Metric rcbs trimmer pilots

ndallyn

ndallyn

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Airdrie, AB
Need pilots for my case trimmer - does anyone know a good place to order 8mm and 9.3mm pilots? I am almost to the point where I will just fire up the lathe and make some if I can't find them.
 
Try contacting RCBS directly. You might be surprised at what they'll do to keep a customer happy.
Say you can't find them anywhere and ask where you might be able to acquire them.
They might just send you some, or sell them very reasonably.
 
I've made a few also. If you have easy access to screw-in arrow points, the target type, they require very little machining to get an RCBS pilot out of them.
 
I will give you lathe guys cash money* to post good descriptive videos showing the lathe work. I love watching that stuff and want to learn how to do it. I have an Atlas 618 that I picked up over the summer with the intent restoring it and learning the basics and really need something to jump start me on that project.

What lathes are you using?

* It may only be a few bucks through Patreon, but the offer stands!
 
ndallyn said:
Need pilots for my case trimmer - does anyone know a good place to order 8mm and 9.3mm pilots? I am almost to the point where I will just fire up the lathe and make some if I can't find them.
Click to expand...

For the 9.3 pilot I bought a 375 pilot and reduced it by spinning it in a drill press and applying a file and emery cloth. Could probably do the same for the 8mm using a .338 pilot.
 
thanks for the responses everybody! Brownells stocks them but I'm not too keen on paying duty for two $9 pilots. Should be pretty quick to chuck up a couple oversize pilots in the lathe. Looks like to that's what I'll end up doing
 
Some commercial pilots are hardened and can be a buggar to downsize without some Knowledge/experience with different cutting tools especially with hobby sized equipment. I don't know why they go to the trouble to harden them because the light use & wear conditions they are subjected too, they don't need to be. I have built many different pilots for my own use with just a regular bolt as the donor piece, mild steel shafting will work as well but you will get a little better final cut finish on the better quality steel (less drag by the brass neck while being turned over the pilot).

Just cut the major dia ( your neck bore size) and then "carefully" cut the much smaller shank dia last using small cuts otherwise they "pigtail" twist quite easily then you have to start over...not a big thing as your cost is absolutely nothing but your time.
 
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