Are headspace gauges hardened?

[LVLAaron]

I want some gauges that are +.002.

Typical gauges aren't hardened, right?

 

[Walt Krafft]

Call JGS or Manson and they will make whatever you want.

 

[Fast14riot]

Often they're made from hardened, precision ground stock.

 

[WSnyder]

Typical gauges aren't hardened, right?

They sure aren't soft and I'd say they are hardened. How hard I don't know.

 

[Edd]

Call JGS or Manson and they will make whatever you want.

I have bought rifles for less than JGS wants for a custom headspace gauge.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Often they're made from hardened, precision ground stock.

I don't know but I'd assume they are made from some pre hardened alloy. Not super hard and still machinable. If guessing, I'd say low 40's rockwell.

 

[kendog]

Get a no go and field and grind them to your requirement and remark them. Yes they are hardened.

 

[Jud96]

I could hardness test one. Probably wouldn’t hurt to test the face of it that doesn’t go against the bolt face

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Get a no go and field and grind them to your requirement and remark them. Yes they are hardened.

That's a great idea. I was thinking even easier...clear tape but I understand him wanting a better solution too. He should be able to cut it with carbide pretty easily. I think I'd use a field gauge and put it in a collet, then tak whatever is needed off of the bottom and call it a day.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I could hardness test one. Probably wouldn’t hurt to test the face of it that doesn’t go against the bolt face

That'd be great. Could probably just hit it somewhere with a file and tell enough from that though.

Just did that and a file did cut it pretty easily. It was a PTG gauge. Some may be harder than others.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Been thinking about grinding about 0.0015" off my expensive Go gauge.
The wife and I both shoot 22 Nosler and needed a custom gauge made.
I shoot an AR and she now has a Savage bolt gun.
Set her headspace on the Savage 1 to 2 thou UNDER the Go.
(using brass and body die)
I size brass for a little more headspace clearance in the AR and pretty darn tight for the bolt gun.

Now I can squeeze out brass for both with the same die setting.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I have made my own ackley gauges by simply taking Go gauges and removing some off the back with the lathe. The PTG gauges cut relatively easily.

In your case you would just need a no-go gauge and cut some off the back. No big deal.

 

[LVLAaron]

That's a great idea. I was thinking even easier...clear tape but I understand him wanting a better solution too. He should be able to cut it with carbide pretty easily. I think I'd use a field gauge and put it in a collet, then tak whatever is needed off of the bottom and call it a day.

I do the tape thing. I want some I don't need to monkey with the tape for the common stuff. Getting tape on and off several times a day with oily fingers is getting old

 

[jkohler]

How about just making up some shims you can drop in the bolt face.

 

[kendog]

That's a great idea. I was thinking even easier...clear tape but I understand him wanting a better solution too. He should be able to cut it with carbide pretty easily. I think I'd use a field gauge and put it in a collet, then tak whatever is needed off of the bottom and call it a day.

The Forster gauges I have remarked have been hardened, but a diamond scratch engraver marked them easilyenough.
For adjusting length, I made a chamber tool from a barrel stub to use as a comparative gauge and ground the bases with an automotive valve grinder stem refacer. Might be able to cut one with carbide but the the grinder was more exact. Depth of the comparative gauge doesn't need to be exact, just something to get measurements from to adjust the base to shoulder datum.

 

[DaveTooley]

This can work for comparative purposes. Actual hard, accurate numbers take an accurately ground ring gage and an very accurate height gage. Even then tolerance stacking comes into play.

Also I don't understand the reasoning behind needing another gage. HS -.002" then hit the number gets you to the same place.

 

[GenePoole]

You could always use a ball gauge and depth mic, then do the trig.

 

[LVLAaron]

@GenePoole - I only play an engineer on TV. I'll either (try) to turn a bit off a gauge, or order custom ones.

 

[Jud96]

I've turned pin gages (60-62RC) in a lathe with carbide inserts. I ran around 400-450RPMs and fed very slowly and only took like cuts (.002-.003 DOC). I have a die that uses pin gages opposed to mandrels to size the necks, and I wanted a shallow angle on the end of the pins to help start them into the case necks.

 

[GenePoole]

Perfect use case for a tool-post grinder.