reaming FCG holes?

[amd65]

I am almost ready to ream my FCG holes on my cold steel solutions blank. I have a tapered t-handle reamer but that brings up another problem that I am sure the fine folks on my favorite forum can handle. My plan was to measure the outside of the reamer with a caliper and tape a small line where the diameter was 5mm and then do the same for 7. Then I planned to ream the hole untill it was almost at the line, maybe a mm or so below the line and check it with a pin. If it fits great, if not, slightly ream again untill it fits just right. Do you guys think this would work because I am tired of buying tools? Like I said I plan to under-ream the hole several times untill it is just right. Possible?

[dogbone]

does it mean your hole is going to be tapered?

[amd65]

Damn, I think your right about the hole being tapered. The taper is very slow though. I'll wait for more responses before buying the perfect size reamers.

[ronin]

The whole will be tapered and wear faster. I hate to say it amd65, but I'd recommend you buy 5mm and 7mm reamers.

[amd65]

Ooh, I got one more idea to run by you guys. I could ream the hole so that the outside is right and lightly file the inside edge so it isn't tapered. Possible?

[dogbone]

I know when I ream the holes they are pretty snug on the pin. I sometimes have to ream them twice.

[motorhead]

not taper reamer. use size specific reamer, hand or machine. i got some for $5 ea at my local tool place. had to look through a whole box of unmarked reames.

[ETG]

If you want to go cheap, buy a 5mm and 7mm drill - would definitely be better than a tapered reamer but not as good as the real reamers. One thing to think about - if you save yourself $25 and mess up the receiver - what have you saved???

[lextech]

My first couple I did by hand with needle files, slow going but good control, except I stabbed my hand bout a hundred times. I got a set from AKbuilder on a larger order and theyre So much easier, no looking back on that purchase.

[my-rifle]

No you want chucking reamers. Buy them from AK-Builder. 5mm and 7mm. You can get them from Victor Machinery as well, but theirs are not made in the United States. They're Polish. Good, but not as good as the U.S. ones. I'm no blind patriot, but when it comes to buying tools, you cannot beat the ones made in the ole USA. Go to the AK-Builder site, and check out his. I've built about 25 AK's using one pair of his reamers, and they work. Perfectly.

If you want to see the ones from Victor Machinery, the link is here:

http://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/productlist.html

I have several from them. I've worn out two, but I wasn't exactly using them correctly ...

[amd65]

Alright, I'll do it the right way and get some metric reamers. No one on this forum has steered me wrong yet so I'll come out the pocket and get some.

[engr]

I got my reamers from MSC along with other things such as center drills, carbide drills and carbide dremel mills.
http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

[ronin]

I bought my reamers from AK-Builder - two sets (5 & 7mm) actually. 7 builds laters and the first set is still going strong.

[ronin]

BTW amd, use plenty of cutting oil and set your drill press or hand drill to a slow speed. If you take your time you'll get a perfect hole with no (or very few) burs.

[ETG]

If you buy from MSC I would also get 4.5mm and 6.5mm drill bits in either HSS or Cobalt.

[my-rifle]

You might also get the 8mm chucking reamer. It makes a good counter-boring bit, and it beats paying $120 from Brownells for one.

[ronin]

What do you use the 8mm on my-rifle?

[my-rifle]

I counter-bored my 7.62mm rifle with it. The 8mm reamer gave me 0.4mm of relief, so I could get down to the good crown.