.223 headspace

[snal]

I recently bought a "new" take-off heavy barrel for my Savage model 12FV. The guy I bought it from cut it down to my specs of 18" and threaded it, did a great job. I deliberated about buying the barrel wrench, vice blocks, and a set of headspace gauges, and doing the swap myself...but I wasn't patient enough to wait.
Took it to a local gun shop/gunsmith and it's been there 3 weeks! 3 times I was given a date that it would be ready, and 3 times it wasn't. Now the guy calls me today (on the 4th promised ready date) and tells me that he has the old barrel off, and he's ready to install the new barrel...but he only has a "field" gauge....what's a "field" gauge?
He also said that until he took the old barrel off...he thought that the Savage barrels just tightened up to a block! Now I'm beginning to wonder if he loosened the barrel nut with a pipe wrench!

[Rustyshakelford]

I recently bought a "new" take-off heavy barrel for my Savage model 12FV. The guy I bought it from cut it down to my specs of 18" and threaded it, did a great job. I deliberated about buying the barrel wrench, vice blocks, and a set of headspace gauges, and doing the swap myself...but I wasn't patient enough to wait.
Took it to a local gun shop/gunsmith and it's been there 3 weeks! 3 times I was given a date that it would be ready, and 3 times it wasn't. Now the guy calls me today (on the 4th promised ready date) and tells me that he has the old barrel off, and he's ready to install the new barrel...but he only has a "field" gauge....what's a "field" gauge?
He also said that until he took the old barrel off...he thought that the Savage barrels just tightened up to a block! Now I'm beginning to wonder if he loosened the barrel nut with a pipe wrench!

I am not a gunsmith, but it appears neither is the guy you took this to. Find another smithy.

[snal]

Picked it up today...finally. It chambers a live factory round fine, tried a fired, non-resized case and it was a no go, not a fair test as the case was a no go in my other .223 bolt as well. We'll see how it does at extracting a case when I fire it.
No tool marks on the barrel nut, or anything else, so that's good.
I love the way it looks and feels! Much more balanced with 7.5" off of the heavy barrel!
The factory stock is great, but flexes too much up front with a bipod on.
Gonna make a different flash hider though. This one is off of an AR, and is slightly smaller in diameter that the end of the barrel...looks funny.

[Rustyshakelford]

Picked it up today...finally. It chambers a live factory round fine, tried a fired, non-resized case and it was a no go, not a fair test as the case was a no go in my other .223 bolt as well. We'll see how it does at extracting a case when I fire it.
No tool marks on the barrel nut, or anything else, so that's good.
I love the way it looks and feels! Much more balanced with 7.5" off of the heavy barrel!
The factory stock is great, but flexes too much up front with a bipod on.
Gonna make a different flash hider though. This one is off of an AR, and is slightly smaller in diameter that the end of the barrel...looks funny.

Good to know you got it back in one piece. I was worried you may have hammer marks all over it when you received it.

[snal]

Good to know you got it back in one piece. I was worried you may have hammer marks all over it when you received it.

Me too! The big test is still to come. According to him...it should be on the snug side if anything. He said to pay attention to how the round extracts, and if it's too difficult, bring it back. If I do that...and he still only has a "field" guage...all he'll do is back it out a bit. I think I'll order the gauges and tools and be ready to do that mayself...I have other Savage rifles so they'll come in handy.
Here's a better pick with no shadow lines that make it look like an O/U:)