Heads pace question

[bobcat93]

So I'm going to install a new barrel on my savage 12
Do I really need to purchase a go and a no go heads pace guage
Or can I used a 3x fired case.
This is for a 17 Remington fireball
I just don't want to spend the money..
Yes we all know I should purchase a set of guages . But can I do it with the rifle brass
Thank you

 

[rjtfroggy]

The short answer is yes you can. But remember it is soft and may give a false reading unless you fill it with epoxy first.
Honestly for $25-$30 I would buy the go gauge and a roll of scotch tape to make it a no go.

 

[Stan Taylor]

Personally I would buy or rent a guage that's a hot little round.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Got rid of ALL my gauges, go and no go. Nothing but fired brass for gauges.
Scotch tape will do for a no go gauge.
You rolling your own ammo? Set the heaspace on the snug side and your brass won't have much room to grow. If you're shooting factory loaded, better check first to see if it will chamber. Except for my gas guns, all my ammo is wildcat. Factory ammo wouldn't fit even if it was available. Like I said, "snug side". Way too much excess space on SAAMI specs.

 

[DaveTooley]

A fired case from one barrel will in all likelihood not fit in another barrel. Then what do you do? The only way that works is if the same reamer is used.

 

[tobnpr]

Done it many times, for myself and customers. But as Dave said, you may limited in what you can chamber, including any factory ammo.

Use a comparator on a half dozen or so sized cases, and use the one with the longest shoulder datum if there is a difference (brass springs back, so there can be a thou or so difference in them)

 

[Riesel]

This always amazes me, headspacing this-a-way. OK, let's raise the stakes. Buy yourself some good quality factory ammo, it will probably be SAMMI minimum. Remove the firing pin and the ejector plunger so there will be no accidental firing or false readings. Screw barrel in till bolt has some resistance when closing. You can do the scotch tape thing, but hey, whose measuring. Re-assemble rifle and get after it. That new ammo you bought will be fire form with new size only as big as chambered allowed.
Bout as good as anything else I've read and sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

How do you know the brass youll be using is correct? Ive seen factory stuff .020 short

 

[Riesel]

Hey, this whole thing's a crap shoot! !

 

[Someoldguy]

Likely there will be another thread in a month or 2 asking what would cause factory ammo to not chamber.

 

[Concha]

Why not size your fired (annealed)brass. The caveat head-spacing this way is the necessity of using hand loaded ammo. If it is sized using your dies it will work for you as it has worked thousands of times for the rest of us Savagesmiths.