I’ve built several rifles using Alpha Munitions legacy reamers. Alpha Munitions is a USA-based company focused on perfection, and their reamers are no exception.
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About Alpha Munitions Legacy Reamers
Alpha Munitions is primarily a brass company but they also make reamers. All their products are top-tier and manufactured/tested in the United States! (Fun Fact – The most precise rifle I’ve ever built had the best results with Alpha Munitions Brass, yielding a five-shot group of 0.090”.)
Alpha Munitions Legacy reamers are solid carbide with flutes under the bushing for pressure flush. You do have to buy the appropriate live pilot, but this is common. I personally keep an entire set and run them by 0.02 increments. This also allows you to test fit bushings in the bore. I do this in the throat transition, where I want the bushing to fit snug. The reamer comes with an e clip and has a 7/16” shank.
From Alpha Munitions:
Reamers are carbide.
Reamers use pilots for standard tool steel reamers. Pilots are not included.
Performance
Legacy reamers are the most consistent reamers available. All key dimensions on our reamers are guaranteed to be within 4 microns or 0.0001574803” with a majority falling within 2 microns or 0.0000787402”. This means the reamer you purchase today will be virtually identical to the reamer you purchase in the future, helping to minimize inconsistencies and variabilities in the chambering process.
Stealth Coating Technology
Our proprietary stealth coating technology improves edge retention and incorporates a post coating process to further reduce the coefficient of friction and increase chip flow.
Alpha Munitions has worked with world renowned shooters and gunsmiths to offer multiple freebore options in most cartridges to optimize reamer geometry. Alpha also applies their proprietary stealth coating technology over the carbide to reduce chip weld. Also important to note is key dimensions are guaranteed within four microns, with the majority falling within two microns. This is exceptional consistency and quality control.
Alpha Advantages
There are always pros and cons to high speed steel vs. carbide. Carbide has approximately thrice the stiffness of high speed steel, greater wear resistance, and higher speeds and feeds.
It is also less likely to flex and induce chatter. When I tested this, I ran the reamer with no bushing and had no runout or chatter. Alpha Munitions specifically has a few other advantages. They have proprietary spacing on their flutes to minimize chatter, exacting geometry and a finishing hone process that produces an unbelievable surface finish.
Results
I wanted to take a moment to also highlight some of the builds I’ve done with Alpha Munitions legacy reamers.
My 22GT yielded a three-shot group of 0.333” during the break-in with a carbon barrel at 100 yards.
My 6mm ARC had a 100-yard 0.244” five-shot group during load development. We also had great success with this rifle during the Rock Chuck Olympics.
The 6GT has been used in a variety of configurations. With an EC tuner brake, I achieved 0.2495” for three shots at 100 yards.
Conclusion
Alpha Munitions has done a wonderful job of making something that can be extremely complicated simple with a winning package in a number of calibers.
Get the Gear
Purchase Alpha Legacy Reamers and Pilots directly from Alpha Munitions.
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Thanks,
Gavin Gear
