Here's the problem:

My shooting bud commissions a 6.5-06 hunting rifle from the smith, built on an RSA target action. This is for long range blatting of gemsbok and springbok in the Kalahari - 32" barrel and 8.5-25X50LR/T scope.

The gunsmith has one 6.5-06 reamer he had custom-made which has cuts very tight neck (I don't know the diameter). So tight the brass case neck has to be cut paper thin just to get in the chamber.

This was done on the basis that the brass does not need to be resized, you just pop out the primer, reprime, charge with powder and seat a bullet. I suppose you'd use a body die to bump back the shoulder every couple of firings or so.

Anyhow when apprised of this my bud flips out and now he wants the chamber recut, as he does not want to bother with neck turning.

My question is this. Can the chamber be recut just in the neck area with a new standard reamer, or must the whole chamber end of the barrel be cut off and start from scratch? There is plenty knox form and barrel length available.

I'm of the opinion that the whole lot must be redone, as I am not so sure you can set up the barrel in the lathe exactly the same as when it was cut the first time, plus all the minor differences between the new reamer and and the old chamber might create some horrible ridges.

What is the best way to fix this problem?

Cheers

pete

I have done this by using a neck reamer. All it cuts is the neck of the cartridge. I ordered a tight neck reamer for a personal project, and before I even took the rifle to the range I regretted it. Shot it a couple of tiems and then borrowed a neck reamer from my buddy and opened it up. was not hard to do-just pulled the barrel and cut it by hand.

Pete:

I have a standard 6.5-06 reamer I can bring along in April that you could use to open up the neck, being careful not to disturb the head space.

I'll be going thru Polokwane once, and Jo Berg a couple times, so could meet or post it to you.

OR, I could send it back with PH that will be here in town in February

Write me at tblauwkamp@superior-sales.com if this might be helpful.

Terry

You want a neck reamer. Figure out the neck diameter of your resized and loaded brass, and order a neck reamer giving you about .003-.004" over loaded round neck diameter.

Speak to Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool and Gauge, he'll sort you out. A neck reamer is about $66...

- mike

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the rapid responses and kind offer, Terry.

OK, looks like my pal is sorted, the gunsmith has sourced a standard neck reamer from one of the F1 Bisley mob, which I believe is to the correct spec as per Steve's pages.

Thanks again, all

Pete