ASSEMBLY TIPS and TRICKS PROVIDED BY TED KERNS
Drilling Razor Receivers with a Drill Press
Note: The supplier of this information has built many receivers that are fully functional and of extremely high quality. He has written this tutorial to assist others in building their RAZOR receivers to the same high standards. The Unit showed in his tutorial is a MAGNUM receiver requiring a high level of skill to complete as a builder.
First off, it helps to watch the video that is provided on the Razor site before you start to do any drilling.
If you are going to do it all by yourself using a drill press, here are some important points.
You MUST have some Mechanical Ability, Patience, Commitment & Discipline to follow Step by Step Instructions. There are No Shortcuts. It is NOT a race to see how fast you can drill all the holes in your receiver ! !
1. Make sure your drill press is set up where the bits, when in the chuck, are perfectly vertical. Check each bit while turning the chuck. If there is any wobble at the end, replace the bit.
2. Get a dial indicator level to do frequent checks that everything is perfectly vertical and/or horizontally flat.
3. Shorten and re-sharpen all of your drill bits, those that you will be using to drill the barrel hole, to about 3" - 3 1/2" long overall with enough to get a good grip on the bit with the chuck. Start small and work your way up in 1/32" & 1/16" increments.
Reason 1: As the diameter of the bit increases, they do get longer, and you will end up getting rotational whip/wobble.
Reason 2: You won't have to keep changing the height of your drill table.
4. Protect the outside surfaces of the receiver with blue masking tape. Use small blocks of wood in your vise clamps and shim as necessary to make sure everything is vertical/horizontal.
5. Make a small block of wood 1" wide X 3" long X 1/2" thick, to fit inside of the receiver. This will prevent distortion of the receiver sides when clamped.
6. Go slow with all of your drilling. If you want a perfectly straight and smooth barrel hole, turn the chuck by hand with slight pressure on the spindle. You are only drilling thru 9/16" of material, and it doesn't take long when you are only removing 1/16 or less of material. Wear a glove on the hand you are turning the chuck with or pad it with some foam rubber or use a pair of channel lock pliers to turn the chuck. Otherwise the palm of your hand will suffer.
7. Do not drill the Buffer holes and Trigger Group pin holes all the way to and through the other side. Your drill bits cut and also push material. You will end up having a jagged hole on the outside surface of the receiver. Use small C-clamps or Vise Grips to hold the Drill Jig tight in place. The tolerances are close and the Jig will have a tendency to rise while drilling, especially on the V-block holes due to the amount of material your drilling through. It also helps that once you are lined up and have started to drill a hole, to remove the drill jig and then finish drilling the hole.
8. When drilling the V-block holes, start your 1st hole with the #16 bit, remove the jig, and then finish that hole. Remove the #16 bit and then counter bore that hole with the 1/4 bit. Put the jig back in place and do the same thing for the next hole. Remove the 1/4" drill bit and while the receiver is still clamped, thread the holes with the 12-24 tap.
9. If you have a stock on hand that you are going to put the receiver in, place the receiver in the stock and while using the 12-24 tap run it through the take down hole and mark the receiver where to drill the take down bolt hole. Some stocks do vary slightly in the hole being off a tad. Drill the hole with the #16 bit and then thread that hole with the 12-24 tap.
10. On the receivers that have the extended scope base, you may need a small mirror to use to make sure you are aligned up straight when setting up and prior to drilling the barrel hole.
One other thing, before drilling the 11/16" barrel hole, check the diameter of the shank on your barrel. Some barrels have been found where the shank was smaller than 11/16".
Use a 21/32" drill bit instead of the 11/16".
Most barrel shanks are larger in diameter than 11/16, but check anyway.
Do Not Assume Anything Verify Everything ! !
You must use a 12 Drill Press. An 8 drill press does not have enough room between the work table and the chuck to drill the barrel hole when using a drill press vise to hold your receiver.
Recommended Tools and Items needed to complete your receiver:
Masking Tape, Drill Press Vise, Alignment Pin, Dial Indicator Level, i.e., (Dasco Pro Angle Finder Plus Level or equal), Small Dental Mirror, Assorted C-Clamps, Vise-Grips, Channel Lock Pliers, Jeweler Files, Dremel and Engraving Bits, Large Drill Bits, (13/32 to 11/16 in 1/16 and/or 1/32 increments), Small Drill Bits, (#16, 3/16, 1/4", 5/16, 3/8), Exacto Knife and Blades, Center Punch & Hammer, Small pieces of wood and shim stock, i.e., (Popsicle Sticks or Ice Cream Cup Spoons), Ruler/Scale with 1/16 and 1/10 graduations, Dial Calipers, Metal Shims.
Cut down all of your large drill bits to where you have a 3/4 long shank and the overall length is 3.
Re-sharpen those drill bits to 118°. They dont have to be sharpened to a point, as only the outside edges will be used to remove material. They will be used to make smaller holes larger.
Drill Press Set Up:
Find a Long, Stiff Rod or Drill Bit that you are positive that it is perfectly straight.
Put it in your Drill Press Chuck and use a Dial Indicator Level or small bubble level to make sure your drill press chuck with a drill bit in it, is perfectly vertical in both axis, 90° apart.
Shim the base as needed, then bolt it down to anchor it in place. Set the speed of the press to the slowest speed possible. (Typically about 600rpm)
Clamp or bolt your drill press vise to the work table. Adjust it with shims as necessary to make it as level as possible. Also make sure your work table is securely tightened to the press main shaft.
Make sure all of your drill bits are straight. To do this, roll your bits across a flat surface, i.e., a table or mirror. If either end of it wobbles, it is not straight. Get a replacement and check it. If you use a drill bit that is not straight, your receiver will start to shake as you start drilling and it only gets worse, if you continue drilling.
Make an Alignment Pin to align the center of your receiver with the drill press chuck.
This must be a perfectly straight piece of rod or a small drill bit about 3 long.
Example: This is a spare titanium guide rod cut to 3 long and the tip sharpened to a very sharp point.
Put tape on all side surfaces of the receiver. DO NOT put any tape on the rear surface of the receiver. It will affect the location of the trigger group holes and the buffer hole. The drill jig must, fit flush with the rear of the receiver. Wear Safety Glasses while drilling.
Drilling the Barrel Hole:
If your receiver is the Magnum, remove the spring, follower and Allen Head Plug, and set aside. Stand your receiver on end on a hard, flat surface. Place the Barrel Hole Center Locator (BHCL) or the drill jig with the (BHCL) & Pin on your receiver and smack the pin with a hammer. Remove the BHCL & Pin and then use a center punch to make the indentation deeper.
Place your receiver on end in your drill press vise with small blocks of wood between it and the vise jaws, with a small piece of wood to protect the bottom. Paint stir sticks and surveyor lath pieces provide excellent protection where needed.
Make sure your receiver is vertically straight in both axis, 90° apart. Shim as necessary
Raise or lower your work table to a point where you can change drill bits without moving the work table or vise. Secure the work table to the main shaft.
Put the alignment pin in the chuck. Align the point of the alignment pin with the center punch mark in the end of your receiver. If you have a Long Rifle receiver with the extended scope rail, you may need to use a small dental mirror to see/check alignment.
Prior to drilling the barrel hole, measure the diameter of the shank on the barrel you plan on using. If it is smaller than 11/16, you wont need to drill that size hole. If the shank is larger than 11/16, it can be polished/worked down to size using crocus cloth/emery cloth.
If the shank is smaller than 11/16 and you drill the hole to 11/16, you will have barrel droop.
Do Not Assume, Verify ! !
Put the #16 drill bit in the chuck. Lower the drill bit until it is just touching the receiver.
Turn the chuck by hand with slight pressure on the spindle and remove a small amount of material. If the center of the punch mark is in the center of the circle you just cut, you are ready to start drilling your pilot hole. Otherwise make adjustments to get it lined up.
Start drilling with slight and even pressure on the spindle. Make a short pass and back out to clear the bit and shavings. Continue with short passes until you are completely through the receiver. If you dont drill and back out, the shavings will pack up in the drill bit flutes and make drilling difficult. A drill bit does cut material but it also pushes material as you apply pressure.
Change the #16 drill bit out for a 3/16 drill bit and proceed as before with short passes.
Continue with increasing larger drill bits at 1/32 or 1/16 increments.
When you get to the 13/32 or 7/16 drill bit, unplug your drill press and start turning the chuck by hand with slight pressure on the spindle and continue on with each larger bit up to and including the 11/16 bit. The unplugging of the drill press is to prevent you from getting the urge to start drilling under power. Wear a glove or pad the chuck by taping some foam rubber to the top half of the chuck, or use a pair of channel lock pliers to turn the chuck. Your hand will get sore, so take your time and rest it. There is No Hurry !
Do Not Under Any Circumstances; try drilling any holes above 13/32 with the drill press under power. Holes of 13/32 and above are to be drilled by turning the chuck by hand with slight pressure on the spindle. You try drilling the barrel hole under power and the drill bit may grab the receiver and rip it out of your drill vise and destroy it. Also, as the drill bit turns and cuts under power it creates heat and with the low melting temperature of aluminum, your chips and shavings will melt and adhere to the drill bit or inside of the hole.
The shavings should be similar/typical to these.
Drilling the V-Block Holes:
Lower or raise the work table to the height needed to be able to change drill bits and drill the V-Block holes. Clamp the drill jig to the receiver, with small pieces of wood between the jig pins and receiver and clamps, etc.
Make sure your receiver is vertical and the jig is level.
Put #16 drill bit in chuck. Align jig hole with drill bit. Do this by lowering the drill bit to the hole in the jig and align it to where the bit will enter the hole without touching the sides of the hole in both axis, 90° apart, by turning the drill bit 90°. Use this technique to align your drill bit with all holes when using the drill jig.
Start drilling the hole with the #16 drill bit, using short passes. Drill only about 1/4" in depth.
Remove the drill jig. Complete the drilling of the hole with the #16 drill bit. DO NOT move the receiver.
Take your 1/4 drill bit and measure back 0.7 from the cutting edge/flutes of the bit. Wrap a piece of tape around the bit at this point.
Put the 1/4" drill bit in the chuck and counter bore the hole to the depth of the tape.
Re-Clamp the drill jig to the receiver as described earlier. Replace the 1/4" drill bit with the #16 drill bit and align the bit with the second hole. Drill the hole with the same procedure as before. Remove the #16 drill bit and replace it with the 1/4" drill bit. Counter bore the hole to the depth of the tape.
DO NOT Remove your Receiver from the Vise.
Again: I Repeat ! DO NOT Remove your Receiver from the Vise !
While it is still clamped in the vise, thread/tap the holes using a 12-24 tap. Once the tap starts cutting the threads, turn it one full turn and then back off 1/2 turn. Continue with 1 full turn, 1/2 back turn until the tap gets hard to turn or stops.
Drilling the Takedown Bolt Hole:
Place your receiver into the stock you plan on using. Take the 12-24 tap and run it through the escutcheon until it hits the receiver, plus 1/2 turn more. Give the receiver a slight tap on the top to mark the location of the takedown bolt hole on the bottom of the receiver. Remove your receiver from the stock and use a center punch to deepen the mark the tap left. Raise your work table to begin drilling the takedown bolt hole and remaining holes in the sides of the receiver. Secure the table to the main shaft. Place your receiver in your vise and make sure it is level in both axis, 90° apart.
Use your alignment rod or #16 drill bit to line up your chuck with the center punch mark, as described earlier.
Drill the takedown bolt hole with the #16 drill bit. Thread/Tap the hole with the 12-24 tap, as described earlier.
The drill jig is very useful for locating the takedown bolt hole for an original Ruger stock, but I have found that some aftermarket stocks vary slightly in the location of the takedown bolt hole, due to manufacturing tolerances. Do Not Assume, Verify !
Drilling the Trigger Group and Bolt Buffer Holes:
Cut a small block of wood 3/8" thk x 1 1/2" wide x 3 long and then cut reliefs in the block of wood to match the spacing of the jig pins. This block is to be placed over the pins on the drill jig when clamped in your vise. The block is used to prevent the drill jig from moving when clamping the receiver and drill jig in your vise. The drill jig will tend to rise on the opposite side of the pins when clamped in your vise without this block.
Clamp the drill jig to the side of your receiver. Using the block of wood with the reliefs cut in it and another similar block of wood, clamp your receiver in your press vise. Ensure it is level in both axis, long and short.
Put a 3/16 drill bit in your chuck and then align it with one of the holes in the jig for the trigger group. Drill that hole and then move over to the next hole and align the bit with that hole in the jig and drill the hole. DO NOT drill any holes all the way through to the other side of your receiver.
Remove the 3/16 drill bit and replace it with a 1/4" drill bit. Move over to the hole for the recoil buffer and align the bit with the hole in the jig. Drill that hole.
Flip the receiver over, clamp the drill jig to your receiver, put it in your drill vise and proceed as previously described.
Drilling the Magazine Detent Hole:
The following photos show the orientation of what your receiver and drill bit should look like when set up correctly, only in a vertical position.
Long Rifle Receiver: Note the distance from the rear edge of the receiver to the drill bit. = >1/8
Magnum Receiver: Note the distance from the rear edge of the receiver to the drill bit. = 9/16
Prior to drilling or clamping the jig to your receiver, prep the 5/16 drill for drilling a hole 1/8 deep by placing the drill bit in the hole of the jig. Push it through just enough to where the cutting flutes are even with the back face of the jig. The jig is 5/16 thick. Measure 1/8 back from the front face of the jig on the drill bit and wrap a piece of tape around it at that point. It equals 7/16.
Place the same 5/16 drill bit on the bottom of your receiver with the tip touching the face where the magazine hole will be drilled.
Clamp the drill jig to your receiver and place it in your vise with blocks of wood to prevent damaging the finish and provide resistance to movement.
Lower the work table to allow you enough room to drill the magazine detent hole. Secure the table to the main shaft.
Put the 5/16 drill bit in the chuck. Place the receiver, with jig, below the drill bit. Align the drill bit with the hole in the jig.
Ensure that the sides of your receiver are vertical.
For the LR Receiver:
Adjust the angle of your receiver, with the drill bit in the hole of the jig and a little over 1/8 from the rear of your receiver. Check with angle indicator. This should be 3°.
For the Magnum Receiver:
Adjust the angle of your receiver, with the drill bit in the hole of the jig and 9/16 from the rear of your receiver. Check with angle indicator. This should be 3°.
To ensure you dont get drill bit wobble, due to the length of the 5/16 drill bit, drill the hole by turning the chuck by hand with slight pressure on the spindle. Keep drilling until the tape touches the drill jig.
With a small jewelers file, file a channel the same width of the hole, down the face of your receiver to its end. This would be duplicating what Ruger does to all of their receivers, as shown.
Razor Ruger
These photos show Rugers depth of the magazine detent hole.
Use an Exacto Knife to remove the sharp, lower edge of the magazine detent hole.
Drilling the Guide Rod Detent:
Place a small piece of tape on the detent shelf.
Slide the guide rod and spring along the inside of the receiver until the point hits the tape. Rotate the guide rod and spring a few times because you want to leave a mark for an aiming point.
Wrap some tape around the 1/8 drill bit where it will be inside the barrel hole.
Put the 1/8 drill bit in a variable speed drill and put the point of the drill bit on your mark. With just enough pressure to keep the point of the bit in place and at a slow speed, drill enough material away to leave a nice detent of about 1/16 deep or so.
Remove the tape from the shelf and examine your detent.
Touch-Up on the inside of your receiver:
Take an Exacto Knife and remove any burrs on the edge of all holes.
Brush and blow out any debris left on the inside of your receiver from the drilling procedures.
If it is a Magnum receiver, make sure the spring channel is clean.
Remove the extractor, pin and spring from your bolt. Put the bolt inside your receiver. Move the receiver back and forth and let the bolt slam the front and look near the ejection port. This will identify where material needs to be removed to ensure your bolt face meets the breech face of your barrel. The length of some barrel shanks does vary.
While you have the extractor, spring and pin removed from the bolt, you can go ahead and correct the head spacing to .043, if so desired.
Put the spring, pin and extractor back in your bolt.
Take a Dremel Tool with a small engraving bit and polish up the area identified by the bolt.
Look inside your receiver, behind the ejection port, and you will notice that at the rear end of the rail the bolt slides on, there is a curved ending. Place a piece of tape just below that curved area and with a small file, work that curved area until it has a square end.
Clean out the receiver again, remove all tape from its sides and assemble your receiver.
If you are using Original Ruger magazines, take the magazine apart and using a file, round off the sharp edges of the through bolt face.
Sharp Edge Sharp Edge Rounded Edge Rounded Edge
All the above steps will ensure that your magazines will fall free when you operate the magazine release button/lever. Of course your magazine can hang up on the inside of your stock, but that has nothing to do with your receiver.
Also round off/radius the leading corner of your magazine. This will help in allowing your bolt to slide over the top and not hang up on your magazine.
Getting Technical:
Your Razor Receiver may have a small ledge on the barrel hole face that is .006 high as shown.
If you want to remove it to look like this.
Make yourself a face grinder like this. It is a Dremel Polishing Wheel, Super Glued to a Dremel Cut-Off Disc, worked down to be .922 in diameter.
You can go as far as grinding down the face to match a Ruger Receiver, if you like.
Testing:
Razor Magnum Receiver with a .22 Magnum Barrel or .17HMR Barrel.
Fire 3 to 5 rounds through your barrel. Pick up the brass and examine them for bulging. If there is any, add 1/2 inch of spring. Fire 3 to 5 more rounds and examine. If there is still bulging, add another 1/2 inch of spring or remove the first piece and add 1 inch of spring. Keep doing the 3 to 5 round shots, and adding spring until the rear of the case is as flat as it would be if fired from a bolt action rifle.
Take your time and you will be happy with the end results.
This is what is so great about the Razor Magnum Receiver's, is that you can fine tune the bolt movement with just adding some spring.