Want to ream cylinder throats

[cabezaverde]

I have a number of revolvers that I would like to ream the cylinder throats of.

It looks like I could buy the tools for a little less than it would cost to have cylindersmith do them.

How hard of a job is this? Can the average shooter reloader do it, or is it a job best left to the pros?

I am thinking that if I buy the tool, I would always have it for down the road.

BTW - The guns are all .38/.357 with the darn undersized Ruger throats, so at this point I would only need the one reamer.

[sundog]

It's not at all difficult if you can use hand tools. Be sure to get all the pilots that you think you might need. That adds to the cost of your initial outlay, but you need to have the right tools.

[pdawg_shooter]

I lap mine with an expandable brass lap and lapping compound. I get better control that way and don't have to worry about chatter marks or a reamer going dull.

[45 2.1]

Brownells has the tools and it is reasonably easy to do. When set up, you can do a cylinder in about 20 minutes with no problems.

[Whitespider]

I've done several, hone rather than ream, using emery cloth wrapped around a dowel or rod and chucked in a cordless drill. Work slow, measure often and use plenty of cutting oil. I'm able to get all the throats within .ooo1 (one ten-thousands of an inch) of each other. I'm also able to control the final finish by the use of different grit size as I get close to the desired diameter.

[cabezaverde]

It's not at all difficult if you can use hand tools. Be sure to get all the pilots that you think you might need. That adds to the cost of your initial outlay, but you need to have the right tools.

How does one figure out the pilot size they need?

[45 2.1]

How does one figure out the pilot size they need?

Brownells sells a "pilot pack" that has about 5 or 6 pilots in 0.0005" steps undersize to the reamer diameter that fits on the front of the reamer. One picks one that just slip fits into the cylinder throats to guide the reamer properly.

[MtGun44]

Search for an old post in gunsmithing that I put up on reaming my cylinders for
a Ruger BH. Pix and info. Best to have a drill press and decent drill press or mill
vise.

Bill

[mroliver77]

Good heavens Bill, you have like 1,000,000 pages of posts. I am not smart enough to "search" for it.
Jay

[curator]

Go for the Brownell's reamer. Push a soft bullet through several of the cylinder throats and measure it to determine the pilot diameter. After you have reamed the throats check your Rugers for a constriction where the barrel screws into the frame. ALL of mine have at least .004" to .008" "choke" there. Once I fire- lapped this to match the rest of the bore my Rugers began to shoot like a rifle.

[GLL]

Jay:

Try:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=12464&highlight=cylinder+reaming

[leftiye]

I'm with Bill. Use chucking reamers (with a long shank - you'll be surprised at how much they will flex) they do self center well without any problems (in many revolters so far). Don't ream (that's don't ream) if you only need to open up a thousandth. Use the brass lap, or the sandpaper on a metal dowel (sawed down the middle to hold the sandpaper) method. If you do ream, ream a thousandth undersize and lap or sand to size.

[ddeaton]

Order the kit from Brownells, like said above, picking the pilot is the easy part. I did 4 revolvers in one evening. If you want to get precise, make a jig to hold the cylinder, then ream on a drill press at slow speed. Jig is nothing more than a flat metal plate with a clearance hole drilled in it so the cylinder will sit flat on the plate. This will keep the bores parallel with the reamer. I did mine by hand and they turned out fine. Just use lots of cutting oil and blow the chips out before you pull the reamer back out.

[outdoorfan]

I've done several, hone rather than ream, using emery cloth wrapped around a dowel or rod and chucked in a cordless drill. Work slow, measure often and use plenty of cutting oil. I'm able to get all the throats within .ooo1 (one ten-thousands of an inch) of each other. I'm also able to control the final finish by the use of different grit size as I get close to the desired diameter.


Yep, that's what I have done too. Probably need about a .25 inch diameter metal rod. Split one end of it by .75 inch or so, just enough that you can get the emery cloth started with a firm hold so that it doesn't just spin on the rod once you get it all tight and snug and in the cylinder throats. Works like a charm.

[mroliver77]

Jay:

Try:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=12464&highlight=cylinder+reaming

Thanks Jerry.
Jay

[cabezaverde]

So I rented a reamer from 4-D. It is the one that comes with all the pilots.

I can use it for 10 days - cost $42.95 including inbound postage. I have to pay it on the way back.

In preparation for it coming, I slugged all my cylinders on the five 38/357 revolvers in our house.

The only ones that need reaming are the three Rugers. 2 SP-101's are close, a Security Six is miserable.

[mtgrs737]

I sent three cylinders to the cylinder smith and all were different calibers. He did a great job and I can tell the difference when shooting lead boolits. I got a 41 magnum that only needed .0005" to be where I needed it so I lapped it out with a brass rod that I turned down to the right size and sloted for wet or dry sand paper. It was quick and the results were great! I recomend a set of pin gages for measuring the throats as they can be hard to measure accurately.

[cabezaverde]

The reamer arrived today, but w/o instructions. Looks to me like it should be turned clockwise. Agree?

[Down South]

Yes the reamers turn clockwise.

[cabezaverde]

Things went pretty quick, as I already had the revolvers disassembled. Reamed 16 throats in less than an hour.