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 Go No Go Gauges For .308, .556 
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Location: Puyallup, Wa
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011
Posts: 216
Hello,
Was wondering if anyone Local to me (Puyallup) might have a set of these gauges I could verify headspace on 2 rifles (LR308, AR15) that I just built.
Trying to avoid purchasing gauges that I would only use once.

Thanks so much!


Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:22 am
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Location: Kent
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Real Name: Andy
I have 308 gauges. Well I’ll have to find them. But I do have a set I can lone you.
I’m in Kent. PM me if interested


Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:10 pm
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Location: Union Gap
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I just do it the old fashioned way. Seat the bullet in the cartridge and keep seating it deeper till it plunks and the length is right to fit in the magazine. Remember you have to do this for each brand of bullet that you reload because the ogive is different. I actually load several cartridges minus the primer and keep them in a tray.


Fri Jan 03, 2020 4:25 am
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hartcreek wrote:
I just do it the old fashioned way. Seat the bullet in the cartridge and keep seating it deeper till it plunks and the length is right to fit in the magazine. Remember you have to do this for each brand of bullet that you reload because the ogive is different. I actually load several cartridges minus the primer and keep them in a tray.


What does your method do to gauge actual "headspace"? Or have any relevance to "headspace"?

Fitting in the magazine is not any sort of safe measure of the headspace. icon_eek

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Fri Jan 03, 2020 5:50 am
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Good grief.....my way is the old way that has been written about for deckades. You are fitting the cartridge into the chamber when you screw down the die to size it you can screw the sizing die all the way down so that it bottoms out in the die or you can leave it up. Heck you could even full size a case and chamber it and use a cleaning rod to check for wiggle. If you are using range brass you could try and chamber the range brass and if it chambers then measure it and compare it to specifications. U could even make your own gauges by using fired brass and sizing it down so that it barely chambers.


Last edited by hartcreek on Sat Jan 04, 2020 11:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:13 pm
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I'm no expert but what is described above sounds checking that the cartridge is within spec.

The go no go gauge checks the barrel/bolt combo is within spec I think.


Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:33 pm
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hartcreek wrote:
Good grief.....my way is the old way that has been written about for deckades. You are fitting the cartridge into the chamber so my way tells you what you need to know to get the length you need. If you want a faster way you can cut a slit in a cartridge neck so the bullet gently slides into position when you chamber the sliced neck cartridge. Then you can back off the distance you want. Once you have done it my way you can do it in a few minutes.


With all due respect. I believe what you are describing is how to check COAL or cartridge overall length.
That is different from checking head space.


Fri Jan 03, 2020 11:55 pm
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survivor wrote:
hartcreek wrote:
Good grief.....my way is the old way that has been written about for deckades. You are fitting the cartridge into the chamber so my way tells you what you need to know to get the length you need. If you want a faster way you can cut a slit in a cartridge neck so the bullet gently slides into position when you chamber the sliced neck cartridge. Then you can back off the distance you want. Once you have done it my way you can do it in a few minutes.


With all due respect. I believe what you are describing is how to check COAL or cartridge overall length.
That is different from checking head space.



EXACTLY...OAL and HEADSPACE are 2 different things.

You can't check headspace by manipulating the bullet in the casing.

Headspace determines chamber specs with a closed bolt. Not whether or not your cartridge will fit in your magazine.

Good grief... :ROFLMAO:

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Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:34 am
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If it plunks you can close the bolt.


Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:47 pm
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hartcreek wrote:
If it plunks you can close the bolt.



And if the bolt closes on oversized chamber? Like a NO GO gauge would tell you? No concerns for over pressure?

GO, NO GO and Field gauges are no substitute for "if it plunks" I guess...

Pretty poor advice you're giving.

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Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:06 pm
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Headspace is defined as the space or distance between the face of the bolt and a specific predetermined point in or at the chamber. For bottlenecked rimless cartridges like the 30-06, headspace is measured from a point on the chamber's shoulder to the bolt face.
http://thecmp.org/training-tech/armorer ... headspace/

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Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:14 pm
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Yup, headspace is about building the rifle correctly. Hartcreek is giving advice for building ammo correctly . . . also important, but different.

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Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:16 pm
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Is your AR chambered in .223 Rem, 5.56 or .223 Wylde? I have gauges for 5.56 and .223 Wylde that your welcome to use.

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Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:58 pm
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I needed sleep I guess but I have done it without the gauges.


Sat Jan 04, 2020 11:57 pm
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hartcreek wrote:
I needed sleep I guess but I have done it without the gauges.



Ok...How?

What are you using as a "gauge"? You can't rely on a cartridge case to accurately check chamber size.

Most guys will only use a "NO GO" and a "Field" gauge. With the "Field" gauge being the most critical. If your bolt closes on a "Field" gauge you need to really have it (bolt/barrel) checked out. A "GO" really only tells you that the chamber isn't to tight. But you'll know that if the bolt is difficult to close or won't close at all on loaded cartridge.

If I'm looking to buy a "used" AR barrel, I take along an upper, a known good barrel, bolt and "Field" gauge. I've declined to buy several used barrels (AR) over the years because they would allow test bolts to close on a field gauge.

A .223 gauge set will work for .223, 5.56 and Wylde chambers.

Not trying to bust anyone's balls here...but headspace when building a rifle is pretty important stuff. Especially if you're building a "frankengun" with mixed and used parts.

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Sun Jan 05, 2020 5:04 am
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