30 years ago, on a night just like tonight, my mentor Percy "Red" Stevenson, broke his shop made 22 Hornet reamer . I was watching over his shoulder (too closely now that I think of it). He was chambering up a new barrel for his Winchester lo-wall in 22 Hornet. Red had spent a couple of days making the reamer out of A-2 tool steel. He cut the profile on the lathe, then he set the profiled blank in the mill in a homemade fixture and milled 6 flutes on the reamer and then off to heat treat it with the cutting torch flame. The next day. Red spent some time sharpening the reamer. I got home from work and made a beeline to Red's basement shop, this would be the night to see the reamer in use. Red had the barrel chucked up in the 4 jaw chuck of the belt drive Atlas Lathe, dialed in at .000 total run out .Dead nuts on the spot. He had pre drilled the chamber roughed with a series of drill bits before the final reamer was used. All went well till the shoulder angel of the reamer caught and the DANG thing snapped. I was digging thru some of Red's cigar boxes tonight and found that DANG reamer. I had to share this story. Red has been gone from this world for about 25 years now but I still try keep some of his tools in good use and the knowledge he left for me will be used for some good by the shooter to come.
The next one he made out of O-1 steel and left more meat in the root of the reamer. My other neighbor, George, still has Red's updated and improved 22 K Hornet reamer. 26-t
