Headspace Gauges Part 1

It can get a little more involved than that, but it was a good video, especially the part about case variation. I have always found that of the big three, Winchester was always way down on the low specs with their brass.
 
Bob, related to Roy (reading his book...)?

Pretty common among us Savage shooters to use once-fired brass to set headspace on a new barrel. Simple enough then to use the headspace gauge to set the datum line on the sizing die. I always size new brass, and never shoot factory ammo from them.
 
I've used headspace gauges to set a die in presses such that it's locked where first Gauge contact is sensed with the ram at the top of its stroke. Sizing fired cases in the die so set moves the fired case shoulder a thousandth or two short of what the gauge's headspace is due to press spring. But it's a good place to start, then adjust the die down a few thousandths to make sized case headspace equal the gauges.

That may not be right for the chamber that case will be shot in.
 
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Roy Dunlap, I quoted Roy Dunlap, after posting the quote I had members on this forum respond with "I have never heard of him".

Universal head space gage: What was that about, he was before the Internet, in his book he said he purchased head space gages then he said he knew friends that made them and he said they worked.

I do not buy that part about head space and no head space, I insist there is a difference in the length of the chamber from the datum to the bolt face and the length of the case from the datum to the case head. The difference is clearance.

F. Guffey
 
I've used headspace gauges to set a die in presses such that it's locked where first Gauge contact is sensed with the ram at the top of its stroke.
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I find it most difficult to do that. I am forced to remove the primer punch. neck sizer plug assemble. then there are all those advisers that suggest grinding the top of the shell holder and or bottom of the die, I use head space gages to adjust the die and or check the die to determine if a misinformed reloader has ground the die and or shell holder. I install the head space gage then raise the ram, once the ram is TDC I adjust the die down to the head space gage until contacts is made. After contact is made I measure the gap between the top of the shell holder and bottom of the die. In the perfect world with a 30/06 die and 30/06 head space gage the gap should be .005".

Then there is the advanced method, simply remove the primer punch/sizer plug assemble, drop the head space gage into the die then install the shell holder by sliding on from the side, 'THEN!' Measure the gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder.

I am the fan of standards and transfers, the head space gage is a standard.

F. Guffey
 
I wasn't forced to remove the primer punch and neck sizer plug assembly. I know enough to remove it on my on accord.

I would've been able to figure out the gauge would not get past the decaping pin's tip if I hadn't used a full length sizing die with its neck opened up to a couple thousandths less than loaded round neck diameter. There was no primer punch and neck sizer plug assembly in the die as it was removed years earlier.
 
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