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.

[1903Collector]

Jim, I defer to your broader experience. I speak only of the 1903, and frankly, to the best of my knowledge, the M1 Carbine, Garand, M1918, M14 and pretty much any other smokeless powder Military long arm from any primary combatant of conflicts involving the U.S. I have little practical experience with "modern" bolt action rifles.

I do have a question of the practice though. Im unsure of the typical barrel thread pitch, but unless the pitch is super-fine it would not take much rotation to set the barrel head back quite a bit. Considering the very small difference between "GO" and "Field" gage sizes Im surprised there are chambers cut so short as to require more than just a little headspace reaming. When I cut a short chambered 1903 barrel I have to be VERY careful not to take too much off. I confess with some chagrin that Ive ruined a number of barrels when I cut the chamber too deep with what seemed to be just a turn or two of the reamer. Is rotational alignment not required in such barrel/receiver designs that you are familiar with? If there is no barrel shoulder to compress against the receiver face how can the correct torque be set?

[ssgross]

Im unsure of the typical barrel thread pitch

Square threads on the 1903, 10 per inch I think, with grooves at 0.051 wide. Yes. google doesn't lie

When I cut a short chambered 1903 barrel I have to be VERY careful not to take too much off.

even more careful on an old barrel that appears to be short. Even just a little leftover jagged edges from surface rust on the chamber's shoulder can throw off your go gauge. On new short chambered barrels, it usually takes me 5-20 turns. As such, I make one turn without any downward pressure just to clean out any possible edges left by the rougher, then I take it 2-3 turns at a time with very very light pressure. There is no reason to press down noticeably when finish reaming by hand. Use plenty of cutting oil, clean everything out every 2-3 turns when you check your progress.

setting a 1903 barrel back would require a full turn taken off the shoulder (so ~0.100), and then the same amount taken off the breech face, extractor groove deepened, etc.