PS. it is difficult to set up and ream a recessed 357 to 44 or 45 and keep the depth of the recess perfect.
When you go from a recessed 44 to 45 colt it is easy because the colt has the same rim OD as the 44 and when the first time your reamer touches and marks the blue on the face of the recessed ledge you know your just right
Going from 357 to 44 or 45 you completely wipe the original recess ledge out with the body of the reamer and have no reference. You can't put a stop on the reamer that will stop on the cylinder face because you have to have the extractor in place so it gets recessed to and your stop will hit the ratchet before the cylinder face. As it takes several steps and tool changes to go from 357 to 44 or 45 it is also hard to use a dept stop on the quill of a mill. On each chamber, I go from a spud that just fits a 357 chamber, that I use to get a chamber aligned, to a 13/32 (.40625) reamer, to a .4295 reamer, then the chamber reamer which has a .4295 pilot. I also have a .452 reamer with a .429 pilot if I am going to a 45 cylinder. But I quit making 45 cylinders out of the shorter 357 cylinders and just use 44 mag cylinders now. I have found that using a fairly big aluminum bronze stop on the finish reamer that hits the extractor center button gives me consistent cut depths. I also use a stub from a extractor rod and a piece of brass that just fits inside the gas ring with a flange on it so when it is in place and I tighten the rod stub up it holds the extractor firmly in place. I figured that out after I ruined a 45 colt extractor machining it for acps in moon clips DUH
When you go from a recessed 44 to 45 colt it is easy because the colt has the same rim OD as the 44 and when the first time your reamer touches and marks the blue on the face of the recessed ledge you know your just right
Going from 357 to 44 or 45 you completely wipe the original recess ledge out with the body of the reamer and have no reference. You can't put a stop on the reamer that will stop on the cylinder face because you have to have the extractor in place so it gets recessed to and your stop will hit the ratchet before the cylinder face. As it takes several steps and tool changes to go from 357 to 44 or 45 it is also hard to use a dept stop on the quill of a mill. On each chamber, I go from a spud that just fits a 357 chamber, that I use to get a chamber aligned, to a 13/32 (.40625) reamer, to a .4295 reamer, then the chamber reamer which has a .4295 pilot. I also have a .452 reamer with a .429 pilot if I am going to a 45 cylinder. But I quit making 45 cylinders out of the shorter 357 cylinders and just use 44 mag cylinders now. I have found that using a fairly big aluminum bronze stop on the finish reamer that hits the extractor center button gives me consistent cut depths. I also use a stub from a extractor rod and a piece of brass that just fits inside the gas ring with a flange on it so when it is in place and I tighten the rod stub up it holds the extractor firmly in place. I figured that out after I ruined a 45 colt extractor machining it for acps in moon clips DUH
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