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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Rebarreling A Turk -- Chambering


Clemson

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In this series, we will chamber the blank to .25-06. I am using only a finish reamer. If you have lots of chambers to do, it would be worth your while to buy a roughing reamer. You can do several, however, with just a finish reamer before you need to sharpen it. Flood cooling capability would be great, particularly if you are doing lots of barrels in a semi-production operation. I have to use the plain ol' squeeze bottle applicator for my work.

 

The first step is to install the steady rest on the lathe. I am running the steady on the portion of the barrel shank that I trued to the bore. I just lubricate with some ISO 46 oil that I use to lube the lathe. The tenon is cut to length to match the distance from the primary torque shoulder to the secondary torque shoulder.

TurkProjecta026.jpg

 

Once trimmed to length, the barrel is ready for the chamber reaming operation.

TurkProjecta030.jpg

 

Note the length of lathe necessary for chambering. You need room for the reamer, the holder, and the tailstock. This is a 40" bed, and I am glad to have every inch of it. Note that I am using Ridgid Nu-Clear cutting oil. It comes in a spray bottle and should be obtainable from any plumbing supply house.

TurkProjecta033.jpg

 

I am using a floating reamer holder for this job. You can hold a reamer by hand (or with a small wrench or lathe dog) if you are just lengthening a short-chambered barrel's chamber. For cutting one from scratch, however, the floating holder allows some considerable torque on the reamer while holding it straight so that it doesn't snap. Breaking a reamer is not a fun thing to do. Squirt the chamber full of cutting oil and douse the reamer also. Note the drop of cutting oil hanging off the rear of the reamer. You cannot use too much cutting oil. The stuff is relatively cheap -- be generous.

TurkProjecta034.jpg

 

A sharp reamer will cut with all flutes. As the chips back out of the chamer, it shows you that it is time to withdraw the reamer.

TurkProjecta035.jpg

 

Brush off the chips, re-oil the chamber and reamer, and repeat the process.

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Cut the chamber to a depth that makes the last smidgen doable by hand. This is the setup that I use for hand reaming with the barrel held vertically.

TurkProjecta037.jpg

 

Turn the reamer by hand with a large tap wrench. A tap wrench requires two hands. Using a crescent wrench or other one-handed wrench leaves open the possibility of pulling the reamer to the side. Two hands help to insure that it travels straight and cuts on 360 degrees.

TurkProjecta038.jpg

 

Measure a GO gauge in the chamber as you get close. I stopped this operation when I was 0.010" from finished.

TurkProjecta039.jpg

 

The last few turns of the reamer are made with the receiver screwed fulling onto the barrel. I deepen the chamber until the bolt will close with light drag on the GO gauge.

TurkProjecta043.jpg

 

Clemson B)

 

 

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