7.62

[covingtonhouse]

c??

[kcstott]

Wipe your chamber clean of an trace of oil and try it again. If the bolt will not close on a field gage the headspace is still good.

You never mentioned running a dry patch down the bore after the oiled patch.
Any oil in the chamber will prevent the case from griping the chamber wall and exert much more force on the bolt.

[ar15barrels]

Fired cases are always tight in the gun they were fired in.
Fired cases should NOT easily fit in the gun they came out of.

[Hoagiem]

Can you post a picture of the fired case. The cases might be bulged where the shiny ring is. You would have been better off getting a NO-GO gage instead, the field gage is a last resort for a battle field rifle. Just because it won't close on a field gage doesn't mean it won't close on a NO-GO gage or that it is safe to shoot. You might be losing headspace and not know it, you won't see the signs except in the cases.

Tight is a relative term, you should feel some resistance when chambering a fired case in the rifle it was fired in. The only time I have experienced difficulty opening a bolt action rifle was in the case of a dirty chamber or over pressure loads. In my opinion, get it checked.

[kcstott]

There's a reason a field gage is called a field gage. it is used as the last gage to prove an action is safe to shoot In the field. Even if it closes on a no go.
if the action will close on all but a field gage it means the headspace is long, too long for civilian standards but still safe to shot. Now if the action will close on the field gage the rifle must be removed from service to be repaired.

[covingtonhouse]

Forster sells a 7.62 MIN (minimum) gage. I've noticed thst. 308 has a Go, NO GO, and a FIELD gages. What gives there?

[Sailormilan2]

I just bought gauges to be able to headspace my Navy Garand. I had two Forster gauges, and to remain consistant, I got all the rest in Forster also.
Specs for the Forster Gauges are:
243-308 WIN
GO............1.630"
NO GO.......1.634"
FIELD........1.638"
MAX..........1.640"

7.62NATO
GO.........1.6355"
NO GO.....1.6375"
MAX.......1.6455"

Putting them in order of length:
308 GO............1.630"
308 NO GO.......1.634"
7.62 GO.........1.6355"
7.62 NO GO.....1.6375"
308 FIELD........1.638"
308 MAX..........1.640"
7.62 FIELD........1.6455"

I have also found these specs. They are slighyly different but I thought I would post them.
.308 GO 1.630"
.308 NO-GO 1.634"
7.62 GO 1.6355"
.308 FIELD 1.638"
7.62 NO-GO 1.6405"
7.62 FIELD 1.6455"

[swifty]

Lube the cocking cam?

[covingtonhouse]

...

[ar15barrels]

I have also found these specs. They are slighyly different but I thought I would post them.
.308 GO 1.630"
.308 NO-GO 1.634"
7.62 GO 1.6355"
.308 FIELD 1.638"
7.62 NO-GO 1.6405"
7.62 FIELD 1.6455"

These are more correct than the ones above.
There is no way they would put go and no-go within 0.002" of each other.

[Hoagiem]

Assuming it will close on a 7.62 NO GO, what are my options? I don't reload, aa I have probably a lifetime supply of milsurp at this point, and am plenty stocked in everything else I shoot, so loading to this rifle is not worth it. Plan was to hand them both down to my sons, but not going to do that until its verified safe.

You can have the barrel removed and cut the shoulder, if there is one, and barrel face forward enough to cut a new chamber. When the barrel is off you can also check the locking lug area of the receiver to see if it is being set back by the locking lugs. If you choose to go this route find someone familiar with mauser rebarreling. Getting the barrel off could be a bit of work.

[kcstott]

As inexpensive as a deep chambered barrel is, i'd buy a new barrel have it headspaced and installed and be done