Ramp polishing tools

G

glockorama

New member
I just bought a used dremel. It didn't come with any attachments, what bits do I need to polish feed ramps and what is the procedure for doing it. Can you also do "throut" jobs with a dremel?
 
Glockorama, I don't use a dremel tool so I'm not really all that familiar with their different attachments. But, basically you want to start with maybe a 400 grit abrasive and work your way up to 600 or so. The object of course being to polish without removing any metal or changing the ramp's angle. You can use it for throating. The best way is to start with a 1/4" rotary file and working one side at a time just extend the existing ramp, keeping the same angle, about 3/4 the way around the chamber. After you've done that you can repeat with the abrasive again working your way to 600 grit. Be very careful attempting this. Motorep has a point. I installed about 10 ramped barrels last year and 3 already this year in 1911s simply because it was the only way to save the frames after the owners' over zealous polishing efforts. George
 
Ok, Glockorama, we've tested your sense of humor and found it absent. I use a Dremel for lots of things- fitting grips, dehorning stainless guns, etc., but not for anything critical. I let my gunsmith do that kind of thing because that's what he's trained himself to do. You can polish a ramp til it shines but if you don't know what the end result should be you could very well end up spending more time and money than if you had a gunsmith do it in the first place.
 
Glocko: Scrounge up a couple of rusted/pitted old barrels, and practice on them. If feeding improves, you've learned something. If feeding is worse, you've learned something. And you've saved some bucks, right?

Nobody was born an expert anything...

Regards, Art
 
Thank you for the input (you too Motorep, my humor isn't absent, just occasionaly too dry for my own good). I will practice polishing on some old barrels.
 
Brownells sells lots of goodies that will work well with a Dremel or similar tool. I can recommend their set of Cratex bits (about $45, many different shaped bits in four different coarses).

Go slow!
 
glockorama - I have a Dremel and find it useful for about 500,000 things. Go to your local hobby shop or wal-mart and buy the Dremel Polishing kit. It comes with Jewlers Rouge and some trick hard rubber polishing bits that will not remove as much metal as a stone will and makes it much easier to find your way without catastrophic mistakes. Been There, Replaced That.

~Blades~
 
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