RE: anyone ever drill and tap a gun?
Need for a carbide drill? OF COURSE! Something else may work but the superior hardness of carbide will be extra assurance that the drill bit won' t " walk" when you start.
WHEN YOU START, I would drill a smaller pilot hole first, probobly about 1/2 or 2/3 the necessary tap drill size. TAP? Better be a really nice fresh one, too.
I wouldn' t do it unless you have access to a really nice drill press with a bed that YOU KNOW is square to the spindle. Don' t check squareness with squares or tape measures. Gotta go to magnetic run out calipers and stuff.
OH, THE SPINDLE! I' d make sure that it doesn' t have any excess " run out" , nice and tight is what is desired.
Personally I wouldn' t hesitate to do it. But I' d do it in my shop on the mill. No drill bit. For as thin as the metal is to drill, I' d just use the appropriate mill tool and press it through real slowly and with plenty of oil. The finished bores would have to be perfectly aligned (which a properly set up mill will do) and I would only be satisfied with mirror finished holes when done (which a properly set uo and operated mill will do). I would tap with the same mill without removing the receiver from the the bed (with lots of oil or " TAP MAGIC" .
But, good one time roofer or not, I think I' d rather try your venison roast than your roofing abilities! LOL
There is an old saying, we' ve all heard it.
" JACK of all trades........MASTER of NONE!"
My honest advice?...........Give your gunsmith the work! Let him bear the responsibilty and financial liability.
Uncle Matt (in IL)
P.S....If you do try it yourself..........don' t mention it to anyone until you are done, your scope is mounted, sighted in and your success is verified. You know how many years the ribbing can go on if you mess up?
" He shouldn' t have even tried! He' s cross eyed!"
" Fool was left handed and used a right handed drill!"
" SOCKET? I thought he said SPROCKET!"