Headspace Question
- Thread starter grimnar15
- Start date
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Doco Overboard
Ultimate Member
You can dedicate brass fired from your rifle to that one specific application which at that point will be custom fit and weapon specific. As long as the chamber is not short which can raise more detrimental problems. Or you can determine whats out of spec and make the necessary repairs/alterations to do it right.
Common deficiencies can be corrected by setting the barrel back one thread and re-cutting the chamber, re-cutting a short chamber or by selecting parts which allow the specific range to be met.
Headspace is a range that allows the most most common type of ammunition encountered used to function within established mechanical and pressure limits of both the cartridge components and the design of the firearm in which it is to be used.
Common deficiencies can be corrected by setting the barrel back one thread and re-cutting the chamber, re-cutting a short chamber or by selecting parts which allow the specific range to be met.
Headspace is a range that allows the most most common type of ammunition encountered used to function within established mechanical and pressure limits of both the cartridge components and the design of the firearm in which it is to be used.
Doco Overboard
Ultimate Member
You can dedicate brass fired from your rifle to that one specific application which at that point will be custom fit and weapon specific. As long as the chamber is not short which can raise more detrimental problems. Or you can determine whats out of spec and make the necessary repairs/alterations to do it right.
Common deficiencies can be corrected by setting the barrel back one thread and re-cutting the chamber, re-cutting a short chamber or by selecting parts which allow the specific range to be met.
Headspace is a range that allows the most most common type of ammunition encountered used to function within established mechanical and pressure limits of both the cartridge components and the design of the firearm in which it is to be used.
Common deficiencies can be corrected by setting the barrel back one thread and re-cutting the chamber, re-cutting a short chamber or by selecting parts which allow the specific range to be met.
Headspace is a range that allows the most most common type of ammunition encountered used to function within established mechanical and pressure limits of both the cartridge components and the design of the firearm in which it is to be used.
oh Clandestine...…. 
I'm going to assume that you are talking about an AR platform. If you can't send it back to the manufacturer, the fastest thing to do is purchase another barrel.
AR would be send the barrel back or get a new one. If too short you can ream the chamber. Too long is replace the barrel (you can remove the extension, set the barrel back in it and reattach the barrel extension, but that isn’t a home gunsmith job).
Other guns are real the chamber of too short or thread the barrel on an additional thread and then real the chamber to the proper depth. For press fit barrels it is real if too short. Press out if too long and then remove some material around the ring that sets depth and press back in place. Ream if now too short.
Rimmed cartridges are trickier and easier as they headspace off the rim. Too short you can remove a small amount of material either off the back of the chamber face or off the rim of the bolt face (probably want to do chamber face or it can make the firing pin protrude too much).
That’s possible, but unlikely. Swap bolts or BCG and if still an issue, you know it was the barrel/extension that was out of spec. Or at least the odds are excellent that is the issue.
Yes - AR platform. I've built a few and never had an headspace issue, but wasn't sure what to do on an AR platform. With good AR manufacturers coupled with their improved manufacturing processes and never having had an issue myself, I was starting to think that headspace issues were a thing of the past.
clandestine
AR-15 Savant
About 20% of AR's I have handled have short headspace issues. The people that say they haven't seen headspaxe issues usually don't have gauges or they are following the wrong specs.
Excessive headspace is less common.
Excessive headspace is less common.
I found out that I have a Bear Creek, .223 Wylde, barrel that has too short of headspace, I was getting ready to put it on a build, but, I used Chad's gauges to check it with 4 different bolts and 2 different uppers and it won't close on any of the gauges. Looks like I will have to send it back to either Primary Arm or to Bear Creek.
Thanks' for the gauges Chad.
Thanks' for the gauges Chad.
clandestine
AR-15 Savant
I found out that I have a Bear Creek, .223 Wylde, barrel that has too short of headspace, I was getting ready to put it on a build, but, I used Chad's gauges to check it with 4 different bolts and 2 different uppers and it won't close on any of the gauges. Looks like I will have to send it back to either Primary Arm or to Bear Creek.
Thanks' for the gauges Chad.
That's impossible! AR's don't have headspace problems!
- Feb 17, 2011
- 14,024
If its a new barrel send it back with it failed headspacing. I had an issue with a barrel from Brownells, I returned it with failed headspacing and they sent me a new one that was gtg though just barely.
20% is not insignificant. Is this primarily on home builds or manufactured rifles? And what do you do when you encounter short headspace issues? Replace barrel seems to be the most common recommendation in this thread.
Short headspace sometimes can be corrected by re cutting the chamber. Not the kind of work the average AR shooter can do at home. Depending on the quality of the barrel, it may be more cost effective to buy a new one than to have a gunsmith ream it.
clandestine
AR-15 Savant
There are simply too many variables to cover to put in a simple post.
I do have special headspace gauges that check a barrel without a bolt. This helps me determine if the barrel is at fault.
From there, one can try different bolts, oil lapping, abrasive lapping, or reaming the chamber but there are lots of "gotchas", by oversimplified explanations like this. What I mean is, if headspace is not right, and you are not sure how to fix it, you don't. You seek out a professional or have the components replaced by the manufacturer.
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Thank you, I’ll have to sign up for one of your classes. Since I enjoy building AR15s I may as well learn building the AR15 the right way.
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