Bat Consistency

[boogershooter]

I read a few posts here a year or so ago warning that switching barrels from one Bat action to another may result in different headspaces. I recently had the need to send an action away and needed to switch a 6BRX barrel over to another action so I did a kind of experiment of my own and would like to hear input from knowledgeable shooters here to correct me if I am going in a wrong direction. Here is what I did- I stripped the bolt of the action being sent off and inserted a previously fired case into the chamber (un-resized),It fit easily. I then put a piece of scotch tape on the head stamp of the case, the tape measures just under .002. I then inserted it again and the bolt barely started to fall and stopped (about a 16Th of a rotation maybe) I removed the barrel and put it on another action, repeating the procedure with the exact same results, so my conclusion is these two actions are very close in respective measurements , right?? I mean that's pretty damn impressive right?

 

[wapiti25]

Get headspace gauges, tape is not relyable.

 

[firearmdoc1]

Yes that sounds pretty consistant, but scotch tape is good for wrapping presents, NOT checking headspace.

 

[fdshuster]

boogershooter: I have an older Bat SV receiver and a new SV, both chambered in 6ppc. The barrels from the old Bat are a perfect fit on to the new Bat. The reverse is also true, new action barrels fit the old action.

Also have a Kelbly Panda built a little over 6 years ago by a local 'smith. Recently bought a takeoff barrel that was chambered by another gunsmith from Missouri (I'm in Pa.), and the Missouri barrel is a perfect fit to the Panda.

With these examples (checked with a PTG go-gauge), brass is also interchangable. No change in headspace lengths of the fired cases.

One of the advantages of a custom receiver compared to a mass produced factory rifle.

 

[Nomad47]

Sounds good to me, Lawrence.

I use go gauges and Scotch Magic Tape with my Savages - bolt closes on the go gauge, does not close on the go gauge with one layer of tape on the back.

 

[Steve Blair]

I have interchanged barrels and bolts between two BAT 3LL actions with no headspace change. There are several barrel tenon specifications on different BAT actions. As long as the actions are the same type, they should be interchangeable.

 

[Preacher]

None of my same model BATS are off spec with different barrels...

 

[boogershooter]

I should have added they are the same type (MB)! Thank you guys !