Are you looking for brit spec headspace gauges?

I was too, so I'm just posting this info for anybody looking for these gauges. I contacted Forster for a custom gauge (non-SAAMI spec):

"Thanks for contacting us about this, unfortunately this is not something we are able to complete at this time due to how busy we are with the gages we do have. I will put your information down for our list of custom request and we will contacting, if/when we have that service available again. Our current field gage is .070" perhaps this gage would suffice in checking this in the mid-term, assuming it does not close.
Sorry we are unable to do this at this time, we look forward to providing you with other quality gunsmithing and reloading tools.
Scott
FORSTER PRODUCTS"

I then contacted Clymer for the same thing:

"Sir, We do not manufacture this .074 mil spec gauge…..if you purchase some .003” shim stock…or put a piece of scotch tape (scotch tape is .002” thick) on our saami NO GO, you would get out near your .074#.
Sincerely,
Staff
CLYMER Precision"

I contacted Okie Gauges....with no response as of yet.

Found these on Ebay and thought I'd give them a shot (sorry for the pun :D ) Price was $28.99 not $31.99 in the pic. Specs: GO .064 / NOGO .070 / FIELD .074

https://www.milsurps.com/vbpgimage.p...7&d=1485284120
https://www.milsurps.com/vbpgimage.p...8&d=1485284152

I used to stock the real MoD spec. gauges as manufactured by Arrowmark Tool and Gauge in Australia and they were excellent. Of course, they only came in sets of three .064, .067 and .074 and in the eyes of many, they were too expensive at about $75-$80 a set so I stopped carrying them and now he no longer makes them. He also made excellent military spec. bolt tools and other tools too. All excellent quality and some still used on my bench including a set of the HS gauges.

Brian, you're telling it like it is and has been for years and years and years......... When you've got them, they're too expensive. When you ain't got 'em, they were cheap. And when you can't sell 'em, the manufacturers stop makin' them.

You're right Peter…… unfortunately. Graham at Arrowmark was a very nice bloke to deal with too. I checked his website today just for fun and he's still in business but selling reloading equipment and supplies.

On another note, I simply don't trust the coin gauges because many who purchase them wind up sending rifles here that are supposedly out of spec and when I check them with normal gauges, they are fine. I'm not sure if it's the way they install them under the extractor, without the extractor or what but I've seen the problem since Okie started making them. Of course, they are cheap! But I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them.

The problem is, there are not too many options out there. I would definitely prefer the Arrowmark gauges....but I have to go with what's available lol

I read on another thread regarding the lack of woodwork and people not being prepared to make and stock it. I rest my case. You GOT TO support the people who go out of their way to make this stuff and get it while they've got it..............Just a moment while I bang my head against the wall again.......

I bought a set of OKIE gauges. They work ok if you use them properly. I checked the spec's with a micrometer and they are correct.
They are slightly magnetised, which does help keep them in place on the bolt head; but best to have the rifle verticle so as to avoid slippage.
I would prefer a set of original gauges; but these are definately better than tape stuck on an empty case!

I had a machinist friend turn me up brass gauges .064, .067, .074 (no go) gave him a MkVII round so he could get the body taper correct all for a carton of beer @$22.00 job done

You could have done it much cheaper too Cinders by forgetting the fictitious .070 gauge which as I recall, doesn't feature in any EMER spec. and so far as I can tell, serves no useful purpose.

Don't forget that the .074" gauge will also tell you that the bolt head is exactly square-on to the chamber.

Yes Peter I thought about the .070 but having 4 gauges was a bit OTT so opted for just the 3 measurements my 303's close on the .064 nicely you can feel the resistance but it is well feels just right so to speak but the .067 has it tightening up a bit it will still close but is tight after all I am trying to do is crush the rim of the gauge for the .074 forget that no hope (Thank goodness).

Thanks for the .074 info I guess with the smaller measurements the BF may not as you say be square to the action with the shorter side not in contact with the base of the cartridge may only be infinitesimal but will alter the geometry of the bolt back thrust force applied to the action when fired well that is the way I look at it.
I suppose one could put engineers dye on the base of the gauge (.074) push the bolt up try to close the bolt draw back and see if the base is marked all the way around is that one way Peter. TIA

Yep, .064 and .074 are the only ones that matter. The .067 is a Vickers MMG gauge if memory serves. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I think I'd shim an .070 or .071 if that's all I could get my hands on and save my money instead of buying the coin gauges. Just my humble opinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian Dick

Yep, .064 and .074 are the only ones that matter. The .067 is a Vickers MMG gauge if memory serves. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I think I'd shim an .070 or .071 if that's all I could get my hands on and save my money instead of buying the coin gauges. Just my humble opinion.

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I use a .004 shim with a commercial .070 gauge. Peter Laidler mentioned that some time back, and that is what I do now. Made sense to me. I had thrown the supposed .070 max headspace gauge aside when I found it didn't actually measure anything. I'm not in the business but for the few I have, I still like to check and inspect for my enjoyment. More a piddler then ever a gunsmith.

I was window shopping through the Sinclairs catolog. two vendors sell the go/no go guages. so am I reading the above correctly, that those guages are not currently available fom them?

sctch tape is a silly solution at best.

availability if its anything like the brass market has to do with cheap availability of surplus ammo. When that goes away all manner of reloading equipmet and materials value/cost spikes. But reloading the 303 is a very small market and chancey at best. no body is truely dedicated to the 303 in the reloading market.

Sinclairs have the Clymer and Forster gauges which are US SAAMI specification and worthless to Lee Enfield collector/shooters. They used to offer the .074 as a special order item at twice the price of an SAAMI but no more apparently.

I'm a LE shooter. How are they useless. bear in mind am not savvy on this.

Hi Guys,

I've got the arrowmark ones too. But if you want a proper custom set made, give Dave Manson at Manson Reamers a shot. I've been using them recently and 'custom' doesn't seem to be a problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mike16

I'm a LE shooter. How are they useless. bear in mind am not savvy on this.

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What I found out was after buying the Forster Field gauge in British .303 that it is set to measure .070 as the maximum allowed headspace for an Enfield rifle. Which is wrong.
The maximum allowed headspace is .074.

I cut a shim from a .004 feeler gauge and held it in place with a smear of oil onto the .070 headspace gauge to give the correct reading of .074 when I checked my Enfields.

Bonnie has it in post #17. We've covered all of this information extensively here over many years. The .070 or .071 Field reject gauges will often fail a new No.4Mk.2 that's fresh out of the wrapping. That is because the ONLY specification that matters is .064 GO and .074 NO GO. The only SAAMI gauge that's the same is the GO gauge at .064. Unless you're fitting a new bolt head or bolt, you seldom use the GO gauge.