Whats the most economically and easiest method to ream a 22lr barrel to a smooth bore? Can this be done by hand with some sort of reamer?
Go on the KBC Tools website and look at what is available for what is called a chucking reamer. Find the diameter you want. Order it.
Also order a piece of steel drill rod slightly smaller than the bore size.
Silver solder that to the shank end of the chucking reamer. Alignment counts!
Chuck it in a cordless drill and have at. Remove frequently to clear chips. Use a cutting fluid, not motor oil or other crap like that, something MADE for cutting, not for lube!
In a perfect world, you would order a pull reamer already on a tube, from Eldorado Drill, as would be used on a gundrilling machine. They work best, cost most, and really benefit from high pressure cutting oil to clear the chips and keep things working well.
In a perfect world...
Whatever you do, do NOT try running an adjustable hand reamer under power. The taper of the cutting edge is completely different, and while it works well for hand reaming, under power can become a disaster pretty quickly.
An adjustable hand reamer, run really carefully by hand, can however, be used on an extension, to clear remnants of any rifling that may be left by the choice of chucking reamer. Or you can just get a few thou larger reamer and redo, if needed.