Question about "go" gauges and rebarelling

[Southernfryedyankee]

I saw this on a youtube video and I want to know if this is an acceptable way to headspace my soon to be new barrel to my action. I will post the video so I can hear opinions from people more experienced than me. I will post the video at the bottom.

If I have a go gauge (which I dont yet) and I place it in my action and load it as I would a cartridge. When I put the new barrel on can I screw the barrel on until it firmly touches the go gauge? if so, if I unload the go gauge and add celephane tape which is 2 thousandths of an inch thick to the back of the go gauge and it does not close does that mean my head space is correct for my rifle?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KICBv...eature=related

 

[EddieHarren]

While there are certainly many ways to check the headspace, as well as to chamber a barrel, this way seems to work fine. I did notice that they must have edited out the segment where he cleaned the oil and chips from the chamber, before checking with the gauge, this is a must!

 

[Southernfryedyankee]

While there are certainly many ways to check the headspace, as well as to chamber a barrel, this way seems to work fine. I did notice that they must have edited out the segment where he cleaned the oil and chips from the chamber, before checking with the gauge, this is a must!

Can you explain about the chips and oil further my good man. I will be putting a brand new barrel on and I was also told I have to dissasemble the bolt to get an accurate headspace. I am mounting the new barrel on a savage 110. Would I just turn the barrel into the action until the shoulder of the chamber met the shoulder of the go gauge with the bolt closed? Then apply tthe tape to the gauge and if the bolt doesnt close I would be safe?

 

[Kevin Cram]

I'm not able to watch the video from work but the Scotch tape works perfectly as a"NO GO" gauge. For a Savage action I assume you have a barrel vise and nut wrench. Here are the steps I use to set headspace on a pre-threaded and chambered Savage barrel.

First rmove the ejector from the bolt (be careful it doesn't fly across the room when you knock the pin out)

I like to remove the trigger also.

Hold the barrel in the barrel vise.

Swab the inside of the chamber area with a bore mop and then with a couple dry patches.

Insert the "GO" gauge into the chamber.

Thread on the barrel nut.

Slide on the recoil lug.

Thread on the action with the bolt in the closed position.

When the action stops, snug up the barrel nut with the nut wrench. (make sure the recoil lug is lined up properly)

Work the bolt and make sure it closes freely on the gauge.

I like to just loosen the barrel nut and slightly tighten up the action until I feel a slight drag when closing the bolt on the "GO" gauge.

Make sue the barrel nut is secure, and double check how the bolt closes.

Now attach a piece of Scotch tape to the rear of the gauge and trim off the excess with a razor blade.

Insert the gauge back into the chamber.

The bolt shouldn't close at all.

If this is the case your headspace is set.

If you have any trouble you might want to take it to a smith to set for you, it only takes a few minutes.

Good Luck

 

[Southernfryedyankee]

Awesome thank you so much. When are you going to make a video for this? This next ? is NOT questioning your advice or directions by any means. If the barrel is brand new why do I want to use a bore mop and dry patches? Do I add any chemicals to the bore mop

 

[Kevin Cram]

Just to make sure there is nothing in the chamber that would give you a false reading. A small piece of dirt in the right place can give you a bad reading.

 

[NesikaChad]

How I've done this and it's worked on over a thousand guns/barreled actions.

If you have a N/G gauge either sell it or throw it away. You don't need it and its too easy to get mixed up and cut a chamber too deep.

All you need is a go gauge (preferably from PTG) and a spool of Starret .001" shim stock.

You cut your chamber till you get "close" and then drop the gauge in the bore and screw the receiver, lug onto the tennon with the bolt installed (minus fire control, ejector, extractor) and when it gets just "snug" you measure the gap between the shoulder and the lug.


Keep creeping up until you can tighten the action on a GO gauge and the bolt just drops like it should. Add a .001" postage stamp shaped piece of gauge stock to the bolt face (a dab of grease will make it stay there) and the bold should just stick.

This does a couple things for you.

1. You KNOW where your HS is and this allows you to monitor things like:

H/S that changes indicating maybe loads are too hot or bolt/actions are too soft

2. Allows you to set your dies up nuts on. Use the H/S gauge to index the height on the press.


Good luck.

Chad

 

[Southernfryedyankee]

I received my go gauge from Brownells yesterday. Just for shiggles I installed the gauge in a stripped bolt and then closed the bolt completely with the gauge without forcing it. The bolt closed normally. I then removed the gauge and added the piece of celaphane tape like in the video and the bolt did not close. If I get these same results with the new barrel installed wouldnt that be what I am looking for? If I use 2 strips of tape instead of 1 I would imagine my bolt would not close. does using 2 pieces of tape have an advantage over just using the single piece of tape?

 

[Kevin Cram]

As long as the bolt closes on the GO gauge and doesn't close at all with a piece of scotch tape on the rear of the GO gauge, your good to go. Adding another piece of tape just lengthens your home made NO GO gauge, one piece of tape is all you want for a NO GO.

I take it you got the right size punch?

 

[Southernfryedyankee]

As long as the bolt closes on the GO gauge and doesn't close at all with a piece of scotch tape on the rear of the GO gauge, your good to go. Adding another piece of tape just lengthens your home made NO GO gauge, one piece of tape is all you want for a NO GO.

I take it you got the right size punch?

Kinda it was a 1/16 that I had to sand down to fit in the hole. I am going to have to get a new pin to replace the one I punched out because it mushroomed on the end. It seemed like very soft metal in that it was damaged so easily

 

[Kevin Cram]

The smaller pins are easily bent and sometimes will mushroom out on harder surfaces. Get a set of Craftsman punches from Sears. I bought a set a bout 5 years ago. I've probably replaced them 50 times now, and they're guaranteed for life.