I sold one of my lathes to a young man who graduated from the gunsmithing school in Trinidad, CO. We got to talking after the machine was loaded and the subject of chambering reamers came up. He remarked that most reamers didn’t last more than two jobs, and that the students would usually grab an old one for the rough cut then use a new one for the finish. He said the school didn’t buy both rough and finish cutters - the only difference was new or used.
I didn’t question his comments, but this level of tool life sounds extremely low to me, so long as the tool is being utilized properly. My gut instinct would be in the range of 40-50 barrels but maybe I’m way off base.
I don’t chamber rifles, but I’m curious what is a reasonable life for a reamer?