U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Democrats have shut down the government. Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated. Please refer to the Department of Justice’s contingency plan for more information.

Firearms Examiner Training

Other Cutting Operations

Home  |  Glossary  |  Resources  |  Help  |  Contact Us  |  Course Map
 

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.
Missing media item.

Back Forward