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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 05-27-2020, 12:57 PM
Ramagum Ramagum is offline
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Default Reaming 617 Cylinder

I've decided to go ahead and ream the cylinder chamber on my 617, after trying to polish the chambers first.

Should the chambers be reamed with the extractor removed or left in place? If removed, are the threads left hand? Thanks!
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Old 05-27-2020, 01:19 PM
Protocall_Design Protocall_Design is offline
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The extractor should be left in place. If you need to remove it for deburring or other reason after reaming, yes, the threads are left hand.
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Old 05-27-2020, 01:34 PM
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Leave the extractor in. Use a couple empties in the charge holes your not working on to hold things in place!
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Old 05-27-2020, 02:06 PM
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And, don't polish the chambers after the ream job. Your handgun will be much better off wear wise. Revolver chambers should not be polished slick. The brass needs microscopic grooving to grab into during combustion. The brass will relax, return to near normal dimensions and extract easily. Look up "Obturation" in WikipediA. The author talks about the obturation of the cartridge case and that of the projectile while traveling down the bore. The author does not mention that they are two different forms of obturation.

BTW: In my gunsmithing practice I found that the dimension of S&W's 22 ca. extractors were more oft the cause of problem extraction of that of undersized chamber dimensions. That is the primary reason that the extractor should always be left in place while reaming the chamber. The good advice above to place fired cartridge hulls in two or three of the other chambers is to be followed. Not every cylinder/extractor fit-up is so loose so as to need this, but it is very difficult to determine which ones absolutely need the extractor seized in place. So, it is best to leave the extractor star in place in all such reaming jobs.
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Old 05-27-2020, 02:07 PM
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I have found that the ammo is the problem. Soft brass.

Certain brands bulge at the extractor wedging in there and making extraction difficult.

My choice is Federal Brand 22lr.. I have several make 22's that prefer it.
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Old 05-27-2020, 02:13 PM
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Also, be sure to remember not to touch the extractor with the chamber recess cutting ledge on your reamer. You do not want to remove any material from the recess on the top side of the extractor or from the existing chamber recess or "counterbore" in the cylinder.




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Old 05-27-2020, 03:14 PM
Big Cholla Big Cholla is offline
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Machinist Dykem is your friend. Place a little on a Q-tip and paint each one of those recess ledges. As you finish reaming watch for the slightest indication of the reamer touching the ledge and stop pushing the reamer forward immediately. Dykem is also known as 'Prussian Blue' but sometimes it is of color other than blue.
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Old 05-27-2020, 07:47 PM
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I'm not a DYI guy so I had gunsmith ream my model 18,easy removal now
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Old 05-27-2020, 08:21 PM
Ivan the Butcher Ivan the Butcher is offline
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I did the chambers in my 17-3 and my 34-1 in the Spring of 2019, I made a "bed" from a square cake pan and lined it with a rag to catch the oil and chips/filings. Took me about 2 1/2 hours to do both cylinders total time including cleanup and assembly.

Now I need a ream to radii some of my rifle chambers, for Federal ammo. Where the case wall meets the top of the rim, Federals have the largest curved area.

Ivan
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