Thread: OK you Techo Types WTF is Head Space?

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

I presume as you have received an email mentioning the fitment of parts requiring a headspace check, then you are involved in your rifle in more depth and detail than you usually are, you definitely need to get a qualified gunsmith to fit said parts which includes a headspace check.

Now to answer your question in a monotone singular syllable prose

When ammo is chambered in your rifle (ready to fire) it is sitting in there and held quite snug, (but not as tight as Dundee clinging to a stubbie) there are a few thousandths of an inch clearance to ensure the ammo can enter and exit the rifles chamber either fired or unfired.

Too little clearance and there are a few problems which appear quite quickly, too much clearance and again problems appear, some quite serious.

There are other important reasons the ammo for your rifle needs this clearance but we have a good head start here.

Thanks for that 7mmsaum, I appreciate your understandable answer. Yep this is all brought about because after some months now there is finally some traction around getting a new bolt head for my Savage 110BA which you may recall had the original bolt head severely damaged by some Winchester primers doing wrong stuff which pitted the original bolt head and welded the ejector pin in place.

So the upshot is that when the bits arrive I need to give the whole rifle and replacement parts to a gunsmith before I shoot it. To easy (and probably what would have happened) but still I am glad I asked.