A chamber reamer is a specific type of fluted reamer used by gunsmiths and firearms manufacturers to cut the chamber of a handgun, rifle, or shotgun. The chamber reamer is inserted into the bore of a barrel and held stationary while the barrel is turned around it (typically by means of a lathe). The reamer slowly cuts away material, leaving a chamber capable of accepting a specific cartridge. [1]
A reamer is a type of rotary cutting tool used in metalworking. Precision reamers are designed to enlarge the size of a previously formed hole by a small amount but with a high degree of accuracy to leave smooth sides. There are also non-precision reamers which are used for more basic enlargement of holes or for removing burrs. The process of enlarging the hole is called reaming. There are many different types of reamer and they may be designed for use as a hand tool or in a machine tool, such as a milling machine or drill press.
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. This occupation differs from an armorer who usually only replaces worn parts in standard firearms. A gunsmith actually does modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very high level of craftsmanship requiring the skills of a top level machinist, a very skilled wood worker, and even an engineer. Their level of craftsmanship usually requires several years of training and practical experience under a higher level gunsmith, attendance at a gunsmithing school, or both. A gunsmith also does factory level repairs and renovations to restore a much used or deteriorated firearms to new condition. They may make alterations to adapt sporting guns to better fit the individual shooter that may require extensive modifications to the firearm's stocks and metal parts. These repairs and redesigns may require fabrication and fitting of non-available parts and assemblies, which the gunsmith usually fabricates themselves. Gunsmiths may also renew metal finishes to new condition levels, or apply carvings, engravings and other decorative features to an otherwise finished gun. The environment in which all this takes place often varies depending on the specific locality, with some gun stores featuring one or a handful of individuals performing this work under their roof, some may work as individuals in their own, separate shop, or it may be a group of highly trained specialist craftspeople who each contribute their individual skill to completely manufacture highly crafted custom made firearms from basic metal and wood raw materials.
A firearm is a portable gun that inflicts damage on targets by launching one or more projectiles driven by rapidly expanding high-pressure gas produced chemically by exothermic combustion (deflagration) of propellant within an ammunition cartridge. If gas pressurization is achieved through mechanical gas compression rather than through chemical propellant combustion, then the gun is technically an air gun, not a firearm.
Chamber reamers come in two general types - solid pilot reamers and floating pilot reamers. A solid pilot reamer has, as the name suggests, a solid steel pilot on the end to guide the reamer through the bore of the barrel. These reamers are generally more durable and less expensive than floating pilot reamers. Floating pilot reamers use interchangeable pilots that are positioned at the front of the reamer. The primary advantage of a floating pilot reamer is that it is self-centering and can be fitted with a pilot that is an exact match with the barrel it is passing through. Barrels tend to vary in diameter by minute amounts, and this variation can create a situation whereby the solid pilot reamer fits too loosely or too snugly in the bore. Another advantage of floating pilot reamers is that the pilot itself does not spin with the reamer, and therefore is less likely to damage the bore. The primary disadvantage of the floating point reamer is that the nose of the reamer must be cut down in diameter to accommodate the reamer pilot, resulting in a more delicate reamer. [2]
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, and sometimes other elements. Because of its high tensile strength and low cost, it is a major component used in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, automobiles, machines, appliances, and weapons.
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest chord of the circle. Both definitions are also valid for the diameter of a sphere.
Chamber reamers are typically made of high speed steel and require lubrication during the cutting operation. A chamber reamer, regardless of pilot design, will operate most efficiently at speed of 200 to 300 RPM, and feed rate just fast enough to avoid chatter. Chamber reamers are designed with flutes to collect and extract the cut material, however these flutes must be periodically cleaned (typically after every .2" of cutting). Finally, reamers must be sharpened from time to time. Given proper care, a reamer can cut 10-15 chambers between sharpening.
Lubrication is the process or technique of using a lubricant to reduce friction and/or wear in a contact between two surfaces. The study of lubrication is a discipline in the field of tribology.
Manufacturers produce most chamber reamers to SAAMI specifications so that any factory ammunition can be safely used in any firearm chambered with their reamer, for a given cartridge. Most reamer manufacturers will, however, produce reamers to customer specifications. These are useful to benchrest shooter who are willing to trade off compatibility for accuracy, and by 'wildcatters' - individuals who are interested in designing completely new cartridges.
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute is an association of American firearms and ammunition manufacturers. SAAMI publishes various industry standards related to the field, including fire code, ammunition and chamber specifications, and acceptable chamber pressure. Only manufacturers that are members of SAAMI are bound by the Institute's guidelines.
Ammunition is the material fired, scattered, dropped or detonated from any weapon. Ammunition is both expendable weapons and the component parts of other weapons that create the effect on a target. Nearly all mechanical weapons require some form of ammunition to operate.
Benchrest shooting is a shooting sport discipline in which high-precision rifles are shot at paper targets. The rifles ride on a front and rear rest sitting on a table or bench, hence the name "benchrest". The shooter simply sits at the bench, in distinction to other shooting disciplines, where the shooter holds and aims the rifle without the benefit of a rest. The post-Civil War era "double rest" rifles were one early form of "benchrest" rifles.
