Throat Reaming

M

MSD Mike

New member
I have a couple of .357 Blackhawk's that have throat dimensions all over the map. I intend to buy a reamer to open all the throats to .358 for better consistency and to optimize for cast bullet shooting. I notice that the reamer offered in the Brownells catalog comes with a pilot size of .354. My smallest throat is .356, will this pilot suffice or should I get the "pilot pack" Brownells offers to get a more precise fit?

Thanks
Mike
 
Yes, sorry for the terminology. I was reading the Brownell website when I posted and they describe it as a Cylinder Throat reamer.

Thanks
Mike
 
Yeah, you'd want the pilots for that unless you have a vertical mill and a good center finder for it. Alternately, for under $40 you can get it done at cylindersmith.com (you send them only the cylinder-they don't accept assembled firearms) or, if you send the gun back to Ruger with an accuracy complaint, they'll look the whole thing over and do the reaming for you. At least, that's what they did on a Redhawk I sent back to them. The problem is the shipping cost and not the work, in that case. Perhaps if you called them they'd let you send just the cylinder in for inspection and reaming? If so, that's nice because they refinish it in matching bluing afterward.
 
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Thanks Nick, I will get the pilots. I am aware that I can send the gun back to Ruger or have Cylindersmith do the work but I just like to do things myself. When I'm done I will have a new tool and a new skill.

Thanks
Mike
 
I sure understand that disease. I've got any number of tools I've only used once, but still feel better having them and knowing how to use them.
 
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