Polishing Cylinder Chambers

[Shooting Padre]

I just purchased a K22 and some types of ammo cases stick in the cylinders after being fired. This is a somewhat common problem by what I have read here in the forums. A solution sometimes given is to polish the cylinder bores. My question, how is this done most effectively by a home gun smith with basic tools? Thank you for all advice give.

 

[What the]

I used a .25 caliber brush and brass wool, chucked up in a drill press and plenty of oil. The drill press and vise keep everything square and allowed me to control the depth. I used a new brush for each pair of charge holes and checked my work with spent shell casings.

You can also purchase cylinder stones sized for .22 and use a drill and plenty of cutting oil. The name of the company escapes me at the moment. Or the simplest is only shoot ammo that doesn't stick in your piece. Two out of the three k-22's I have needed polishing.

My efforts helped a great deal but the high velocity stuff still gets kinda sticky after a few cylinders of shooting. I find that standard velocity CCI or Federal Auto-Match work the best in all my guns.

 

[Texas Roots]

I would try deburring the edges of the chamber mouths before polishing the chambers themselves. Many times, there are very small burrs present from the machining step at the factory. The burrs are located right at the edge of some or all of the chambers that make ejection really hard after firing.

Use some 600 grit paper to carefully smooth the edges. You can wrap a small piece around a pencil tip (the writing end but with the lead tip broken off) and it will fit into the chamber mouth at the correct angle to address the burrs.

Just rotate the wrapped end of the pencil a few times by hand and it will do away with those burrs. You don't have to deburr the extractor star, just the edges of the chamber mouths.

If this does not help, then go to other steps mentioned by other forum members.

 

[tomcatt51]

You can screw around all you want polishing but the best fix is getting a finishing reamer and reaming the chambers, or having it done. The problem is they're undersize.

 

[What the]

The reamer is the best choice of course but the OP wanted to try this by himself at home with basic tools. Dedicated reamers are expensive and I'm just guessing but smithing it could be $100.00 or more easily.

I'm not sure the charge holes are undersized as he doesn't state the rounds go in hard just that they eject hard. Most of the "fixes" suggested will cost very little and are well worth a try. These target guns were indeed made to very tight tolerances to enhance accuracy.

If polishing the charge holes works good for him if not he may have to "bite the bullet" pun intended and investigate reaming.

 

[tomcatt51]

I'm not sure the charge holes are undersized as he doesn't state the rounds go in hard just that they eject hard. Most of the "fixes" suggested will cost very little and are well worth a try. These target guns were indeed made to very tight tolerances to enhance accuracy.

The reamer is pretty reasonable: #513-051-220 RIMFIRE CARTRIDGES - Brownells
I've reamed a bunch of X17's. The chambers are undersize and reaming them does wonders without hurting accuracy. I shot a rimfire revolver Steel Challenge match, 40+ shooters with X17's. There were 2 groups, one group beating on the ejector rod wishing they'd had the chambers reamed and others who had had the chambers reamed, easily ejecting empties.

 

[ViperR]

I would try polishing first to see if the cambers just needed a good polishing before trying the reaming tool expence & chance a mishap. I have a 34-1 non-pinned 80's that had tight chambers compared to my older 34-1 pinned 70's. I chucked a .22 mop with JB Bore cleaner and they polished nicely and eject as good as the 70's. Try the cheapest and safest way first. If it doesn't improve, then get more drastic.

 

[rodell]

I agree with polishing first. A little J-B around a mandrel and a battery drill, or, possibly some Flitz.

It's pretty hard with such small cylinders but it is possible. It is a lot easier and certainly worth the effort. A reamer needs to be used a lot more carefully.

 

[Lou_NC]

Here's what I did on a Dan Wesson .44 magnum, worked like a charm. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on a .22 chamber as well.

Take a wooden dowel rod that is undersize for the chambers. Cut a slit in the end of it, as deep as you want to enter the chambers to polish. Then, insert the end of a thin strip of 600 wet or dry paper into the slot, and wrap it around the dowel. Check the fit in the chambers, you want it snug but not tight. Then generously oil up the chambers and paper and either chuck the dowel rod in a hand held drill on low speed, or better yet, in a drill press on low speed. Run it for a minute or so, slightly moving it in and out a few millimeters so as not to stay in one place. Check your work, re-oil, and continue until you get the polish you want on the chamber.

I actually started on my .44 mag with 320 paper since the Dan Wesson chambers were so bad! Total time for the job was under 1/2 hour. I now have smooth chambers and excellent extraction.

Lou

 

[Carmoney]

The reamer is pretty reasonable: #513-051-220 RIMFIRE CARTRIDGES - Brownells
I've reamed a bunch of X17's. The chambers are undersize and reaming them does wonders without hurting accuracy. I shot a rimfire revolver Steel Challenge match, 40+ shooters with X17's. There were 2 groups, one group beating on the ejector rod wishing they'd had the chambers reamed and others who had had the chambers reamed, easily ejecting empties.

Absolutely correct. The finishing reamer is made to do this job correctly. The reamer is piloted so everything stays perfectly straight and true, and takes the chambers to the exact correct SAAMI specification. All these other well-intended kitchen table remedies (drills, mandrels, Flitz, dowels, sandpaper, etc.) carry significant risk of making the problem even worse.

 

[What the]

Carmoney,

I'm not so sure that a brass brush and brass wool is going to harm a cylinder...may clean it real well but harm it? Having said that if anyone here has a finish reamer for my K-22's and would like to rent it to a fellow forum member please e-mail me....I'm sure we could work out a deal. Like I said mine still gets sticky with High velocity ammo.

 

[FTG-05]

Here's what I did on a Dan Wesson .44 magnum, worked like a charm. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on a .22 chamber as well.

Take a wooden dowel rod that is undersize for the chambers. Cut a slit in the end of it, as deep as you want to enter the chambers to polish. Then, insert the end of a thin strip of 600 wet or dry paper into the slot, and wrap it around the dowel. Check the fit in the chambers, you want it snug but not tight. Then generously oil up the chambers and paper and either chuck the dowel rod in a hand held drill on low speed, or better yet, in a drill press on low speed. Run it for a minute or so, slightly moving it in and out a few millimeters so as not to stay in one place. Check your work, re-oil, and continue until you get the polish you want on the chamber.

[snip]

Lou

This is what I do when I want to polish something up.

Absolutely correct. The finishing reamer is made to do this job correctly. The reamer is piloted so everything stays perfectly straight and true, and takes the chambers to the exact correct SAAMI specification. All these other well-intended kitchen table remedies (drills, mandrels, Flitz, dowels, sandpaper, etc.) carry significant risk of making the problem even worse.

How could 600 grit paper harm a cylinder or make the problem worse?

How much does a finishing reamer (.44 mag) cost (+ all tools needed to use it)?

Thanks,

 

[PhilOhio]

I strongly agree with Carmoney and the reamer advocates. There is no easier and more certain solution. I've been through this too many times with too many rifles and handguns. Buy the reamer, use lots of cutting oil, and know how to use it carefully. Remove the least possible amount of whatever is causing the problem.

In collecting or accumulating, we always run into guns where somebody has boogered the rear of the chamber by dry firing. Reaming is the most simple, sure, and least destructive way of fixing it. Yes, there is a nifty little tool to push some of the metal back, but you should also have the reamer on hand.

Sure, you can polish to your heart's content. It may help, it may hurt, or it may do little at all. The only downside is that all of the fixes in that famly of solutions involve very imprecise removal of metal. Reaming, with a good quality and undamaged reamer, using lots of cutting oil, and only taking one or two turns at a time, is the only way to keep everything perfectly symetrical in the chamber. That is the key point. With a good reamer, there is no need to do any polishing afterward.

Few investments will give you as much return in usefulness, over the years, as a good quality .22 rimfire finishing reamer and a high quality machined steel tap handle to hold it securely.

9mm is a good second one to have.

 

[Merman]

Reamed my 617 cylinder today

Read all the posts, all over the web. Bought a reamer from Midway USA....a PTG standard reamer, reamed it with stinky old Tapmatic, used a large tap handle (had to, the reamer end is 3/8" and won't fit standard handles), reamed the holes in 3 passes using the weight of the handle, blowing off chips and reoiling every 4 turns or so, just kissed the rim ledge. Beautiful smooth/satin surface. Shells drop in and out. My cylinder was reamed with an old worn tool. Marks in the cylinder walls. Now it's as designed. Cost me $42 and 30 minutes. Worth all of it. Just like Tomcatt51 has been saying all along. Polishing really isn't needed. I'm waiting on a 5.5mm abrasive brush 600 grit from Flex-Hone and will hit the cyliners again just to debur and unify the finish.