Open a chamber with sandpaper?

[bountyhunter]

I'm playing around with a Lone Wolf Glock barrel. It's significantly tighter than the stock barrel, and even tighter than my Dillon case-gauge.

That strikes me as *too* tight. I shot LW a note, and got a nice reply back explaining 'Glock'd brass, and full-length resizing, etc., issues which I understand, but again -- if a round chambers easily in a case gauge, that ought to be good enough imo. I don't want to use the barrel as a gauge, for no other reason than sometimes it's a mild PITA, and now I'd have to first gauge with the barrel, then gauge the rejects ('cause they're still likely to fit the STI) with the Dillon, etc.

Anyway, long story longer: I don't have any fancy tools, but have done amazing damage with sandpaper. In all seriousness -- could I open this chamber up a bit with 600grit wrapped on a dowel, or something? Thx

If the barrel is shooting the ammo you need to feed it, then it's OK as is. If it's jamming from being too tight, open it up. I bought aftermarket 9mm barrels to drop into all my 40's so I could shoot cheap 9mm reload ammo..... and every one of the barrels routinely choked on the ammo because 9mm is a tapered case and the reloader (I won't metion Miwall because that would be mean) sizes the case using a single diameter tool. In other words, the "bulge" 1/3 of the way up the case is still smaller than the maximum allowable diameter at the end with the rim, but it's too wide for the barrel since it should be tapered in. I reamed all mine until they would chamber the ammo I was shooting.

If you don't have a ream, a pretty good tool is a drill shank (the smooth end of a drill bit) with a strip of sandpaper taped around it. If you size it to be just snug and turn it by hand, you will get a nice, even radius. You'll also spend a couple of hours doing it.

Edited January 8, 2008 by bountyhunter

[Harmon]

i need to open the throat up on my gun, ammo that works in other barrels chokes in my LW barrel

im going to do the KKM barrel too, i just need a place to find the reamer...

i want my guns to shoot cast lead bullets at 1.140 instead of the absolute maximum of 1.120

Harmon

[HSMITH]

Harmon, Brownells will get you a .402" throating reamer. Call and ask for the special order desk.

[Greg Bell]

Dave at http://www.mansonreamers.com

[Toolguy]

Manson reamers cut a lot better than Clymer. Get a Manson one.

[Radical Precision Designs]

Ouch !!!!!

Running sandpaper unevenly to where it will make a difference is bad "mojo". I will always run a "small wad" of very fine abrasive like a "tootsie roll" in a mandrel, or a properly shaped/sized "rotten-stone", but only for polishing purposes. Never to remove any significant amount of material for clearances.

Sometimes the throat area may have a rather sharp step which can slow or snag the feeding, and this can be softened out some to improve feeding. If this doesn't do it ... then it's "reamer time", followed by minor polishing if needed.

[mpolans]

I was thinking of taking a new piece of brass, mounting it on a dremel or drill, smearing JB Bore Paste on it, and running it in the chamber of my LW barrel to open it up a little.

[Flexmoney]

I'd like to see if that would work. Heck, I'd hold you beer for ya while you tore into it.

On the other hand, I've read a number of times where the LW barrel chambers were exceedingly tight (mostly when they first came out?). I am sure that I read where they were sent back to LW and were reamed.

[jjanglin]

Ya better have a way of holding everything real straight= the brass will form like putty if ya dont and you will have a screwed up barrel.

Pistol brass isnt made sturdy enough to go spinnig it in a chamber.

Send the dang thing to me Ill do it for nothing just to keep ya from screwing it up.

Jim/Pa

Sailors

[HSMITH]

Send the dang thing to me Ill do it for nothing just to keep ya from screwing it up.

LOL, I offered to do the same thing when this thread first started via PM.

[AlamoShooter]

I think all you guys are missing the obvious answerer.....He has a 40 cal barrel and he is chambering a 45

[badchad]

When I ordered my LW .40 barrel and asked about their tight chamber they said to try it first and send it back if need be to enlarged. IIRC it was free and they said to send some of my ammo along with it to make sure it feeds.

[Phudd]

radley, I'm not sure you are still shooting your Glock, but my offer stands. I'll bring you my Manson 9mm reamer any time to borrow.

[benny hill]

ALL barrels need to have the proper reamer run in them & headspace checked before fireing. Never trust the factories to do your job for you.

[Harmon]

i just got done reaming my LWD 40 open glock barrel.

it will now chamber cast lead bullets at 1.200 oal...even though i cannot load them that long due to magazine constraints.

Harmon

[SharonAnne9x23]

Boo, please refer to your original post re: sandpaper. "I...have done amazing damage with sandpaper". The operative word being "DAMAGE". You answered your own question. NO SANDPAPER!