Need help resolving a 1903's insufficient headspace

[RDG]

I have had this RIA 1903 s/n 151,XXX for about 42 years, and I may have put a round or two through it long, long ago before I really knew anything about it.

I got around to ordering a Go and No-Go gauge for it and have found that I cannot close the bolt on the Go gauge. The bolt of my other, sporterized, 1903 closes on it just fine and does not close on the No-Go gauge. Further satisfying me that the gauges are correct is the fact that the bolt of the first gun mentioned will not close on factory-fresh ammo.

Other confusing features of this gun are that it has a scant stock, a 6-42 barrel, no gas relief hole in the extractor, and no Hatcher hole. I believe this rifle was assembled from various parts and certainly did not go through any certification process after rebuild.

I live in the Florida panhandle and am looking for a gunsmith capable of correcting this rifle's ills. I have run through all the local gun shops and smiths and come up empty. I would appreciate any recommendations, especially if they are within reasonable driving distance.

I would rather destroy the gun than pass it on as is to some unsuspecting person.

[RCS]

I have an old friend that lives in Fla and he uses Bruce Dow at Dow Arms room in Dade City Fla. Dow has installed barels and headspaced some M1 rifles for him

[RDG]

Thanks for the Florida recommendation. Dade is about a 5.5 hour drive from here. If I end up using Dow Arms, I'll mail it.

---------- Post added at 07:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 PM ----------

Sounds like a parts rifle...but anyway, to fix headspace with existing parts you need to turn the barrel back one complete rotation and that's not so easy for the layman. It will still fit in the wood and with a bit of alteration and fiddling, most won't even be aware. You'd be able to fit a bayonet with some woodwork effort. Easier yet is to get a NOS barrel fitted. They're around.

Finding the gunsmith is my task now. Thanks.

[Jakeroub]

Sounds like a parts rifle...but anyway, to fix headspace with existing parts you need to turn the barrel back one complete rotation and that's not so easy for the layman. It will still fit in the wood and with a bit of alteration and fiddling, most won't even be aware. You'd be able to fit a bayonet with some woodwork effort. Easier yet is to get a NOS barrel fitted. They're around.

I think you’ve got it backwards. Sounds like the barrel may be short chambered and just needs a reaming.

[SkyKid]

I think you’ve got it backwards. Sounds like the barrel may be short chambered and just needs a reaming.

That's what I had to do to my 1903
After I lined up the witness marks on the barrel and receiver I ream the chamber until it just closed on a round

[browningautorifle]

I think you’ve got it backwards.

Once I reread it I guess you're right, just needs a finish ream. That one's easy, get a ream and work carefully. I had a 700 Remington here that was similar, wouldn't chamber factory all the time. Turned out to be a really tight chamber, virtually dust came off when reamed. Just the finest shavings...

[1903Collector]

There have been some odd answers here, but the last was correct. All replacement barrels are "short-chambered" that REQUIRES fine reaming of the chamber for correct final headspace. There is no extra turning of the barrel further into or out of the receiver!?!? This is not a practice in any respect. As long as the barrel is properly aligned and the barrel thread shoulder is flush with the receiver face with about 35ft/lb torque (if I remember correctly) the only issue is the condition of the chaber itself. Headspacing requires a special reamer easily acquired at a reasonable price, but its is unfortunately easy to cut too much (learned from sad experience).
The rifle may be a parts gun, but it may also have been arsenal reworked but never finished not final proof fired...unlikely, but possible. In any case the replacement barrel and replacement scant stock was not an unusual practice in WWII or post war arsenal rework/repair (see Harrision's or Poyer's reference books) as both such barrels and stocks were in arsenal inventory by that time.
Lsdtly, there is nothing wrong with "parts guns). As long as USGI parts are used and especially if matched for type (version) and mfr. Unless there is written provenance attesting to it being either (parts or arsenal reworked) there is no way to quantitatively verify that is wasnt arsenal reworked.
In any case a properly assembled 1903 parts gun yields the exact same result as an arsenal reworked rifle, and generally built from the same spare parts inventory, so...enjoy!

[browningautorifle]

There is no extra turning of the barrel further into or out of the receiver!?!? This is not a practice in any respect.

Barrel setback has been done successfully for years, it was just the wrong idea here.

[SkyKid]

Maybe you are thinking about peening or rolling the receiver to move the metal forward which is common practice
I've done this when the witness mark on the barrel goes beyond the receiver mark

[browningautorifle]

peening or rolling the receiver to move the metal forward which is common practice

That's done if the barrel goes past TDC and you need some metal, or an older barrel that has already had the crush factor used when it was installed. I had a 742 Remington in .308 come in that had excess headspace and I set the barrel back one turn to correct it...worked perfectly. But that's not what's needed here, this one just needs a touch of reaming.