headspace
- Thread starter crystalgayleguy
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RuninL8
Well-Known Member
You are absolutely correct. Once a chamber is cut with a reamer, the headspace is set. All a shooter can do is measure his/her her brass to set how much brass flow they want with each shot.
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
The 'other' important thing when swapping barrels that are 'take-offs' or originally fit to another action, is the length of the treaded tenon. That length, provided the headspace is correct, determines how much of the cartridge case (how long the gap is between the end of the barrel and the end of the bolt ) is NOT actually in the chamber. A certain amount has to 'stick out', but not more than necessary for recessed bolt face/extraction. You don't want the end of the bolt touching the barrel.
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oneeyejohn
Well-Known Member
I have had about 4 rifles with barrel replacements that resulted in sizing dies that would not push back the datum line of a twice fired case. I simply ground off the bottom of the Sizing Die until it would push back the datum line .005. Then I can adjust the die to push the datum line back .002 to .003 for the next load. I also anneal after the third load.
BillLarson
Well-Known Member
And I would fire form some brass with bullets seated out.
oneeyejohn
Well-Known Member
sorry wrong post on this subject
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
What Bill says makes sense.. By jamming the bullet, when a 'long' chamber exists, the brass stretches at the shoulder end, not the head. Reload from those fireformed with the desired shoulder 'bump'. All this must be taken into reason, of course. If the chamber was groosly long, it'd need fixed to be safe.
MNbogboy
Well-Known Member
Too much headspace can and is most often the cause of light primer strikes. I try for .002 max using "scotch" tape on the head of the headspace gauge is my no-go gauge. Tape is approximately .002 thick.
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
I think 'crystalgaleguy' is taking about factory take-offs. In which case, there not much use in putting too many $$$ into one just to say the headspace is GO + .002.
MNbogboy
Well-Known Member
Factory take offs were not necessarily chambered correctly the first time at the factory. Production pressure has literally forced too many shortcuts to doing things the correct way. I've checked go-gauge protrusion on many take offs. Some are ok while some chambers appear too deep. Dr
Track and rechamber will often cure what was done wrong the first time.
Virgin brass and tape is not a substitute for go-no go gauges just to save $30 to $65 on a budget rebarrel. You can't do a job correctly without the proper tools.
MNbogboy
Well-Known Member
One of the biggest changes I've made to accurately bumping shoulders back on fired cases is an annealing program that is done at every firing. Annealing the full shoulder and neck as well as about an eighth inch down from the shoulder body junctiont, helps make the bump match the die setting every sizing. I often have used the chamber reamer to modify the Hornady tool aluminum inserts for better datum to case head measurements. The "bumped"brass can easily be matched to fired brass
I got a no go headspace gauge and it would not close so I'm good to go thank everyone for for their input the crystalgayleguy
RuninL8
Well-Known Member
Did you get a go gauge by any chance?
