I can see wear at the start of the locking lugs and the recesses , but to go across the whole length , that would take some time and alot of hard chambering . Someone worried about headspace changes I'm sure would have corrected this long before that much wear would happen . Wear to that extent I guess would change the distance from bolt face to shoulder length . How many rounds would you think it would take to cause that much damage .
Bolt Lug/Recess Wear and Headspace Question
- Thread starter RC20
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LineStretcher
New member
Whoever told you that probably didn't understand what a field gauge was. Most people just use the go and no go's. You are correct in thinking that the go and no go's are for new barrel's or double checking a barrel that was chambered by someone other than yourself.
I would bet if you searched this forum you would find these same arguments have been hashed over numerous times and almost never is there any agreement. I've read some of them and the only thing I get is dizzy from shaking my head.
Thank you, I risk posting on another forum because I noticed the OP was not getting any help. He needed help with his bolt that he does not understand, after my attempt he still does not understand his bolt. He also ask a question about head space, that question is still unanswered; they do not know and they do not need me to remind them.
And I thought: While I am here I will check the "FOR SALE" section. In the 'for sale' section' under reloading components were 2 Foster Datum tool for sale, the member was asking $150 for 2 plastic boxes containing the tools. I tried to convince members of that forum they could make datums tools, I tried to convince them it was possible to modify head space gages to 'go to infinity' gages.
And always or never is there any agreement, now they all agree over there because my responses are deleted 'almost' as fast as I post them.
F. Guffey
I said the resource man had 100+ 03 bolt, I said I have at least 35 03A3. I said he could not check the actual head space in a rifle he was building. I said even thought he has 20+ 30/06 head space gages of different length.
I show up to purchase a mill, I had no ideal he was having it out on a reloading forum because no one knew and or understood the question. I purchased the mill, loaded it and then he mentioned he was having trouble with head space in a chamber. I told him this was his lucky day, I told him I could check the length of the chamber three different ways without a head space gage and I could modify one of his gages to check all 30/06 chambers from go gage length to infinity. He refused my help because his gage would no longer be 'period correct'.
Anyhow, his chamber was .0025" longer from the shoulder of the chamber to the bolt face meaning his chamber was half way between the length of a go-gage chamber and a no-go gage chamber.
And then I offered to check the length of all of his bolts to determine which bolt would reduce the length of the chamber .0025" and I also offered to check my bolts.
Before I went to purchase the mill, the resource person came over to add all of the stamp marks and identifying marks on my bolts to add the to a data base.
I knew none of my bolts would off set the length of the chamber .0025", another problem, he was building a period correct Rock Island 1911 rifle. The Rock Island had a straight handle bolt, between us we had one straight handle bolt and that was the one he was using.
I offered to size cases to fit his chamber, not a problem for me but we needed cases that were too long to start with from the shoulder to the case head, I have no fewer than thousands of 30/06 cases that have not been fired and all of them are too short to off set the length of his chamber .0025".
F. Guffey
There was one smith that was not liked and that made him unpopular, he was one of those people that did not have to stare at it all day long. Problem, he was working/surrounded with smiths that spent a lot of time trying to make themselves look good at others expense.
One day I decided to determine 'what it was' they all disagreed about. It was 'kinda' like looking at hot horse shoes, it did not take me long.
F. Guffey
Spare barrels were issued so they did change them at some point "in the field"
That requires a finish ream. So yes you would want to know if you had truly overdone it.
In the case of the 1917 they had to have a field gauge as that was the intent, a way out head space.
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I do not know who they are? That would be those that had to have a field gage. I do not have a store bought field length gage, I have never found it necessary. I can use a go-gage to measure the length of a field gage length chamber, I can use a go-gage to measure the length a chamber that is longer than a field length sized chamber. Because
this stuff does not lock me up or driv3e me to the curb.F. Guffey