Chamfering Charge Holes on a 38/357 - Is It Worth It?

[ShotOut]

I shoot almost entirely cast bullets and a few jacketed with exposed lead tips. I'm kind of wanting to try this, but have some questions:

First, I'm never gonna use moon clips, so I'm inclined to not chamfer the extractor star. (This seems to contradict most of what I've seen on the internets) So does chamfering what basically amounts to 2/3rd's of each charge hole really gain me anything? And for those that have chamfered the extractor on a 38/357, how is ejection afterwards?

Second, for those that have done it, did you use the hand tools or did you chuck it in a mill? I'm looking at the Pacific Tool and Gauge cutter and pilot.

Thanks!

[jtcarm]

Yes, just breaking the sharp edge on the chamber mouths helps with speed reloads.

I haven’t chamfered the star on any of my K-frames, the cutter on my Brownells chamfering tool is too large and would hit the ratchets. I guess I could try removing the extractor.

Some people free-hand it with a Dremel, but I’m not about to try that.


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[ShotOut]

Thanks, I think I'll give it a try. Breaking the edges certainly couldn't hurt.

[SCCY Marshal]

A lot of people discourage chamfering the star. I only ever kiss it juuust enough to knock off a burr or make it unsharp if it is grabby or trying to hang up if an explicit problem has presented.

Chamfered extractors have less bite on the cases and can increase the chance of a brass under star stoppage.

[Wheeler]

I’ve chamfered most of my .38/.357 revolvers using borrowed tools. To do it properly the ejector rod and extractor star need to be removed. Brownells sells a tool to remove the ejector rod without bending it or marring it. There is also a chamfering tool that comes with an appropriately sized guide rod to find into each chamber to keep the cutter properly aligned. Again this tool is sold by Brownells.

There are several companies that specialize in this type of machining work. If you’re only planning to do one revolver the cost of the shipping and machining would probably be less than the cost of purchasing the appropriate hand tools and cutting oil.

[gato naranja]

A lot of people discourage chamfering the star. I only ever kiss it juuust enough to knock off a burr or make it unsharp if it is grabby or trying to hang up if an explicit problem has presented.

This was what I used to do back before my wheelie "hiatus." If there was a burr or a genuine "knife edge," light and careful use of a hard Arkansas stone - usually a small piece of one that had been broken - was enough.

[Nick B]

You just want to take off the sharp edge . You don’t need to make funnels out of the chambers.
On my 686’s you have to look really close to see that it was done . Works great when loading.

[jh9]

I'm kind of wanting to try this, but have some questions:

First, I'm never gonna use moon clips, so I'm inclined to not chamfer the extractor star. (This seems to contradict most of what I've seen on the internets) So does chamfering what basically amounts to 2/3rd's of each charge hole really gain me anything? And for those that have chamfered the extractor on a 38/357, how is ejection afterwards?

Second, for those that have done it, did you use the hand tools or did you chuck it in a mill? I'm looking at the Pacific Tool and Gauge cutter and pilot.

Thanks!

What, exactly, are you going to do with this gun?

For competition some people tend to chamfer as deeply as they can without compromising the integrity of the brass, cylinder and star. If you've ever used a gun that's been heavily chamfered, especially a 6 shot .45acp, it's difficult to go back to anything else. It feels like you can fastball a moonclip in there as haphazardly as you want to and it'll end up where it's supposed to be.

For carry I mean... you can. There's a sidebar discussion to be had there on how beneficial a modification that shaves a few fractions of a second off a wheelgun reload is For Realsies.

For just because: S&W has always, to the best of my knowledge, done the star as part of a chamfer job. Either as a custom or factory option. The factory 627 pro has egged out chamfering standard. I don't have a picture handy and sold mine, but they leave the outermost part of the star alone so as to prevent the case from slipping. But the star does get some metal removed. The revolver I sent in to the PC about 20 years ago had a full circle chamfering tool used when it came back.

If it's "just cuz" then how old is the gun? Any extractor made before ~1992 is a fitted part that most of us aren't qualified to fit. No touchy. If it's a 6 shot extractor made after 1992 then go nuts. Replacements are like $30 at midway.

[Brian T]

A lot of people discourage chamfering the star. I only ever kiss it juuust enough to knock off a burr or make it unsharp if it is grabby or trying to hang up if an explicit problem has presented.

Chamfered extractors have less bite on the cases and can increase the chance of a brass under star stoppage.

This is the way. Especially on a J or K frame cylinder. On an L or N frame you can get away with chamfering the star a bit more, but even then, I am not convinced enough to do them then.

A lot of people want the star done because they want their cylinders pretty. Mmmeh...


Call Pacific Tool and Gauge. Dont email them. Call. They make the cutters, pilots, etc that Brownells sells. If they have them in stock, they about 25% cheaper than Brownells. If they dont have the ones you need, you can order the handle, and the pilots you need/want from Brownells, and the actual cutter from Midway and save $30 bucks or so on the price of an entire kit from Brownells. Extra leg work, sure, but money saved is ammunition purchased.

ETA: if you do decide to buy the parts separately, you can get the pilot for the cylinder and a pilot for the muzzle and use the same tool to crown your barrel.

[Wheeler]

This is the way. Especially on a J or K frame cylinder. On an L or N frame you can get away with chamfering the star a bit more, but even then, I am not convinced enough to do them then.

A lot of people want the star done because they want their cylinders pretty. Mmmeh...


Call Pacific Tool and Gauge. Dont email them. Call. They make the cutters, pilots, etc that Brownells sells. If they have them in stock, they about 25% cheaper than Brownells. If they dont have the ones you need, you can order the handle, and the pilots you need/want from Brownells, and the actual cutter from Midway and save $30 bucks or so on the price of an entire kit from Brownells. Extra leg work, sure, but money saved is ammunition purchased.

ETA: if you do decide to buy the parts separately, you can get the pilot for the cylinder and a pilot for the muzzle and use the same tool to crown your barrel.

That company's website is a rabbit hole that I didn't really need to go down at this time. :) I've bookmarked it for future reference though.

[AzShooter]

After shooting many years with my S&W revolvers I say it is a large advantage to chamfer the cylinders. Stay away from the star unless you like cartridges falling under it during a reload.

Just breaking the edge of the cylinder is preferred if you want a carry gun but if you want to break the 2 second reload with speed loaders during competitions go as much as you can without taking too much off to un-support the case and cause a rupture.

There are proper tools to buy that will help but you can also get buy with a (God Forbid I Say It) Dremel. Use lots of oil and go slow. Remember too much looks cool but will eventually hurt you for reliability.

For speed reloads I recommend Safariland Comp III or Jet Loaders. It helps to tune them as well but that's a different story.

[Brian T]

That company's website is a rabbit hole that I didn't really need to go down at this time. :) I've bookmarked it for future reference though.

Yeah, their website is complete bullshit. It is best to call.

[LittleLebowski]

That company's website is a rabbit hole that I didn't really need to go down at this time. :) I've bookmarked it for future reference though.

Be very careful ordering from Pacific Tool and Gauge, make them state in an email what you are ordering is in stock and ready to ship, their customer service and shipping is abysmal these days.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/pacific-tool-gauge-sucks.6985843/

[Wheeler]

Be very careful ordering from Pacific Tool and Gauge, make them state in an email what you are ordering is in stock and ready to ship, their customer service and shipping is abysmal these days.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/pacific-tool-gauge-sucks.6985843/

Holy smokes the indeed dot com reviews are brutal.

My son has a knack for finding the most toxic possible places to work, perhaps I should recommend PT&D to him? :)

[03RN]

I had Sokol chamfer the charge holes on my m10. I haven't noticed a huge difference.

[Rodmaker]

My 64 was chamfered prior to my ownership. It was noticably easier to load with a speedloader or speed strips using rounds with exposed lead than on my non chamfered Smiths. Not so much when single loadimg or using jacketed bullets. I ordered the chamfering kit from Brownells and did my other .38/.357's. It is not necesary to chamfer the extractor star to achieve the desired result. Not worth buying the tool to do one but if you have more than a couple, it's cost effective.

[jetfire]

The guns where chamfering really makes the biggest difference are moonclip guns. When you're loading a clip gun, the chamfering helps pick up the rounds and guide them into the cylinder when you just "drop" the rounds in from 2-3 inches away. As mentioned, a really nicely chamfered 625 is a thing of beauty to reload.

[Lester Polfus]

Be very careful ordering from Pacific Tool and Gauge, make them state in an email what you are ordering is in stock and ready to ship, their customer service and shipping is abysmal these days.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/pacific-tool-gauge-sucks.6985843/

I am a mellow, unassuming conflict-avoidant Joe Average dad these days.

After I hung up the phone, one of PTG's people had me looking at google maps to see how long it would take to drive down there and deliver some wall to wall counseling.

[revchuck38]

I am a mellow, unassuming conflict-avoidant Joe Average dad these days.

After I hung up the phone, one of PTG's people had me looking at google maps to see how long it would take to drive down there and deliver some wall to wall counseling.

I remember those days...:)

[Flashman]

Absolutely necessary on self defense or competition guns. Otherwise, cases can hang up or not fully seat when reloading. Not much is required but I wished I had understood how necessary it was years ago.