Conversion Cylinders and Spent Brass

[craiso]

Hello Gents,

I posed the same question on another site, but did not get much help. The spent brass from my Remy conversion is quite difficult to remove. I gather that my chambers need polishing. One can clearly see the tooling marks and I do not want to remove too much material. Any suggestions?

Warmest regards,

Christopher Raison

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Hello Gents,

I posed the same question on another site, but did not get much help. The spent brass from my Remy conversion is quite difficult to remove. I gather that my chambers need polishing. One can clearly see the tooling marks and I do not want to remove too much material. Any suggestions?

Warmest regards,

Christopher Raison

Howdy Mr. Raison.

I have a very specific suggestion.  Get a Flex-Hone of the correct chamber size (caliber) and the special honing oil that Brownell's recommends, and follow the directions.  It's simple and can be done easily with a hand drill or small drill press.  Don't be stingy with the oil!

It won't take too long, either.  Like you, I was worried about taking too much metal, but I don't think you can.  The little abrasive-loaded balls will wear out before you wear off too much steel.  Start by doing each cylinder/chamber as you count in your head from one to twenty at the same pace, and giving each chamber the same amount of time.  Keep the hone (and drill) moving up & down a little at the same time.  (Only a little up-&-down movement is needed.)  It's easy and not too messy.

Took me less than an hour.  One hone lasts for about one sixgun, done properly.  'Taint cheap, but it does a good job ... if you do YOUR part!  I did mine when they were about $28 ea. and I thought it was expensive THEN.   I see that nothing has changed.

Looky here >>> http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=41630/Product/FLEX-HONE-RIFLE-POLISHING-SYSTEM

They are caliber specific, and the oil is shown at the bottom of the page.  You'll end up with enough oil for doing ALL your guns, even buying the small can, but it can be used like any fine oil when you're done honing.  (To use ALL the oil, you'll need to buy more hones;  i.e. one for each gun.  But you'll have enough oil!)  You won't get RID of those scratches that are visible, but they'll be polished to where it works right.   (Oh - ignore the "Rifle" wording.  It works for revolver chambers, too.)


I'd be remiss if I didn't mention to check your loads to make sure they aren't over-specs and causing the sticking in the first place, but I assume you've done that already.

[Mogorilla]

How difficult?  I have a R&D and the spent cases won't dump out, but I have a dowl that I put in an old shed antler and just run them through and the cases pop right out.   Now, originally  cylinder was real picky about accepting cartridges, reloads would not seat and some cheaper new cartridges would not either.  I bought it through Taylors, they said send it in and they will fix it.   Sent it in and it will accept all brands now. 

[craiso]

I have used a few different commercial brands of shells with no problems with them going in, just rough on the way out.    I thought about using a cleaning patch adapter from a cleaning rod and a thin piece of 1200 grit sandpaper spun with a drill. I am sure that the tool shown above would be a better choice. Thanks for the help. 

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I have used a few different commercial brands of shells with no problems with them going in, just rough on the way out.    I thought about using a cleaning patch adapter from a cleaning rod and a thin piece of 1200 grit sandpaper spun with a drill. I am sure that the tool shown above would be a better choice. Thanks for the help. 

Christopher, Howdy again!

Your method (see above) would work.  I'd personally use Crocus cloth (wrapped around a plastic bore brush, not bronze and spun by your drill)  rather than 1200 grit sandpaper ... it's quite a bit less aggressive than 1200 grit would be and leaves far fewer marks.  (I believe it's about 1600-2000 grit, but 3M's website only says it comes as Fine, Medium, & Coarse.)  Back in the Dark Ages, when I was a young apprentice Machiner (Machinist wanna-be) I would spin a piece of the tool steel we used in our shop and tearing off a 2" wide strip of CC, and the lathe set at hi RPM, I could polish the metal to almost the same finish (to the naked eye) as if the metal had been plated - nickle or chrome.  There were still VERY fine marks, but with our green polish on a cloth wheel, it would glisten & gleam!

The BIG problem(s) is/are where to find it and the expense.  It ain't cheap!  The 3M site lists a package of 50 at $67 and change!   Now, iffn ya wanna come to my house in Indy-No-Place (SuperBowl 2012 Central) I'll GIVE ya a sheet, but ...  I'd even help ya do the deed.  It'd probably take a whole sheet per gun.


Doing the job with CC would also take longer, I suspect.

Have fun whatever ya do!

SHB

[Freedom]

I just use my loading ram arm...since it is already hanging down anyway...very handy...might be a little redneck but if you are gentle it works well and it seems the cylinder is harder than the rammer because my rammer shows some signs for me doing this but the cylinder face has no marks.