Originally Posted by
Lee Enfield
Nothing to do with the production facility - the difference was 1 single new part:
From what I've read here, and everything I know about the AI, and other guns, the reason AI won was the locking collar that the bolt locks into which controls head spacing.
Basically by controlling 3 dimensions, you guarantee consistent repeatable headspacing.
By keeping the collar a consistent known value, and controlling the chamber and bolt geometry you guarantee as nearly as possible interchangeable parts.
ie, any AI barrel & bolt are interchangeable with any other.
pull an AI 308 barrel out of any existing rifle, or new off the shelf and once the torque value is the same, the headspace "Should be" exact.
basically they created a situation, where (as nearly as possible) the receiver is just another replaceable part. The AI AT and the AI AXMC have taken this to ne next logical step by formalizing the process.
Think of an AR15 barrel extension where the barrel extension is simply sandwiched between the receiver and the barrel.
ie. no short chambering, action truing, bolt lapping ect. necessary.