headspace questions

[WGArmy]

Hello,

I also posted this message on a Krag forum so it might be familiar.

I'm a new member with a question about headspace issues with Krags. I'm not a gunsmith by any stretch of the imagination and this is the first rifle I've ever had a need or interest in testing its headspace; so be patient.

I have a model 1898 with a serial number in the 436,xxx range that I inherited from my father. Family members have told me that my father had replaced the barrel on the rifle but didn't have the guages to check this rifle's headspace. He never shot the rifle. My father use to reload blank 30-40 cartidges for the local VFW's honor guards and would test these loads through this Krag.

Interested in shooting the rifle, I obtained Clymer Go and NO-GO guages recently to check the rifle's headspace. I understand that this rifle headspaces on the rim. I stripped the bolt and the bolt won't close on either the GO or the NO-GO guage. Having new brass that I was going to use, I was able to close the bolt on the new brass so here are my questions.

Were the clymer guages I'm using SAAMI spec and somehow not reliable or not necessary for the headspace checking I'm doing on this rifle?

I've read that some 1903 barrels require a reaming after they're installed to get them in-spec. Is this required of a Krag?

What's your thought's on loading up some mild 30-40 loads and trying them?

Anything unusual about Krags and checking their headspace that I'm missing.

Your help is appreciated.

[Bill]

The danger is excessive headspace, not the reverse.

If you have stripped the bolt, and it won't close on the go, then your headspace is too little, not excessive.

If you can close the bolt on the ammo, then there would seem to be no reason you cannot fire the gun. Does not appear to be a safety issue here.

[madsenshooter]

I agree, leave it as is as long it'll close on the new brass, which incidently doesn't quite have the rim thickness as it used to. It's hard to measure just how thick it is without cutting the bevel off. You're good to go, check the condition of the barrel. With father shooting blanks, they're pretty corrosive. Have fun with it. If you think you must get that Go gauge to go, you could put grinding compound on the locking lug and work it until it will, just till it will.

[Fred]

Take a new unused cartridge, place a small piece of masking tape just on the back but not sticking out past the rim. The tape is 3/1000's of an inch thick. That's .003" . It should allow the bolt to start to close a little but not seat with the handle down all the way. This must be done gently so that you can stop when the resistance is felt. Not being steel, the tape will allow a bolt handle to close anyway if forced down which will be missing the whole point of the test. A gun smith in the Gun Guild showed me that. It's the way he checks the head space for safety in the Krag rifles he changes the barrels on.
I've tried it and it suites me, but I can't say that it's the perfect answer.