shortstart
36 Cal.
Is it possible to ream cylinders without going to a gunsmith? If so, what type of tools would be needed?
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Revolver chamber reaming
- Thread starter shortstart
- Start date
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I use a .450 reamer for 44cal full frame. Drillpress. Good vise, slowest rpm and lots of oil. Then use fine sand paper on mandrel with lots of oil to polish. Fresh piece of sand paper on each chamber. Ends up just under .451. If it's a open top frame I would shoot for .44?/ .002 maybe .003 over barrel max bore.
At any rate start under on ream then polish to finish.
That has been working for me.
At any rate start under on ream then polish to finish.
That has been working for me.
arcticap
54 Cal.
I believe that some C&B revolver chambers such as on this new Ruger Old Army are intentionally not polished at the factory in order
to create enough friction so that the balls or bullets will not move forward due to recoil during firing.
I came across these excerpts written by an experienced C&B revolver reamer on THR by the name of rifle that may be helpful:
"....ifin ya want to use yer mill or have a good drill press and drill vise and can set up to ream center in the chambers a guy can ream his own chambers with a chucking reamer.
"Use four flute-straight flute chucking reamers so the reamer doesn't try to pull it self into the hole". [1]
The problem is setting up to be centered on the chamber. Finding the center of an existing hole. Plenty of machinists can find the spot where to drill a hole but have trouble finding the exact center of an existing hole. The Osbourn method don't work fer that either. I measure the chambers(they are not all the same on every gun wirth some slightly different in diameter a lot) and locate center by using a straight rod [2] that's filed while chucked up and making it as close to the size of the hole as can be and still slip in. When you have a "pointer" like that so close to the size of the hole then when it can be slipped in the hole without interference when it's chucked up then it's centered well enough. The pointer has to be slipped in the chamber and not put too far past the opening of the chamber because for some odd reason a lot of the cap&ballefs come out of the box with tapered chambers gettin smaller as they go down.
... reaming deeper than needed for the min. powder charge for the gun is......not needed. Powder compression has to be figured in when reaming so the ball isn't ever pushed deeper than the little step in the chambers that's made by the reaming. That would make the ball undersized...."
[1] (spiral pulls itself in too much)
[2] drill stock
to create enough friction so that the balls or bullets will not move forward due to recoil during firing.
I came across these excerpts written by an experienced C&B revolver reamer on THR by the name of rifle that may be helpful:
"....ifin ya want to use yer mill or have a good drill press and drill vise and can set up to ream center in the chambers a guy can ream his own chambers with a chucking reamer.
"Use four flute-straight flute chucking reamers so the reamer doesn't try to pull it self into the hole". [1]
The problem is setting up to be centered on the chamber. Finding the center of an existing hole. Plenty of machinists can find the spot where to drill a hole but have trouble finding the exact center of an existing hole. The Osbourn method don't work fer that either. I measure the chambers(they are not all the same on every gun wirth some slightly different in diameter a lot) and locate center by using a straight rod [2] that's filed while chucked up and making it as close to the size of the hole as can be and still slip in. When you have a "pointer" like that so close to the size of the hole then when it can be slipped in the hole without interference when it's chucked up then it's centered well enough. The pointer has to be slipped in the chamber and not put too far past the opening of the chamber because for some odd reason a lot of the cap&ballefs come out of the box with tapered chambers gettin smaller as they go down.
... reaming deeper than needed for the min. powder charge for the gun is......not needed. Powder compression has to be figured in when reaming so the ball isn't ever pushed deeper than the little step in the chambers that's made by the reaming. That would make the ball undersized...."
[1] (spiral pulls itself in too much)
[2] drill stock
Last edited:
I did a colt 1860 repro with a split brass lap and valve grinding compound. I used a screw to adjust the lap and compensate for wear. I used a small table top drill press to spin the lap. With 120 grit it took quite a while. I checked the progress with ball gauges and a micrometer. Tedious.
I then did a pietta 1858. I and got a 29/32" chucking reamer and used a milling machine with a split plastic block to hold the cylinder. IT went very quickly. Easy. That revolver now shoots better than all but one of my modern revolvers.
Be sure you have sufficient wall thickness between the chambers before you decide to do this.
I then did a pietta 1858. I and got a 29/32" chucking reamer and used a milling machine with a split plastic block to hold the cylinder. IT went very quickly. Easy. That revolver now shoots better than all but one of my modern revolvers.
Be sure you have sufficient wall thickness between the chambers before you decide to do this.
Rats. Fresh out of chucking reamers and milling machines -- or the skill to use them.
artcicap and Scota4570 make good points.
A spiral fluted reamer will try to pull itself into the hole. If someone is trying to ream the hole by hand the reamer will get out of control and end up gouging its way deeply into the chamber where it will will jam or lock up. If the reamer is backed out of the hole it will leave gouges behind.
If a straight fluted reamer is used it won't try to pull itself into the hole but if the job is being done by hand, getting it to follow the existing hole can be very difficult.
Any slight tilting of the reamer will cause it to cut the mouth of the hole oversize and out of round basically ruining the chamber.
This is why there is the talk of using a drill press or milling machine and some method of securely clamping the cylinder in place prior to reaming.
The jet engine company I worked for used what is called a "floating head" for reaming. This special tool allowed the reamer to self pilot itself in the existing, smaller hole while still powering the reamer. The problem for most people is, these floating heads are expensive and they aren't designed to be used with a hand held power source.
The safest method is honing the chambers but as Scota4570 mentions this is a long, tedious job and constantly stopping to measure the hole is needed.
A spiral fluted reamer will try to pull itself into the hole. If someone is trying to ream the hole by hand the reamer will get out of control and end up gouging its way deeply into the chamber where it will will jam or lock up. If the reamer is backed out of the hole it will leave gouges behind.
If a straight fluted reamer is used it won't try to pull itself into the hole but if the job is being done by hand, getting it to follow the existing hole can be very difficult.
Any slight tilting of the reamer will cause it to cut the mouth of the hole oversize and out of round basically ruining the chamber.
This is why there is the talk of using a drill press or milling machine and some method of securely clamping the cylinder in place prior to reaming.
The jet engine company I worked for used what is called a "floating head" for reaming. This special tool allowed the reamer to self pilot itself in the existing, smaller hole while still powering the reamer. The problem for most people is, these floating heads are expensive and they aren't designed to be used with a hand held power source.
The safest method is honing the chambers but as Scota4570 mentions this is a long, tedious job and constantly stopping to measure the hole is needed.
Some things are best left alone.
To do things requires the time, the tools and the talent, I lack the last 2.
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