Since this is not a 'For Sale' or 'WTB' ad I guess it can go here.

I need to borrow, rent, or lease a 7-08 finish reamer. I have a rifle that I built and I rented a reamer to chamber (it has always had a tight chamber)and recently acquired several hundred new cases and the chamber is just a 'tad' too tight and need to touch the chamber. I was looking for a cheaper way to finish my chamber like it is supposed to be without having to rent a reamer from a commercial rental place. Any help would greatly appreciated.

Steve........

Steve, maybe a small base die instead of reaming the chamber?

Lap or square the lugs or bolt face. Just take off what is needed to bring headspace to zero. Call it an accurizing-exercise instead of a cluster-fuck-correction-operation.

Things always sound better when they sound technical !

If the bolt drops closed on a "go" gauge leave it alone and resize your cases.

It would cost more for a small base die set than to correct my experiment (if I rented a reamer). Bolt handle would close the last .5 inch with a little force on new sized brass (slight crush).

Speerchucker, Sounds better when you put it that way, LOL. Probably the easiest way and cheapest way to go.

Steve.......

A sized case is not a suitable substitute "go" gauge.

Or "true up" the bottom edge of the sizing die in the lathe?

Or if you have multiple 708s, maybe dedicate a shell holder to that one and take a bit off the shell holder.

It is NOT a small base thing; he has a short chamber, and needs to fit his brass to it. Yes, a shorter die will work; I do it all the time and I will face off his if he wants.
True, a sized case is not a go gauge, but for one rifle and one lot of brass, it is.

ᛏ WHAT HE SAID ᛏ


In M O S T cases, the small base dies knock down the OD of the case about .002 inch or, .001 inch per side. They don't set back the shoulder so they will not correct a headspace condition. There are exceptions to this. If memory serves, the exceptions that I can remember off hand are .223, 243 Winchester, 284 Winchester, 308 Winchester and 7.62x39. These dies will S O M E T I M E S set back the shoulder as well. You would have to check with the die manufacturer to be sure.

If it actually was short chambered. The logical thing is to extend the chamber or rework the lugs or bolt face so that the next guy doesn't inherit your headache. The cheap way is to knock a few thousandths off the die until they resize enough to get them in.

What Rod said about extending the chamber to correct an experiment I was doing so the next guy won't inherit the problem is what I need to do.
I could chuck the die up in my lathe and face it but that is not the problem. Problem is I don't have access to the reamer I used to 'chamber' this barrel anymore and that is what I am needing. I just wanted to see if I could get one from the guys here on the forum without having to do another complete rental but it looks like the rental is going to be the way to go.

Steve........

I was reading it as a tight chamber and not a short chamber, that's why the small base die reply.

Sorry about that, sometimes I don't explain things as precisely as I should.

Steve........

No luck I guess, thanks for looking.

Steve.........

PM me your address, I'm sure I have one. If it's just a matter of 3-4 thou, a 243, 260 or 7-08 would work for what you're wanting to do, but I'm sure I have at least one 7-08 reamer.

PM sent, many thanks for stepping up and lending a hand.

Steve.........