Thread: Tips on reaming a chamber

Originally Posted by akaroa1

@blip are you bumping up an existing 22 Hornet to K Hornet ?

Yep k-ing a hornet live pilot premium finishing reamer

Originally Posted by blip

Yep k-ing a hornet live pilot premium finishing reamer

Well I would hand cut it with the barrel muzzle down in a vice with protected jaws,
Relatively small tap holder as your driver
Take the live pilot off the reamer and check that it will slide through your bore with some reamer oil.
You don't want it too drop through like a stone or it might be a little small.
If it sticks in the bore then just make another one that is a fraction smaller.
Neatsfoot oil as your cutting oil
Clean the reamer every 20 gentle turns ( air gun is good into a plastic bucket ) and blow down the bore into that bucket
Don't load it up and you will get a feel from where the swarf is and what it looks like.
Clean the bore occasionally to see how it is looking.

Use the force
Just let the reamer do the work not you pushing it around
Reduce the force gradually as more of the reamer is doing the cutting

Take your time and good luck

I re cut a 223 Howa new old stock barrel a couple of weeks ago to 222 Rimmed
The barrel was being stubbed into a Contender barrel shank and I was able to set it back a little
I have cut quite a few chambers on the lathe but when I looked at the numbers and that the live pilot would be well engauged into the rifling and because the bulk of the chamber was already there.
I hand reamed it and it was very easily done.
@blip your 22 H to KH should be a breeze