So much disinformation. I hate the internet.
Your expectations are too high. It will take a minute but they'll figure it out.
John, I know you remember the days when we HAD to pay an extra $80 for a bolt to be included with our new barrels. Then the barrel guys realized that it was no longer an issue so we have been buying barrels without new bolts for like 20 years.
Now the young guys are insisting on spending money on headspace gauges.... I should have invested in headspace gauge companies.....
John, I know you remember the days when we HAD to pay an extra $80 for a bolt to be included with our new barrels. Then the barrel guys realized that it was no longer an issue so we have been buying barrels without new bolts for like 20 years.
Now the young guys are insisting on spending money on headspace gauges.... I should have invested in headspace gauge companies.....
Using pistol powders mistakenly blow up rifles.
I remember that one.
Improper head space creates a environment where were bad things can happen and the issue that arises with excessive headspace is this is a environment where cases can split... I don't care who you are and what you say case failure is bad and should always be considered unsafe (i will admit these failures are quite rare but that doesn't mean we throw caution to the wind) anytime gas is pushing towards the breech of a firearm bad things happen and if you have case failure it greatly increases the risk of injury... Does that mean a firearm with excessive headspace is going to blow up NO but it does increase the risk.... tight head-space is not something to look over ether increases the risk of striking a raised primer (assuming it safely makes its way to the chamber) but most commonly it may not always allow the bolt to fully lock in battery which increases the risk catastrophic failure .... with the ar the use of cam pin this helps prevent firing out of battery (not saving it cant happen) but in a lot of other weapons the AKM for example which has a floating firing pin and improperly tight headspace very much causes this problemIt seems to me that any barrel manufacturer that ships a barrel, no matter the cost, with headspace beyond specs should be criminally prosecuted. There just is no reason for any AR barrel from 50 bucks to 500 bucks to be out of spec.
Having said that, even if headspace is off, there is absolutely NO WAY that the rifle can or will blow up. Another internet misinformation that I detest.
Look at the 30.06 versus the 308 cartridge. About 100 thousands difference in headspace right? Fire a 308 out of your 30.06 rifle. It is kind of a non-event. The case blows out to match the bigger and longer chamber dimensions. The shoulder disappears. That is all.
Lets say you have a wartime captured German K98 with a mismatched bolt. Lets say headspace is excessive. You fire a 8mm round out of it. The case is blown out to match the headspace. When you reload for THAT rifle, you only resize enough so that your reloads will chamber. You don't resize to spec. We been doing this for many years.
All of a sudden the internet commandos have declared too much headspace will get your rifle blown up.
Slamfires blow up rifles.
Using pistol powders mistakenly blow up rifles.
Barrel obstructions blow up rifles.
Excessive headspace cannot, ever, under any circumstance, blow up a rifle. No matter what type.
Think about it.... Has everybody forgotten about the process of fire forming wildcat cartridges? The parent case is fired in the wildcat chamber and it conforms to the new dimensions by that firing. It isn't complex and there is no fear of a rifle blowing up. The creator of the new case might even be drinking a beer during the process.
A few years ago, I purchased a 6mm AR Turbo match rifle. I loaded up 500 pieces of 6mm AR anno with 105 bthp ammo and shot it in matches. The difference in 6mm AR and 6MM turbo is about 50 thousandths in headspace. I shot many cleans in matches and had no worries about anything blowing up in my face. The fired cases were resized to the new dimension. Not a big deal.
You are absolutely correct sir. I did hijack your thread. I apologize. Was your question answered? In short. there is no appreciable difference in 5.56 and .223 headspace gauges and since all dies size to .223 dimensions, and proper reloading demands bumping the shoulder .004 for your rifle ,it is a moot point. Of course, the two chambers are different, but headspace is the only thing measured by a headspace gauge. Not throat or leade.
It is just astounding to me that so many people have not heard of fire forming brass cases to a new dimension. It has been published in thousands of articles in hundreds of magazines over the last 100 years or so.