Whats the word on these reamers?
Stepchild

I believe these reamers are made for Midway by Pacific Tool and Gauge (Dave Kiff) and are fine reamers. Regards, Bill.

Bill,
I appreciate your reply. They sure are reasonable compared to some of the others.
I paid almost twice what Midway is asking for a Clymer,it had a .252 neck and that was extra, but still....
Stepchild

I'm kinda leary. Dave wanted $147 for a .338-06 reamer that midway sells for just over $80. I hope the reamers aren't seconds like Midway's barrels are reputed to be.

The Midway reamers are solid pilot instead of having a pilot bushing. Might be o.k. for standard chambers in cheaper barrels for hunting rifles but I don't know of any serious gunsmiths that would use them in a quality barrel.
Also, I would guess that ordering a larger quantity of the same item gets Midway a very good discount from the manufacturer.
Opinions by Jay

The price difference is simply the diference between the cost of solid pilot vs. removable pilot reamers. Also the Midway reamers are SAAMI spec reamers and I don't think special dimensions are an option.
I use solid pilot reamers in many calibers and consider myself to be kind of a serious gunsmith. So there, Jay!
I have never had a barrel marred by a solid pilot reamer nor have I seen any measurable runout providing the setup was good.
The big advantage to the removable pilot is that you can accomodate various sized bores and still maintain a close fit on the pilot. This provides peace of mind if nothing else! Nobody will say that a good fitting pilot is a bad thing.
I don't think the Midway reamers are seconds. A toolmaker has to maintain a reputation. Consequently he can't sell seconds and maintain his reputation. Barrelmakers who have offered an economy line have soon ceased the practice for the same reason. Regards, Bill.

Bill,

Thanks for the reply. I kinda figured Dave wouldn't want to risk his reputation. Maybe the lady on the phone just misqouted the price. But I was asking for the same exact reamer that Midway stocks: Steel, solid pilot, SAAMI spec. I'll only be using this reamer once so have no need for multiple pilots. It just needs to fit MY barrel.

In any case, if Midway has it, I'll likely order it from them as I need some 45-70 brass anyway.

z1R
Bill Leeper is exactly right. In 40 yrs of gunsmithing I have used many solid pilot reamers and with a good setup there just isn't a problem. While some people may question whether a "serious gunsmith" would use them, questioning whether Bill Leeper is a serious gunsmith is like asking if the pope is a serious catholic. The Midway reamers by Dave Kiff are first rate in every respect.

[ 08-01-2003, 00:27: Message edited by: Clio Gun Shop ]

O.K. Bill, I'll admit to using a couple of solid pilot reamers, before I got serious. Actually, I don't have any reamers that can be considered "SAAMI", all are tweaked to match brass or to make tight neck chambers or short freebore or whatever.
I think that Kiff only sells bushing style reamers if you order direct. The big plus with Kiff is wildcats at standard prices.

You can get your solid pilots modified to bushing types for $15. Now I have to remember who does it. I believe I heard that from JGS. 75% of mine are bushing type. Need to get the others "fixed".

BTW, no one would sell "seconds" in reamers. Okay someone might, they are on Aisle 14, right next to the out of date and below pressure fire extinguishers.

[ 08-01-2003, 00:52: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Thanks again all.

I ended up speaking with Dave directly. And I was quoted the price for a piloted reamer instead of piloted. Dave will sell the solid pilot directly but admits that the only reason he even started making them was for Midway to sell. He apparently refused to make them for a very long time.

Since I don't anticipate chambering more than this one barrel it is tempting not to spend the extra. On the other hand, I already have a premium barrel and it would be foolish to try to save $50 if it means ruining the barrel. I'll have to ponder this one for a while.

In any event, I was still planning to order a standard spec reamer since this is a hunting rifle. But I could use some advice from the pros here. I plan to use 250 grainers in this rifle. Most likely the Nosler. How does one find out ahead of time if the Standard reamer will accomodate a particular load? Do you make up a dummy and have Dave grind the reamer based off of this?

Thanks to all who replied or offered comments
Stepchild