What tools to buy?

[fn1889m]

For a couple reasons, I want to pick up to tools to ream the throats on a number of Ruger .45 colt revolvers to .452, and to fix the barrel throats if needed for cast bullets. A gunsmith friend loaned me a chamber reamer, but I discovered that it did not enlarge the throat. I’ve decided to buy my own tools for these two projects. (Borrowing tools can be like borrowing a girlfriend. And I don’t want to rent.)

First, can someone recommend a throat-only reamer and also the correct handle tool needed to use it. My Brownells catalog suggests that they come with a stock pilot.

Second, can someone recommend a barrel throat tool, and the correct degree of cut to chamfer the barrel throat, together with the correct tool to hold the cutter?

I know these are probably simple questions to people with more experience, but buying tools out of the catalog that I probably can’t return, I want to be sure I get the right parts. Thank you for any help. Part numbers are always helpful if buying from Brownells.

[contender]

For the throat reamer,, the Brownell kit is a good start. I made extra bushings from spent .45 cases. I cut a couple of spent cases to 3/8" lengths to keep the cutter centered all the way in the chamber.

The barrel throat area is the forcing cone area. I added the gauges for "go & no-go." Get the forcing cone set from Brownells.

OR,, depending upon how many cylinders you need to do,, you may come out money ahead to just contact our own "2dogs" (Fermin Garza) here as he is already set up to do excellent work, quite reasonably. I bought my stuff long ago before Fermin was doing chambers & such.

[fn1889m]

Thanks for the tip about the .45 cases. I have 3 barrels and 5 cylinders to fix. (2 are 45 acp cylinders.). I think that justifies the cost of the throat and forcing cone reamers. I had a bunch of medical stuff done (cabg). I am rewarding myself for not dying. What I like about gun wrenching is that all the parts work together. This is a break to figure out how to be retired, which I seem to not do well.

[contender]

I forgot to mention that I had a guy long ago make me a couple of pilots on his lathe for the forcing cone reaming. The ID was to fit my tool rod,, and the OD,, he made a couple each that were in .001 increments to fit the rifling bore diameters. I haven't had to use my kit in a while,, so I forgot them.

The biggest thing to remember is to keep things centered when doing this work. The second thing is to work SLOWLY, checking often. Easy to screw up,, especially the forcing cone area. Bullet alignment is critical.

[jgt]

I do not want to discourage you, but I would caution you to take a course in gunsmithing, buy some gunsmithing books, or apprentice under a gunsmith before undertaking these tasks. There is a reason why people use gunsmiths for these jobs. Just as there are DYI auto mechanics who have the proper knowledge, tools, and equipment to work on cars, a DYI gunsmith needs the proper knowledge to go with his tool and equipment. Good luck in your quest.

[nicholst55]

Let me just state one thing RE: recutting forcing cones. The reamer is SHARP, and it cuts steel very quickly.  There is a reason that people pay gunsmiths to do these things.

[contender]

Both posters above offer excellent advise & tips.

I'll admit to ruining a few things long ago in my learning curve.

[needsmostuff]

First off, have you measured the cyl. throats and how did you measure. Pin gauges are your friend, calipers are not.
Now here comes the part that sometimes ruffles some feathers. Manson make a great reamer but, by the time you add in pilot bushings they get downright pricey. Great if you are looking at full time, repeated use but maybe not practical to do just a few.
I use chucking reamers and the cut off spent case as a pilot as contender describes. I have an old drill chuck I use as a handle.
These things in their cheapest HHS straight shank form run about 25 bucks. No need for fancy carbide tools when slowly turning by hand.
Cheap enough that you can bracket the hole size and get a .449 a .451 a .452 even a .453 that way slowly step cut and shoot between steps till you get uniformity. Cutting in such small increments they cut very easily and fast even by hand.

All you need.


I get mine from Zorro.com and they usually kick out a 20 % discount that pretty much covers shipping.
All are probably not necessary but help inspire confidence to have.

www.zoro.com/drill-america-4490-hss-straight-shank-chucking-reamer-dwrr4490/i/G1726088/
www.zoro.com/drill-america-4510-hss-straight-shank-chucking-reamer-dwrr4510/i/G1723927/
www.zoro.com/drill-america-4520-hss-straight-shank-chucking-reamer-dwrr4520/i/G1735109/
www.zoro.com/drill-america-4530-hss-straight-shank-chucking-reamer-dwrr4530/i/G1729204/

For the barrel throat I have nothing. I just don't mess with them.

[fn1889m]

I appreciate the cautions. I make mistakes learning new things. If I were 20 I might take a class. But I am 70 y/o. I almost died from blocked arteries and had no idea. I am alive for some purpose beyond my understanding. I want to do my own work. Reamers and pilots and prayers. I am not buying an airplane.

The BH actually shot my 454424 cast bullets fairly well. I replaced the aluminum grip frame with a stainless frame and now in the process of fitting and contouring grips. Added a SBH hammer. You have all seen these.

My mid size Vaquero is smaller and the recoil is hard on me. I bought a large frame BH thinking it would be easier to handle the recoil with heavier gun and larger grips. Not magnums but the “Skeeter load”.

ETA: Thanks, needsmostuff. I could not pass .452 bullets through the cylinder. With a tapered .4525 reamer the amount of undersize did not matter except for the pilot. I think I will be better off with a dedicated cylinder reamer and pilot.

[hunter01]

Its not rocket surgery. You will be just fine.

[edk]

Nov 10, 2024 12:47:12 GMT -5 needsmostuff said:

First off, have you measured the cyl. throats and how did you measure. Pin gauges are your friend, calipers are not.
Now here comes the part that sometimes ruffles some feathers. Manson make a great reamer but, by the time you add in pilot bushings they get downright pricey. Great if you are looking at full time, repeated use but maybe not practical to do just a few.
I use chucking reamers and the cut off spent case as a pilot as contender describes.

Great suggestion. I know some might consider it heresy to talk our brethren out of hefty expenditures on specialized pistol tooling from Manson and Brownells but there is more than one way to skin the cat. Consider following the chucking reamer with a similarly inexpensive Acro lap.

[bigbore5]

With work right now, I can't even get a day at home, and when I do, it's hunting season right now.

I've got several projects just sitting due to my schedule since the hurricane hit Georgia and North Carolina. But I was told last night I can get Thursday through Sunday off. Lots to do other than gunsmithing, even though I have a front base coming from paleroadster and a sight set from Fermin to pay him for, a trigger and hammer set from Ronnie to install, a Blackhawk to blue, a service Six to refinish,2 Bowen target rear sights to install, and other things. So I will be sending Fermin a couple of 357 and a 32 cylinder to have the throats corrected for cast bullets, even though I do have some of the expensive reamers now.

It's just a matter of time and convenience. When I retire, it will be different as to my schedule

[messybear]

I would add that reamers cut. So that leaves marks. Hones smooth and polish or sort of sand. Might want to stay .001 under on reamer to allow for some finish work. There are adjustable hones out there. All you need is to pilot them

[fn1889m]

Purchased the throat reamer. Also buying the 11 degree forcing cone reamer. Thanks for all advice.