Check 22 RF headspace without hs Guage?

C

cpeters

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Question.

For the non gunsmith that wants to check headspace on a 22 rf bolt action rifle. Have any of you tried checking headspace without a headspace guage?

The obvious answer is to just buy headspace guages, but for the person who wants to do it once every couple of years, I thought there might be another way.

Take for instance to check valve to piston clearance in a race engine you can take modeling clay, lay a layer over the top of the piston, put the head on, rotate the engine, pull the head, cut the modeling clay and measure the clearance thickness of the clay.

If it were not for the smear of rotating the bolt I would think you could do something similar on a 22 rf.

Thoughts or ideas.

Charlie
 
Look at a fired case... if the rear of the brass that contacts the bolt face is rounded rather than flat there is some excessive space...

Usually when it becomes quite excessive you will at the same time get a lot of misfires and the cases are quite bulged.

I have seen .22's with over 140,000 rounds through them and no headspace had developed. In most cases it isn't something to worry about that much.
 
Thanks for the reply Dennis.....no misfires...I'm more interested in just know ing what the headspace is.

Charlie
 
rimfire headspace comparisons

I found by using a .223 Remington case,you can compare and actually measure rimfire rim thickness. Just insert the rimfire cartridge into "fired" .223 case and measure. works great. gpoldblue@yahoo.com
 
Slip fit

The only guns I find that may change head space, are those that are clamped in instead of threaded.

gpoldblue's suggestion works great for those without the proper guages.

rimfire headspace comparisons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found by using a .223 Remington case,you can compare and actually measure rimfire rim thickness. Just insert the rimfire cartridge into "fired" .223 case and measure. works great. gpoldblue@yahoo.com
 
Thanks GpoldBlue and Fred
I had not even thought of using an extracted case.....I actually can do one better, I have a "pull" barrel I can put the case in and measure the extracted case with a dial indicator. I had not even thought that the case would expand to the front of the bolt and stay at that dimension but makes sense.

I knew there had to be another way of doing it.

Charlie
 
Hi to all,
This only works with slip fit barrels, I use a 2013, where the barrel tenon is marginally (.020) longer than the receiver clamp. Just set the head space normally, check the gap between tenon face and receiver with feeler gauges and adjust accordingly. I can change barrels at will and get repeatability all the time, keep notes on each barrel !!
Works for me.
Regards,
Don.H.
 
If the bolt closes tightly against the barrel like it should, you should only have to measure the bolt face rim cut to the front of the bolt. Use a depth gauge or a dial caliper. If the bolt doesn't close on the barrel like it should, address that issue first but you will still need to come back and measure the bolt to get head space. I like to keep mine at .043" but you will find them that have .053 and even more.
 
cntryboy1289 said:
If the bolt closes tightly against the barrel like it should, you should only have to measure the bolt face rim cut to the front of the bolt. Use a depth gauge or a dial caliper. If the bolt doesn't close on the barrel like it should, address that issue first but you will still need to come back and measure the bolt to get head space. I like to keep mine at .043" but you will find them that have .053 and even more.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply...but.....With all due respect...I'm not sure that is an accurate statement, because I don't think any rimfire bolt should be all the way against the barrel, Otherwise the determining factor in headspace would not be the barrel shoulder but by the cutout in the front of the bolt and the bolt would have to be modified to change headspace. Right?

Charlie
 
Bad News

Bolt face should not touch barrel. Always maintain a minimum of .003 clearance to allow for lub build up between cleanings. You measure that with Plasti-guage you pick up at the auto parts house. Too little head space is just as bad as way too much. I have found that anything btween .041 and .045 will suffice with most all match ammo.
 
Fred J said:
Bolt face should not touch barrel. Always maintain a minimum of .003 clearance to allow for lub build up between cleanings. You measure that with Plasti-guage you pick up at the auto parts house. Too little head space is just as bad as way too much. I have found that anything btween .041 and .045 will suffice with most all match ammo.
Click to expand...

Have you found an accuracy difference if the bolt touches the barrel? I have done a few with the bolt just touching the barrel and they shoot very well. I have always assumed if the bolt just touches the barrel you have the tightest headspace available. Excess lube buildup will just squirt out... bolt face to front of the bolt is often .043".
 
Too little

Dennis:
Yes I have found that the action will not cock in a Suhl with too tight of HS. I have never had a rifle shoot well where the bolt touched the barrel. I'm only talking about bolt actions. My experence, your's may be different.
 
The rifles I have worked on never seem to be bothered by the bolt touching the barrel. When I said tightly I meant with no visible gap between the two. Like what was said, experiences vary.
 
Kent Owens said:
Why should the bolt face touch the barrel?
Click to expand...

The bolt face is recessed, it can not touch the barrel... only the end of the bolt and the extractors can contact the barrel.

If the end of the bolt just contacts the barrel the extractors influence of moving the bolt to one side or the other is diminished... I think that anyway...
 
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