We all know how notorious CZs are for having a short leade, but it seems like most European pistols do because of the difference in standards compared to the US manufacturers. I haven't reamed a barrel in over 20 years and even had Patriot ream a few for me since, but their price has gone up to the point that having two barrels done is more than the cost of a reamer. It's not a hard process to do. If you can take apart and polish a 75 series you can easily ream a barrel. Here's what I did with the barrel from my Canik TP9SFx last weekend. I apologize in advance for the sideways pics - I can't get them to rotate and save!
So here's the patient. The goal is to get the fat Precision Bullet coated 124 grn. that's seated at 1.12" to fully chamber and be .015" off the lands.
Unfortunately, this is how it fit before reaming. Virtually zero leade.
This is what it should look like when completed.
Here's all you need to get the job done. A Manson 9mm throat reamer (#35 I think), a handle for the reamer, and some quality cutting oil. Lots and lots of cutting oil. I also keep a large can of WD-40 and Carb. Cleaner handy for flushing out the barrel.
You'll also need a vise or some other way to firmly hold the barrel. Make sure you pad it with leather or wood. I put a wadded up rag under the barrel to catch the oil and shavings.
At this point it's pretty straight forward. Squirt some oil down the barrel and on the cutter, then gently insert it into the barrel. Apply a little downward pressure and start turning in the direction of the cutter blades, making sure you keep it straight (the pilot does a good job of this). You'll fell the cutter "click" as it goes through the lands. There should be slight resistance - you'll know if you're applying too much pressure because it will take a fair amount of force to get the blades through the lands. I stop after 15 to 20 "clicks" and remove the reamer. DO NOT twist the reamer backwards to remove it. That will dull the blades. Clean the reamer off, spray out the barrel, and check the fit with a dummy round loaded with your bullet of choice at the length you desire. Wash, rinse and repeat as necessary until you get the clearance you need.
Some barrels require very little reaming while others, like this one, require a lot. Take your time, check it often, and keep cleaning it out. Remember, oil is your friend. I lost count of how many rotations this one took, but it eventually got there.
Based on the shavings on the rag, you can tell it took a fair amount out.
And here's the finished product. I loaded a dummy round to check the OA length. It came out at 1.136", or 0.016 over my preferred load length.
While I had everything out I went ahead and reamed the throat on my new Rami. It required very little reaming compared to the Canik. The bottom line is that this is not a hard process. There's no need to be intimidated by it. Take your time, pay attention to what you're doing, and you'll have a great finished product
