Precision Drilling & Holemaking Solutions for Firearm Machining

Manufacturing accuracy and precision are crucial to the performance and reliability required of a firearm. Gun manufacturers need to ensure they are working with the highest quality cutting tools that are optimized for each application, and capable of producing the complex geometries and tolerances driven by the firearms industry.

Star Cutter has years of experience in developing optimized hole making and drilling tools for the production of firearm components machined from 4140 and 4150V steels, 410 & 416 stainless steels, Stellite, and 7075 aluminum.

Pistol Barrel

Solid Carbide Gun DrillsDrilling & optimizing TIR or inner diameter
Deep Hole Twist DrillsDrilling & optimizing cycle time for inner diameter
ReamersFor reaming bore to tight part print tolerances, minimizing or eliminating honing

Rifle and Shotgun Barrels

GundrillsDrilling out inner diameter of barrel
Push and Pull ReamersBoring inner diameter barrel to size
Rifling ButtonsCold forming rifling grooves and resizing bore inside barrel

Upper Rails - Option 1

Single Flute GundrillsRoughing out inner diameter of part for reaming operation to follow
SRT ReamersReam non-critical bore to part print requirements
End MillsFinish criitcal bore by circle interpolation using an End Mill

Upper Rails - Option 2

Core DrillRoughing out inner diameter of part for reaming operation to follow
ReamerReam critical and non-critical bores from one side

Firing Pin Hole

Small Diameter Solid Carbide Twist DrillDrilling of pilot bore
Solid Carbide Twist DrillDrilling of main inner diameter of part
Solid Carbide GundrillMachining internal chamfer and drilling out small diameter bore for the firing pin break through

Bolt Action Components

Solid Carbide GundrillDrilling and optimizing TIR for inner diameter
Single Flute Solid Carbide Chamfering ReamerReaming inner diameter to size and improving the surface finish, when required

Case Studies

.22 Caliber Rifle Barrel

Standard Single Flute Gundrill

Material: 4140; 4150V
Speed: 4,400 – 4,800 RPM
Feed: 2.75 – 3.75 inches/min
Regrinds: 5 – 10
Tool life: 200 – 400 barrels
(depending on material quality)

.22 Caliber Rifle Barrel

High Performance Single Flute Gundrill

Material: 4140; 4150V
Speed: 5,000 – 5,500 RPM
Feed: 7 – 10 inches/min
Tool life: 200 – 500 barrels
(depending on material quality)

.22 Caliber Rifle Barrel

Standard Single Flute Gundrill

Material: 416 Stainless Steel
Speed: 5,000 – 5,500 RPM
Feed: 2.75 – 3.75 inches/min
Tool life: 200 – 300 barrels
(depending on material quality)
Double Contour Specialty Design for Excellent Part TIR Control

.22 Caliber Rifle Barrel

High Performance Single Flute Gundrill

Material: 416 Stainless Steel
Speed: 5,000 – 5,500 RPM
Feed: 7 -10 inches/min
Tool life: 500 – 600+ barrels
(depending on material quality)

5.56 Caliber Rifle Barrel

Push or Pull Reamer

Material: 4150V
Speed: 800 – 1000 RPM
Feed: 4 – 8 inches/min
Length of Cut: 18 inches
Tool life: 2,000 – 4,000 barrels
(depending on material quality)

Firing Pin Hole

Deep Hole Twist Drill

First Pass
Material: 158 Steel
Diameter: 4.128 mm
Speed: 4,750 – 5,250 RPM
Feed: 1.90 – 3.156 inches/min
Tool life: 275 – 325 parts

Firing Pin Hole

Solid Carbide Form Chamfer Gundrill

Second Pass
Material: 158 Steel
Diameter: 4.120/1.586 mm
Speed: 4,750 – 5,250 RPM
Feed: 1.00 – 1.60 inches/min
Tool life: 475 – 525 parts

22mm Caliber Pistol Barrel

Deep Hole Twist Drill

Material: 410 Stainless Steel
Speed: 4,000 – 5,000 RPM
Depth of Cut: 5.50 inches
Feed: 40 inches/min

9mm Caliber Pistol Barrel

Standard Single Flute Gundrill

Material: 4140
Speed: 3,000 RPM
Feed: 3.50 inches/min
Depth of Cut: 3.50 inches
Tool Life: 725 – 775 barrels
(depending on material quality)

Upper Rail (Option 2)

4-Flute Core Drill

Material: 7075-T6
RPM: 1,940
Size: ø 1.805
Feed: 15.52 inches/min

Upper Rail (Option 2)

Multi-Flute Finish Reamer

Material: 7075-T6
Size: ø 30.340
RPM: 1,118
IPM: 35.25
Positional Errors: ≤ 0.0003”
(design change implemented tool in production.)
Tool life: ≥ 3,000 parts