Worked fine
Worked good. Not sure what the other reviews were talking about. I went slow and used lots of oil. It took probably 20 mins to ream one hole..
Works Fine
With respect to other reviewers on here, I will tell you that this reamer works fine. It is not a DRILL, IT IS A REAMER! Drill your holes from the small side of the sight if using one with the holes already drilled in it. Use a #32 drill bit. Use a clamp on one of the barrel bands to hold it where you want it. Go slowly. Then use your reamer from the large hole side. That is the ejection port side. Take your time. Only turn the reamer clockwise. Use some tap oil.
It's secretly a square drive reamer
As others have noted in the reviews, the handle comes off easily by gripping the reamer shaft in some plastic soft jaws in your vise and pulling the plastic handle off by hand. Once I did this, I was greeted by a square drive taper reamer that I could put in my small tap handle and get much better control over the process. With the stock handle, this reamer is great for cleaning up a taper pin hole, but when working a freshly drilled front sight base it's best to use a bigger handle since you're going to be turning it a lot.
Works for FSB taper pins
The force needed to ream the pin holes destroyed the plastic handle in seconds. You are left with a standard 2/0 reamer with square drive top. Using a square drive tap handle, the reamer worked perfectly to install two standard FSB taper pins. I'm not sure how many pins this reamer is good for, but it worked well for my limited use.
Handle is useless.
This is a fair price for an Asian imported #2/0 High Speed Steel, 4 flute twist tapered pin reamer. Any SMALL tap wrench handle will fit it, but the long screw handle twist handles work best for tapering straight holes. You don't want a faster twist rate, trust me! If you want made in USA, it's out there, for $45-$55, with no handle and no shipping. Made in Germany or Switzerland? $60-$90. You can chuck this up in a drill motor too, but plan on breaking one or two before you figure out exactly how that procedure works. If you already know, go for it. You probably also know you run a risk of breaking it any time you do use this technique, but it can be done. USE CUTTING OIL! It really helps a lot! THE HANDLE WILL PULL OFF or it can be chiseled off. Then use a small tap handle, as this does have a square pin/peg on the end, just like any tap does.
Works very well
The handle is small (about ~5/8" dia.) and not useable, so I took it off. Very easy to do, put the cutting part in a vise and a vise-grip on the plastic, turn a couple times and it comes right off.>>> The cutting part of the tool is reverse "threaded", so keep that in mind when using a drill.>>> USE CUTTING OIL! And take your time, don't build up excess heat. I didn't use a front sight fixture (used the gas tube, fingers, and constant Mk. I eyeball checking to maintain alignment) so it took about 40 minutes to have the first pin installed, which held the alignment for the 20 minutes to install the second pin.>>> Front sight is dead-on straight, no canting or looseness. Reamer is still good for more reaming, just as sharp as when I first got it. Yes, I'd buy it again when this one wears out.
Taper Pin Reamer by BROWNELLS
Reamer steel/design of flutes looks ok. Handle appears to be spindly. Instructions included with reamer weren't for the reamer; but after 52 years of experience with machine tools I think I can figure out how to use it. After reading review if the handle fails I'll machine flats on the handle end for a tap handle.
Taper reamer
Use this to finish ream the taper for A2 gas block/sight It works....kinda. The tool is ok, just ok. Half way through the job the reamer came loose from the handle. The reamer should have a square drive to go into a tap handle. Dont expect this tool to last for more than 1 sight.
Good Reamer, Useless handle
As others have stated, the handle is totally useless. It doesn't seem designed for human hands. Fortunately, it breaks off easily on the first use and you then have a perfectly serviceable reamer that fits a standard tap handle (or drill/drill press if you like living dangerously... seriously, do it by hand). Once freed from its handle the reamer made short work of its intended job and my retro AR now has its gas block pinned on as designed.
No need for the handle
As other have mentioned, put it in a vise and pull off the handle and you should be ok. Ideal is putting a tap handle after popping off the plastic one, but I did get the job done with some vise grips. Used this to install an oversized taper pin.
