Re: Birmingham lathes
All China lathes are not the same, just as all made in China screwdrivers and saw blades are not the same quality. Some are much better then ones that "look" the same. Remember they are all China built (cheapened) copies of good lathes built in Europe or here. That said, I've been disappointed in all China lathes that I've owned and ran. Taiwan built lathes are generally much better but until you get into a over $10,000 bare bones model Ken, Lux, Sharp, etc., they don't have the precision that I would need to do a precision chamber to match the quality of our custom barrels and match bullets.
If you must try one of these "cheap" newer, lathes just look for a used one and let the first owner take the terrible depreciation deduction.........