Renting Reamers????

[Jackson~in~GA]

Do any of you guys have any experience with Renting Reamers from places like reamerrentals. I'm sure most of you guys buy your reamers, but I pretty much do only my own barrel work, and have a few reamers I have bought, but seldom use them more than once. Someone I talked to the other day said that they have had good luck renting reamers from time to time. It seems like it my be better for my wallet, but kind of afraid of getting a bad reamer. I just thought I would see if any of guys have had dealt with this before. Thanks in advance. ~Jackson

 

[burtona]

I've rented a few and never got a bad reamer yet. I'll do it again if I'm building something I don't think I'll need to do again. Saves a few coins.

 

[crb]

Here is idea I just thought of:

Buy a new reamer and after you do your bbl then sell it. The difference in your selling price versus what you paid for the new reamer will probably be very close to the total cost [ counting shipping and ins ] of renting a reamer.

Ray

 

[f d shuster]

buying vs renting reamers

A second to crbs' suggestion: the only way I do it now. I am sure of getting a never used reamer, ground to the exact dimensions I want, chamber neck dia., chamber o.a.l., throat depth, etc. When you're spending $300 or more on a barrel blank, plus all the machining involved, why would you want to use a reamer of unknown history? If it is for a cartridge I have no interest in re-chambering for ( some selections have been "bummers"), the reamer will be sold, usually for approx. 70% of my cost. Reamers for cartridges that prove to be successful are kept for future re-chamberings. Have several standing-by, waiting for barrel burn-out. Back-to-back chamberings will be cut so chambers will be as identical as possible.

 

[JerrySharrett]

Shawnee/Buck Steel/Elk Ridge, etc. This one outfit has been around for a long time but under different names. I've used several of their reamers for building hunting guns. They were all good, as advertised, and sharp.

If you are doing a one of a kind, rent. If you are doing for any of the benchrest games and are repeating, buy your own.

One of the things to consider in rentals, is the throating suitable for the bullet and the seating you want.

 

[Rustystud]

Renting reamers..

Most Gunsmiths have very little experience in cutting tool inspection. This is one of the differences between gunsmiths and trained machinist/tool makers. There is quite a difference in looking at a tool under a loop or 2-5 power magnafier than a optical comparison scope used in tool making shops. There are machine shops and there are precision machine shops. The use of precision grinders takes machining to an whole different level. Very few gunsmiths have surface grinders and cylindrical grinders. Even fewer have precision tool grinders.

Reamers today are built to standards that were not even available 20 years ago. Grinding geometry and CNC have changed the level of tool making to a new age.

Reamers made 20-50 years ago were designed for two completely different clientell. Gun manufactures and Gunsmiths. The manufactures were into production and the gunsmith into hunting level rifles and precision shooting.

Today there to three types of gunsmith chambering rifles:

1. The old school gunsmith who does a few barrels every couple months or years. Most do chambering in a center to center enviroment at very slow speeds. The cut and clean and hand lubricate their reamers.

2. The gunsmith who specializes in chambering and rebarreling who does several hundred barrels a year. They use a high preasure flush system and ream at higher speeds.

3. The hobbiest who does a few barels for himself and his friends.

The manufacture has changed some but still is on a production quota. The use specialized equipment just used for chambering and it is done with cardide reamers at high speed.

The professional gunsmith working on customers guns can not afford to screw up a customers barrel blank. Therefore they use their know reamer or the customers reamer that has a documented history. You can bet they will insect the customers reamer and may require a release if they use the customers reamer in case of a problem encountered.

Renting reamers is like playing roulett. You win some times and you loose some times.

Rustystud