. They reform the hole into a threaded hole. If you are working soft or very ductile metals Roll Taps are the way to go. They are by far the strongest design of tap.

As stated above 6-32 taps are the weakest. You really need to pay attention when using them as they are prone to ruin your day.

Randy

The one time I used form taps I really liked them! I was a little skeptical when it come to drilling a larger hole but it made sense and they worked perfectly. Unfortunately they don't seem as common and I haven't seen them in the smaller sizes yet.

[uscra112]

Best way in the world if you have to thread some of the gummier aluminum alloys.