Chamber reaming

Otto Midway has the reamer & headspace gauges that you need. Personaly I prefer to take the barrel off to eliminate any possibility of misalignment between the chamber & bore. Headspace gauges are tools used to measure the chamber deoth as the chamber is being cut to insure that the chamber is cut within allowed tolerences.

Posts: 8350 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001

Ignored post by D Humbarger posted

one of us

posted

Otto,

You CAN do it by hand, and you CAN do it without taking the barrel off. You'll get better results taking the barrel off and doing it in a lathe.

That's a fair amount of metal to be removing by hand power, but not out of the question. If money is tight and your goal is to get a little more oomph out of a not-too-valuable surplus Mauser, you can do it.

Rental reamers are available for about $25. Same places will likely rent you an extension T handle and headspace gauges. Get some cutting oil from the hardware store. Cheaper than headspace gauges for this job is a factory new unprimed .30-06 case. You strip the bolt, ream a little, clean all the chips out of the chamber (compressed air is real helpful) and try the case. After a while you get a feel for how much reaming takes out a couple of thous. You are aiming for the point at which you feel just a little resistance when the bolt closes all the way.

When you get that, just to be sure, stick a little disk of .005 shim stock to the base of your case with a dab of grease. That's your no go gauge. If the bolt won't close on that, you're set. (You may need to polish the chamber but that can wait.)

Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002

Ignored post by Leftoverdj posted

<JBelk>

posted

OTTO---

Please understand that what you're trying to save a few bucks on can cost you an eye or worse.

I would NEVER recommend re-chambering a Mauser without pulling the barrel so you can INSPECT the action. (Remember some country sold that rifle for *some* reason.)

Spend a few bucks and have the job done by someone with the tools, experience, and the knowledge it takes to do it.

I'd rather slap a rattler than shoot a gun rechambered by someone that ask, "What's the deal with headspace and go-nogo gauges?" [Smile]

Jim Kobe

One of Us

posted

I've also seen it done with a 3/8 drillmotor and a drill bitground to the correct angle. Can it be done? Hell yes! SHeesh.....

Posts: 5521 | Location: Minnesota | Registered: 10 July 2002

Ignored post by Jim Kobe posted

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posted

I worry a lot more about who loaded the ammo than I do about who rechambered the rifle. We are talking about a wildcat, anyway.

And I can tell you some real horror stories about atrocities committed by well known outfits.

Ever see one of the Bannerman conversions to .30-06 of Moisin Nagants? Or the Argentine Mausers that Sears rechambered to .30-06 and sold by the thousands? Or a Zulu shotgun?

There's a decent gun store not 20 miles from me with a Type 99 rechambered to .30-06 without having the barrel set back sitting in the used racks.

Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002

Ignored post by Leftoverdj posted

<G.Malmborg>

posted

So there you have it, order your reamers and headspace guages from Midway, grab your electric drill, point the muzzle of the gun north and stick the reamer in the south end and go for it... Don't forget to stand in a puddle of water while you're cutting that chamber and did you know that an electric water pick works great for removing metal chips from places you can't see like the locking lugs...

Malm

one of us

posted

quote:
Originally posted by G.Malmborg:
did you know that an electric water pick works great for removing metal chips from places you can't see like the locking lugs...

Malm

I suspect you're kidding, but I'm gonna try it anyway with a little water soluble oil in the solution.

Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002

Ignored post by Leftoverdj posted

<G.Malmborg>

posted

Yes I am kidding, DO NOT stand in a puddle of water...

Malm

<OTTO>

posted

let me get this straight. 1st I need a puddle of water, a compass to get my bearings for that north south thing and a water pick. What is the correct angle on that drill bit again? And where the hell am I supposed to get a rattler at this time of year in MN? You guys don't make this easy. I think I'll have to call my pal Kobe.

No one has ever done anything before they did it the 1st time. As with everything I have done or about to do, There will be a 1st time for this also.

<G.Malmborg>

posted

Otto,

I applogize for making light of your post. You come from a mechanic background so let me give you a reasoned response to your post.

Attempting to perform a job on a weapon, who's receiver's condition is unknown, yet is expected to safely contain over 25 tons of explosive pressure mere inches from your face, without the proper knowledge, tools and equipment, would be like attempting to turn brake drums and rotors using a record player to spin 'em, and a file to true them.

Both methods are prone to yield similar successes. The difference being, you stand a greater chance of surviving brake failure...

Malm

one of us

posted

I started with an assumption that perhaps I should not have made. I am assuming that the rifle in question is currently being safely fired with 8x57 ammunition. If that is, in fact, true, wherein lies the danger of a simple rechamber to 8mm-06? It ain't like it hasn't been done thousands of times on kitchen tables.

Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002

Ignored post by Leftoverdj posted

<JBelk>

posted

Leftoverdj---

The danger is in the difference of pressure and a fresh chamber.

For a minute assume the 8x57 has been shot but the lugs are set back by .010. Also assume that like most old military surplus rifles the chamber is a little rough and the cases stick in the chamber instead of being forced back against the bolt face. (protruding primers)

If this gun is rechambered without the barrel being pulled the set lugs will never be seen and the headspace gauge WON'T show the excess headspace.

With a nice clean, new chamber and an 8-06 loaded up in it the case comes back against the bolt and hammers the recessed lugs which recesses them a little more.......each time it's fired.

OR you could think about some of the VZ-24s that have rusted threads and are ready to fling the barrel down range with the extra pressure....OR a gouge in the chamber that can't be seen with the barrel still on the action......etc.

jeffeosso

Moderator

posted

and for a little lighthearted humor....

any smith would only charge you like $75-100 to rechamber it..

or, if you are a curious george, use a throwdown barrel.. i'll send you one from a small ring turk yuo can play with, just pay shipping

quote:
Originally posted by jeffeosso:

quote:
Originally posted by Bill Leeper:
Thomas,
I said "nameless"! Another guy had a setup so he could chamber on a drill press. Again, he turned out some surprisingly good work. Regards, Bill.
yeah, that's it.. i am going to sell my lathe and just use my firestorm cordless and saw-zal. yeahyeah.. i can put the barrel in a pipe vise, like indexing it, and cut the threads with a bimetal blade.. and if I run it fast enough, it'll polish the threads... yeahyeah... and mymymmymymy firestorm, well, i'll need another battary, as the 9.6's just get too hot too fast, and you can't use the same finish reamer to start the hole.. and I've got some bacon fat to lube it... should be fine... and then I can just stick the receiver in the freezer and the barrel over the stove, till the threads get red hot, and then use my pipe wrench to fuse em together.. dont need to rosin or nuttin..

Hell, if the thread wont work, my brother in law's (that's my first cousin) has a pipe rig on his truck and we can just bore em both to waterpipe threads... he's got a torch, so we can anneal that hard barrel and action, and they'll fit right togehter.y

yeahyeaheayh... and we'll use a remington action for my 505 gibbbs based 270... it's the 277 whitetailfromamile,, shooting 110 gr at 4200 fps... gotta be barnes bullets though.. them lead jacketed thangs just make a blue mist on the way down the range..

hey, i found a tasco 6x24 when I was picking up trash, for the county, know-what-i-mean, just a little bent, so I put it back in my pipe vise and tapped it back pretty striaght... I used the handle of my sledgehammer as a guide and tweeker..

Oh, yeah.. and for tapering the barrels, I'll start with a pacnor blank, and take my firestorm drill, and beat 2 horseshoin nails into the ends... set one end IN a cigerette putter outer thumbnul..(my wife thinks its so high class to have one of these in her nearly antique macdonalds aluminim ashtrays) and the other chucked into my cordless.. and take my beltsander to cut away the taper... yeehaa... just use that ole seldgehammer handle for a guide....

damn it.. this would have been even funnier if BBB had done it.

Posts: 39594 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002

Ignored post by jeffeosso posted

festus

one of us

posted

Hey otto sounds to me like G Malmborg is a GUNSCHMIDT who needs some work.
festus

Posts: 85 | Location: West Fargo, ND, 58078 | Registered: 01 December 2002

Ignored post by festus posted