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Firearms Examiner Training

Other Cutting Operations

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Other Cutting Operations

Drill mark
Drill mark
Courtesy of Ann Davis (see reuse policy).

Other cutting operations include the following:

  • Shaping - a single-point cutting machine cuts in a straight line by repeated parallel strokes, gradually moving across a flat surface.
  • Planing - similar to shaping, but the workpiece moves under a stationary cutting tool.
  • Drilling - a cylindrical cutting tool with multiple fluted cutting edges arrayed in a spiral (e.g., the interior of the barrel of a firearm).
  • Reaming - a cutting technique that it is sometimes used after drilling to produce accurate finely finished holes.
  • Broaching - multitooth cutting tool that moves against a stationary workpiece. It can remove metal on both interior and exterior surfaces. Each tooth cuts slightly deeper than the previous one and removes only a small thickness of metal. A cylindrical broach is one type of tool used to put rifling in the barrel of a firearm.
  • Sawing - a multitoothed cutting tool in which the cutting edges are arranged in line.
  • Filing - material is formed and removed using teeth that are shallow and broad (the reverse of a saw blade).
  • Abrasive machining - thousands of tiny cutting edges made up of individual abrasive grains and used as a finishing operation. Each abrasive grain removes a minute amount of material. Abrasive machining includes simple grinding, lapping, tumbling, and numerous other specialized applications of abrasives.
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