Wanted

[David.evans 5,323]

Has any body got a 223 headspace gauge there not using and would sell 

atb 

dave 

[Meece 1,957]

No, but are you building a gun or re barreling  to need a gauge.?

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Dave, if you can't access one there is another way if you want to rule out or deduce an issue with head spacing.

[Sausagedog 7,381]

You can get the basic principle from this video.

 

[David.evans 5,323]

Sorry lads 

I meant one of these 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Heck I don't know what that is! Is it to check case shoulder length etc ?

[David.evans 5,323]

Yes mate 

I’ve got one in 243 and very good and saves a lot of time when checking brass 

atb pal 

have a look on the tube

[Meece 1,957]

Well I never, .  I've been reloading for 22, 223 243 & 270 for a long time and never in all the years have I needed a ..  Headspace gauge.!  and the best bit is that the advert for this states that, "Any case found with excessive headspace should be destroyed immediately". AND that it is "Out Of Stock - Backorder Only".  Now this could be because they've never sold any.  That thing is sort of a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.  Firstly if you but factory ammo or new unused cases then they are manufactured to SAAMI specs.  If they don't fit a gun, then the gun needs binning .  Second if you are using cases fired in your rifle then the cases will be fire formed to your chamber.. which will be to SAAMI spec so the likelihood of an out of spec case will only be encountered if your gun was made in the streets of the Khyber pass or Mbongoland.  I've seen rifle that have been shot A LOT and I've never encountered a rifle that won't chamber a new factory cartridge.  That's why I asked if you were building a gun or rebarreling one.  It's the kind of thing that you screw the barrel into the action to set the headspace.    Save your time and buy a case length trimmer. A couple of vids ... And don't forget Larry says,  "And that's the way it is".

 

 

 

[David.evans 5,323]

Meece

i got a case length trimmer x2 , this head space gauge just tells you if your cases are with in spec , for that cal and with in the acceptable parameters 

it just saves measuring cases with callipers, just drop the case in the gauge if it sick out , head space is to long and needs a trim the little recess on the top tell you if it’s to short 

atb 

[David.evans 5,323]

Or maybe out of stock because there a good bit of kit ,

[Meece 1,957]

Unless you are sourcing cases from  numerous random sources it ain't  ever going to happen.   A case that you fired in your gun can't  be bigger than that chamber so it ain't  never going to be out of headspace in your gun.   The only thing that does happen is the necks stretch a bit and need trimming back to spec.

[Sausagedog 7,381]

I'm getting confused now Dave.

A head space gauge is not just for trimming cases or determine if the brass is to long.

A head space is the tiny amount of gap between the a chambered round and the closed bolt face. To set a barrel in the receiver you need industry standard gauges for the cartridge used or at least a cartridge sized to industry specs....hence the gauge you want Dave.

The reason it is not just a trim die/guage is because it's a bottle neck case. It's not only the case overall length that has to be correct but also the shoulder position of the case.

I imagine if the shoulder is set to far down the case the cartridge head is in the guage to deep. If the case head sticks out the guage the shoulder needs setting back some via the sizer or its scrap. Any case mouth showing has to be trimmed but in the last example of shoulder needing to be set back no neck may show misleading the reloader!

I'm only assuming but how I understand head space, a head space guage is not an accurate trim guage

[Meece 1,957]

15 minutes ago, Sausagedog said:

I'm getting confused now Dave.

A head space gauge is not just for trimming cases or determine if the brass is to long.

A head space is the tiny amount of gap between the a chambered round and the closed bolt face. To set a barrel in the receiver you need industry standard gauges for the cartridge used or at least a cartridge sized to industry specs....hence the gauge you want Dave.

The reason it is not just a trim die/guage is because it's a bottle neck case. It's not only the case overall length that has to be correct but also the shoulder position of the case.

I imagine if the shoulder is set to far down the case the cartridge head is in the guage to deep. If the case head sticks out the guage the shoulder needs setting back some via the sizer or its scrap. Any case mouth showing has to be trimmed but in the last example of shoulder needing to be set back no neck may show misleading the reloader!

I'm only assuming but how I understand head space, a head space guage is not an accurate trim guage

Yes, I think that there is some misunderstanding of this issue. A gun is set up for correct headspace at the factory.  It's not something that changes. The cases fireform to the chamber so the only real variable is case stretch which an oal trimmer is for. If a case hase been fireformed in a worn chamber like fluted chamber on a machine gun then you might have lock up issues but I've used such cases and never had a lock up issue cause by headspace.

Ps. Saami specs

Edited May 12, 2020 by Meece

[David.evans 5,323]

Yep 

agree with you both this gauge only tell you if the neck case has stretched and needs trimming or bumped back (saami spec) 

unless I’ve lost the plot

[Meece 1,957]

Not bump back......  Question 》》》》》 are you having problems clambering rounds.?  If you are you might have die set up issues. Guns are set up at factory and don't  change position. Factory ammo is made to Saami spec and is inside of varying chamber dimensions and will fire form to your chamber. In the first vid that I posted they explain about the knecking process and setting up the dies.  IF;  you are reloading and you've got the dies set wrong you will have issues. I just dont see how anyone needs to discard cases.  If they don't fit, then full length resize back to Saami spec.