Hey all, I am very new to chambering barrels. I recently bought a decent lathe, and I am in the process of buying some of the tooling needed. I will only be chambering bolt action rifle barrels. What I am needing is some opinions about reamer holders. Should I buy a floating style or rigid? Thanks for any input
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Floating or rigid reamer holder?
- Thread starter Turner421
- Start date
- Replies 12
- Views 4,614
gappmast
Cast Iron
- Joined
- May 13, 2007
- Location
- California
I will start the fight with floating pusher style
MetalCarnage
Stainless
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2011
- Location
- Nebraska
It's my understanding that floating reamers will follow the bore and be more concentric whereas a solid reamer can possibly induce and offset.
FWIW
-Ron
FWIW
-Ron
I know of gunsmiths that use both,but not well enough to contact them and ask their opinions. I won't be using a reamer on a through shaft because that could screw up the lands. I'll be running the barrel through the headstock using an outboard spider and a 4 jaw. I'm thinking that a floating reamer holder and piloted reamer is going to be the way I go. But wanted opinions of you guys who have done it before.
longrangejon
Plastic
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
- Location
- montana
If your chambering in the headstock I assume your doing this to get the first inch or so of bore straight to the reamer? If
that is true and your lathe tailstock will repeat within 1/2 thou of center of headstock then you will want to use a solid holder otherwise your wasting your time with all the setup in headstock. I personally like to set the bore from throat to +1.5" straight to lathe when done typically runout is under a tenth in the chamber and back of chamber will be at dimension if that is done with a floating reamer you will see the back of chamber grow.
good luck
that is true and your lathe tailstock will repeat within 1/2 thou of center of headstock then you will want to use a solid holder otherwise your wasting your time with all the setup in headstock. I personally like to set the bore from throat to +1.5" straight to lathe when done typically runout is under a tenth in the chamber and back of chamber will be at dimension if that is done with a floating reamer you will see the back of chamber grow.
good luck
You finish the barrel before the chamber? You want concentricity, so better adjust the shorter length by the long one. Through shaft well greased, slow reaming. Then final passes through the barrel. Later the cartridge will be there before the bullet goes out, same order. My 2 shots
gappmast
Cast Iron
- Joined
- May 13, 2007
- Location
- California
I use a gimbal to take up the torque and a pusher for the feed. The gimbal takes up the torque at two points, 180 degrees from each other, canceling any side load that would tend to make the back of the chamber oversize. My two cents are taking up the torque at one point will try to lift the back of the reamer and could cause it to cut over size. With the gimbal the back of my chambers are spot on the the reamer size. Run out at the neck is less than a tenth.
300sniper
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Location
- Greenwood, Ca
JGS floating holder on the manual and completely rigid in the CNC turning center.
pat_j0nes
Aluminum
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2018
- Location
- Colorado, US of A
Been using a JGS at work for 10 years. Floats axially as well, some of the others on the market do not.
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You want a floating or pusher type holder/driver. The other things to study up on are how to hold the barrel, pre-bore the chamber, set up and measure before and after and more. Search this forum. There are lots of posts on chambering barrels, techniques and equipment needed.
Wlodek
Aluminum
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2018
This older post is showing a shop made simple floating reamer holder:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/simple-floating-reamer-holder-306442/?highlight=reamer
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/simple-floating-reamer-holder-306442/?highlight=reamer