BoydAllen
Gold $$ Contributor
Ed,
I appreciate the information, but my mention of the tape was not to say that it was the way to check the headspace but that when I first approached the problem, that I did not take into account the difference in how the action works (bolt head threaded onto body) and that upon doing a little research that I found out about the feeler gauge method that was on the page that I posted a link to, and which you have mentioned and shown pictures of. My bolt head is fully screwed into the body, and can only be rotated perhaps ten degrees past the position that it must be rotated to to remove the bolt from the action. As I stated in my earlier post, when I tried the feeler gauge method, the gap, was negligible, certainly nothing like what is shown in the picture that you posted or which was referred to on the site that I checked and posted a link to. The bottom line is that my parts gun seems to be very much better than average on headspace, and that pending firing it again to make sure that what I have is neck sized brass, that the chamber is not nearly as oversized as is common in these rifles. With the sturdy but home made scope mount, I am able to shoot it without being constrained by the usual limitations that go with older eyes being paired with battle sights, and it is time that I gave it a bit of a workout, to determine what it likes best for a powder charge under what appear to be 180 grain spitzer soft point Sierras that I have at least a couple hundred of, that came to me in an old tin can, probably from a gun show in the distant past. They measure .211 and so I think are an acceptable fit. I will probably pick a powder charge with bullets very lightly engraved, if they will fit in the magazine at that length, working up from minimum charge in half grain steps, and being very respectful of the pressure limits of the action. It is an eccentric looking, ugly old beast, but I think that I will tune it up, and make sure to keep a record of the load with the rifle this time. Incidentally, the magazine is shorter, with half capacity, probably made for sporting rifle use. I believe that it holds five rounds. The but pad is hard rubber and with the stock design, and the 180 grain bullets, it is the leas favorite rifle that I have, to shoot from the bench, so I will probably never wear it out.
I appreciate the information, but my mention of the tape was not to say that it was the way to check the headspace but that when I first approached the problem, that I did not take into account the difference in how the action works (bolt head threaded onto body) and that upon doing a little research that I found out about the feeler gauge method that was on the page that I posted a link to, and which you have mentioned and shown pictures of. My bolt head is fully screwed into the body, and can only be rotated perhaps ten degrees past the position that it must be rotated to to remove the bolt from the action. As I stated in my earlier post, when I tried the feeler gauge method, the gap, was negligible, certainly nothing like what is shown in the picture that you posted or which was referred to on the site that I checked and posted a link to. The bottom line is that my parts gun seems to be very much better than average on headspace, and that pending firing it again to make sure that what I have is neck sized brass, that the chamber is not nearly as oversized as is common in these rifles. With the sturdy but home made scope mount, I am able to shoot it without being constrained by the usual limitations that go with older eyes being paired with battle sights, and it is time that I gave it a bit of a workout, to determine what it likes best for a powder charge under what appear to be 180 grain spitzer soft point Sierras that I have at least a couple hundred of, that came to me in an old tin can, probably from a gun show in the distant past. They measure .211 and so I think are an acceptable fit. I will probably pick a powder charge with bullets very lightly engraved, if they will fit in the magazine at that length, working up from minimum charge in half grain steps, and being very respectful of the pressure limits of the action. It is an eccentric looking, ugly old beast, but I think that I will tune it up, and make sure to keep a record of the load with the rifle this time. Incidentally, the magazine is shorter, with half capacity, probably made for sporting rifle use. I believe that it holds five rounds. The but pad is hard rubber and with the stock design, and the 180 grain bullets, it is the leas favorite rifle that I have, to shoot from the bench, so I will probably never wear it out.
