SamLS

I'm looking for some good information on the line boring and reaming process done to a specific pistol frame for optimum bore bullet alignment. I believe manson or clymer may make tooling for such or do you have to make your own fixtures. Any books or videos explaining the process?

Onty

It’s done by installing special bushing instead of barrel and going with special boring bar that’s guided with bushing. Also, so called bore reamer could be used to make boring and reaming in a single pass. Looks like ordinary reamer except it has additional front cutting edge like boring bar that cuts several thousands less than final size. The idea is to have first cut unaffected by the offset of hole and concentric with guiding bushing. Once when final reamer cuts in the material it’s self guided. Another method is using gun drill (must be bushing guided also) and drilling in solid cylinder, no existing holes. Next method could be to clamp the frame on the mill table, install the bushing and zero the spindle. After that standard boring technique could be used. However, be aware that bushing has to have concentric bore and thread and cylinder has to be indexed ROCK SOLID. Any play of the cylinder on cylinder pin or indexing notch will negate line boring effect. By any standard, it’s not for ordinary smith or tool and die maker. That’s the reason why custom revolver from top notch smiths cost so much.

Dave Berryhill

There was a short article written by Larry Crow showing the basics of line boring with Dave Manson's tooling in the March/April issus of Shoot Magazine (that's the official SASS magazine). It wasn't exactly a "how-to" article but it did explain some of the fundamentals. Also, there is a little info on it in Kuhnhausen's SA Ruger Revolver book.

SamLS

Thanks for the help. Larry has some customizing video's does AGI have anything worth looking at regarding line boring?

Dave Berryhill

I'm interested in doing some line boring too so I've been gathering what info I could find on the process. I bought Larry's "Customizing the Ruger" video and promptly returned it. It really doesn't show how to do any gunsmithing in the video. It's more for the layman to understand what the different gunsmithing options are and what the results of that gunsmithing is. There is a little bit on line boring in the video but nothing that wasn't already covered in the Shoot magazine article and Kuhnhausen's book. I'd recommend getting those rather than buying the video.

Larry teaches a class (2 weeks long I believe) on building custom Ruger single actions at the NRA summer gunsmithing program in Oklahoma (I think it's Murray College) and I believe that line boring is included in the class. That would definitely be worth attending. I've heard that the class fills up early due to the limited size. I'm thinking of attending next summer.

SamLS

Thanks Dave, I was considering those videos as well. Have you seen any of the AGI revolver videos? How were they?

Dave Berryhill

I haven't seen any of their Ruger videos.

was1911

I did a complete how-to thread a few months ago with many photos on line boring a Ruger new model in 45 Colt using a cut down .357 MAXIMUM cylinder on Ruger.com. along with a complete octagon barrel how to with a Shilen blank.

Had barely a blip on the screen response so I took it down.

JohnnyT

And another long-dead thread is resurrected.

was1911

Well that was easy. With my first (and definetly last) post I got a good idea of the mindset of the members here.