Headspacing AR308

[duc748bip]

I been shooting a self build Maten with DPMS barrel and bolt. Accuracy is good and chamber is so tight that sometimes it's hard to chamber or extract loaded round. Recently got a Lantac e-bcg so I drop it in and it won't close on the "go" chamber gauge. Can I get a PTG finish reamer ($100~ $200) and try to cut a few thousand of an inch by hand and hope it will close or try just replace the new barrel? ($300~$400) it will sure take lot more time to swap out barrel maybe needs a new gas bock also.

[baih777]

Location. If your in socal, randall would be best.
Is the barrel SS or chrome moly. Nitride or melonite.

[shafferds]

The build up of finish on certain coating effect headspace. Nickle boron has this issue depending on who does the coating.

[duc748bip]

Been to Randells place very impressive, but it like 30 miles away my schedule really prohibits me from running a day trip and wait there for him. Also I lost his email.

[kcstott]

30 miles is 30 minutes away. It's not a day unless you're walking. He can be PM'ed here, and even if you deleted the last email from him you start tying his name the computer will self populate most of the time.
The thing is what you are suggesting could screw your chamber up worse then is already is. you made no mention of the type of ammo or how many rounds you have through the rifle.
To me the gun sounds fine and you are just throwing good money after bad.

Put the original bolt back in it lube it up and go get some federal white box ammo come back once you have 300 rounds down the tube and tell use your rifle is fouled up still.
This has got to by far the closest guy to Randal that refuses to go see him.
30 miles, and if your schedule is so tight drop of the upper. have hime spec it out. then come back and pick it up.

[kendog4570]

....To me the gun sounds fine and you are just throwing good money after bad.

Put the original bolt back in it...

This. Throw the trick bolt away and save yourself some head ache and money.
The real benefit of these trick coatings is to fill the wallet of the guy selling them.

[duc748bip]

Hum... throw away the $300 bolt and save money...
Well, too bad I like the trick bolt
30 miles from the east to the west side in LA, can be horrible, just PM him last night, waiting for a reply. Maybe I can manage having only the upper in a non descript bag and ride my bike over.
Thought this could be a learning experience headspace a bolt.

[baih777]

I drive from torrance. West la is closer.
Nothing wrong with learning but in this case randall is best.

[kcstott]

Hum... throw away the $300 bolt and save money...
Well, too bad I like the trick bolt
30 miles from the east to the west side in LA, can be horrible, just PM him last night, waiting for a reply. Maybe I can manage having only the upper in a non descript bag and ride my bike over.
Thought this could be a learning experience headspace a bolt.

Then go grab a set of micrometers a depth mic and all the proper tools to spec out an upper, by the time you're done you could have bought a new upper. You are fixated that the barrel is out of spec yet you still have yet to say what your round count is. The comment on throwing away the fancy bcg was a figure of speech but he advice to use the original is correct.

You've been given proper advice, proper resources, if you don't want to take a thirty mile cruse across town and want to fix it your self well there's always YouTube

Have fun, I'm done

[kendog4570]

Hum... throw away the $300 bolt and save money...
Well, too bad I like the trick bolt

Did your original bolt pass with the go gauge?
Nibx is a big joke and is usually thick enough to cause the head space issues you are having.
Go ahead and cut the existing barrel to your new bling bling bolt. Then you will have not one, but two expensive salmon weights.

[duc748bip]

Yep the original doesn't close on the "Go" either, just been lucky shooting it for the past years, but just did some research it's a bad batch of barrel with short chamber indicated by several bad review.

[ar15barrels]

Yep the original doesn't close on the "Go" either, just been lucky shooting it for the past years, but just did some research it's a bad batch of barrel with short chamber indicated by several bad review.

Several bad reviews do not indicate a barrel problem as those reviews could simply be people with out-of-spec bolts.
The only way to verify a barrel is in or out of spec is to check it with an in-spec bolt.
I have had LOTS of 308 barrels fail minimum headspace in my shop due to plated bolts.
When those same barrels are checked with a good bolt, they pass headspace just fine.
The fix for out of spec bolts due to plating is to deepen the boltface by removing two thicknesses of the plating.

[pklin1297]

Completely agree that 30 miles within LA could be a nightmare, but if I have a problem and Randall has time for me, I would make the drive in a heart beat, and I'm 61 miles away... Others have made longer drives from the Bay area to see him; now that's a day trip. Good luck!

[Bullets&Whitewalls]

The fix for out of spec bolts due to plating is to deepen the boltface by removing two thicknesses of the plating.

Do you think this could be done with lapping compound and flat surface by hand? A shooting partner of mine has a very tight fitting coated bolt that I have not yet seen myself. I figure Id ask since I happened upon this thread.....

[kcstott]

The fix for out of spec bolts due to plating is to deepen the boltface by removing two thicknesses of the plating.

Do you think this could be done with lapping compound and flat surface by hand? A shooting partner of mine has a very tight fitting coated bolt that I have not yet seen myself. I figure Id ask since I happened upon this thread.....

Yes you can use lapping compound, No you don't want to. 2,3 thou is a lot to remove with lapping. but yeah if you had nothing better to do for a few hours or days sure..