Opinions on the“tape-method”w/ live rounds for headspace checks(w/safety precautions)

[8391JE]

What are your feelings on the method of checking headspace by using live rounds as GO gauges and live rounds with masking or scotch tape on the back as NO-GO gauges?

It seems like you may have issues with the ammo being at one extreme of the allowable tolerances but perhaps you can minimize the issue by using a number of different rounds from different manufacturers.

Of course, you have to do this safely, like by removing firing pins, removing hammers, or doing it while at the range while pointing in a safe direction.

[ar15barrels]

How do you know which end of the tolerances the cartridge is?
Many cartridges have a -0.007" headspace length spec compared to an actual GO gauge.
How thick is your tape?
How much does your tape compress while gauging?

The method of using tape on a cartridge is not really useful for anything other than making the person doing the test feel better.
Anyone actually using that method is unlikely to be able to actually measure the chamber and the chamber could be WAY out of spec following that method and the method would likely not catch it.

Use actual headspace gauges if you do not have a way to accurately measure what you are wanting to measure without them.

[sghart]

I have done this before. I used to buy a lot of old rifles. I would use a fired case instead of a live round.

I dropped this method some time ago and started renting gauges.