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what is the difference between a solid pilot and a removable pilot reamer? Brien
[/ QUOTE ] BTM: If you where to go to just one barrel manufacturer, pick just one caliber and go through a bunch of his barrels measuring with plug gauges you would find that for various reason they ain't all the same size. The bushing on the removable pilot reamer has a lot of different sizes the reamer maker can supply to the buyer in as little as .0001 or .0002 both plus or minus the stated bore size. This way the guy cutting the chamber with this type of reamer can get a near or perfect fit to the bore. So along comes the solid plot reamer, this reamers pilot was ground to fit in what ever size whole within the stated bore size. REAMERS by the vary nature want to cut oversize. So even if the guy cutting the chamber knows what he is doing as far as getting the tool dead center, that under size reamer is going to drift unless of course you got lucky and the barrel just happened to be really small Id. to start. This is probably the number one cause of a good barrel gone sour. Many years ago I ask one of he best reamer grinders that ever lived, why would anyone order a solid pilot reamer and he told me he didn't know but he made them cause he got orders for them everyday. Well the reason why is most people who cut chambers don't know or don't care to do the job right. Cutting, threading, head spacing and crowning if done properly is a one day job. Done the usual way, most folks do it (read as, the guy who buys the solid pilot reamer) in less time than it takes to explain how to do it for the most accurate results. This is not a trick question, but one you might want to ask the guy you want to pay to have the job done, what type of chamber reamer he will use to cut your chamber with. You can no longer go by the price he charges for and indication of how well he knows the work. He will want as much for the 45mins to an hour as the bench rest gunsmith that takes most of the day to do the same job. A lot of guys that become gunsmiths have no Machine shop background. Many people don't know what a steady rest is for or how to use one if they did. I have seen plenty of off center chambers that where cut in the chuck, as a matter of fact if that's how the guy does his work I want no part of his work. You have picked a subject that really stirs the pot, when it comes to barrel work. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
