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how to use headspace gauge?

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John Sukey View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Sukey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 06 2012 at 4:57am
Note Forester gages are SAMMI spec, NOT enfield spec.  SAMMI tolerances are tighter than British.
Also the british military were not into reloading
If you can find South African, Greek HXP  ot Privi brass, the quality is far better.
You might want to invest in a broken case extractor.  I keep one in my range box.
If you are reloading for just one rifle, neck sizing is the way to go.  If for more than one, keep some seperate for each rifle.
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AussieInUtah View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AussieInUtah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2013 at 4:43am
Hope someone is still following this discussion.

I mic'ed my bolt head at 0.635" and wrote to one supplier to find out if they had one slightly bigger.  They came back with one that measures 0.640", which they said is only slightly shorter than a true oversized bolt head.  Price is $20 so not overly expensive.

Do you guys think that using a bolt head that is 0.005" longer than the one I've got will make much difference to case life in this gun?  To me, that doesn't seem like an awful lot of difference when it comes to case stretching.

I didn't have much luck with the Forster gauge.  Tucked it under the extractor claw after passing it up through the magazine well, but couldn't get it to feed into the chamber at all.  So I didn't even get close to seeing whether the bolt would close on the GO or NO-GO gauges.

Just put in my order for the broken case extractor.  Think this might come in handy if I keep shooting this rifle.  I've fired about 200 rounds through it, with only two case head separations, so it might just be a matter of buying good brass and not reloading it more than about 4 times.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote muffett.2008 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2013 at 4:47am
Yep, that bolt head will make a difference.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2013 at 6:02am
Without knowing a measured headspace you won't know what you're fixing.
Will it tighten up the space between the breechface & the boltface when closed & locked?
Sure, by exactly 0.005".
 
Will that fix the brass problem?
Who knows?
 
How does the neck & shoulder dimension compare with an unfired case with both sitting on a flat surface vertically? Is the fired case's shoulder noticably blown forward, but everything else is fine? If so that indicates the problem is other than headspace, but you're still not absolutely certain.
 
The thing to remember here is that rimmed case headspace is the space available for the thickness of the rim, nothing else. So if your rim is slopppy & thats where the excess is coming from sure it'll help. Is it headspace, thin rims, or a combination of both? No-one knows till you have an actual measurement!
 
Even then because headspace is exclusively the rim what happens if the headspace & rim is 100% perfect, but the front of the chamber is excessively hogged out?
There's no way you can know except by eliminating rims & headspace so all that's left is the problem.
 
I'd try measuring headspace again, but with the extractor removed to make it easier. How to remove it?
Undo the screw, pop out the extractor & spring & shove a 1/4" dowel down the bore when measuring so you can ease the gauge back out again afterwards. Failing that can you guide the gauge into the chamber with a screwdriver or something similar to ease the first part entering & take extractor spring & claw pressure off the case base?
 
If you do go with removing the extractor, Re-installing is easy.
Insert the actual claw, pass the screw through & tighten (no spring). Now loop some strong fishing line through the "U" bend in the spring, pass the ends back to make a loop behind the head, insert a pencil or something into the spare line & pull hard. The spring will just pop back into place.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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