Anybody used a chamber that's just a couple an I mean .002" too deep? The no go will go but a piece of .003 shim stock on the back of the gage will lock the bolt up. I have a set of gages that include a field gage and that will not go either. I'm thinking of just leaving it as is and will not full length resize the cases. Just set my die to bump the shoulder like .001 or .002. It's my personal gun and it's a wildcat so nobody will be buying ammo for it anyway. Anyone see any issues with leaving as is?
Chamber cut a few thousandths too deep
- Thread starter cgarb
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
You could consider just seating the bullets out against the lands and fire form the brass. When reloading them after forming just back the dies off a little and not full length size them, don't set the shoulder back unless you have trouble closing the bolt.
Nope. You've gained a teeny bit more cartridge capacity. Good for another 1fps MV.
Danny1788
Well-Known Member
If its still in the lathe just move the shoulder forward to desired amount then face off the breech..... The second chamber I ever cut I did this and just retimed the action to TDC of the barrel muzzle and then fixed the tenon and ran the reamer back in until I had it head spaced like I wanted.
Last edited:
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
If you did not intend to cut .002"-.003" deeper than No-Go, you need to 'fix it' so that the bolt will not close on the No-Go gauge. The reason; If you are going to do your own work, you need to learn how to fix your own mistakes.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
I would set the shoulder back and get the head space correct with the go gauge (.0005 to .0015) No go gauges are normally around .006+ and if it takes .003 more shims to feel the bolt, it is to much and could be dangerous if anyone else fired standard cases in it. (It needs to be fixed).
J E CUSTOM
"IF" you have the tooling I agree you should fix it. Like said pretty simple process.
BUT if you bought a short chambered barrel and used a finish reamer by hand, it might nor be so easy.
I know us "mauser" guys buy short chambered barrels and head space them by hand. So making the proper corrections is not so easy.
What caliber? If it something like a 6.5-06 where no factory ammo is available, you might be fine to leave it. BUT who ever ends up with will need to know...
BUT if you bought a short chambered barrel and used a finish reamer by hand, it might nor be so easy.
I know us "mauser" guys buy short chambered barrels and head space them by hand. So making the proper corrections is not so easy.
What caliber? If it something like a 6.5-06 where no factory ammo is available, you might be fine to leave it. BUT who ever ends up with will need to know...
338-06. The OCD part of me wants to fix it, but I don't own an action wrench and barrel vise yet. I do know how to fix this mistake, because I did the exact same thing on an 03 Springfield in 35 Whelen a couple years ago when I was working for the gunsmith I used to work for. Mauser is an easier fix, don't have to recut the angle, just 2 flat face cuts. My only reason for not wanting to fix it is the field gauge would not go, what does a headspace gauge marked field represent?
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
For a .30/06 class cartridge, +.010" past "GO". If the stripped bolt will close on the "FIELD" gauge, you have passed the point of having a 'safe' firearm. True custom work ends up right next to "GO". The No-Go for .30/06 class cartridges is GO + .006".. For .308 Win class cartridges is GO+ .004". Want a good chamber? FIX IT! There are a lot of "work arounds" for excessive headspace, none which fall into what a truly trained gunsmith would do. If you received a rifle from a gunsmith with as much headspace as you have, you'd have fit. Sloppy work is sloppy work, no matter where it comes from!
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
I would run it, it's very easy to get caught up in tighter is better, just not the case, more issues come from gunsmiths cutting to min spec than higher or average spec. I've moved my headspacing farther out over the years and the guns function better, easier to deal with the reloading process and shoot better. No go guages vary from .003 to .006 over go so I find the no go guage worthless and only go of the go guage plus a shim measurement to define what the real headspaces number is.
I will agree on sloppy work, but I bought a Ruger 77 chambered in 30-338 a few years ago off of another forum a few years back. Had some form of a custom barrel, and a McMillan stock. I could tell from looking at the stock profile that the barrel has been set back, the action was trued, the trigger was very nicely done and the bedding job in the stock was top notch. I got the rifle dirt cheap which was odd to me. The seller started at 950, but over some months with no interest I offered 750 and he turned me down. So I forgot about the sale, few months later I got an email that said it's yours for 595 shipped? So what the heck. I got it and it turns out the chamber when it was cut the reamer must have chattered and a fired case has ridges on it you can feel when you run your fingers around it. I figured out you can neck size and use a body die to push the case OD back round again and it shoots like a dream. The most accurate hunting rifle I own. It will out shoot me on most days, I have shot several groups from it that are sub 1" at 200 yards. Barrel don't copper hardly at all, shoots a 168 NBT at 3260fps average with 73.5grs of RL19. Sure I wish the chamber was perfect, but sometimes don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm afraid to touch the rifle cause it shoots too **** good. I think I will put the 338-06 in the stock and shoot it some before I get it cerakoted and see what it does. If it shoots good I will probably call it good, if not maybe then fix the headspace before I get the metalwork finished.
Danny1788
Well-Known Member
This is how I set my head space as well. I use a Go gauge plus steel .002" round shim stock. I feel that the .002" gives me less headaches then trying to get it just perfect on the go gauge. It is also a very positive feel using the shim stock to feel how tight the go gauge is when closing the blot on it. no guessing how much it actually is.
