Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder
Quote Originally Posted by markr

And....therein lies a big part of the problem
Hillbilly engineering at it's finest...
It is irresponsible at best to suggest to someone out here in cyberspace to set headspace on a 50,000 + psi controlled explosion...the incorrect way , just to save a few dollars!
If there was a reamer made for one of your "wildcats", chances are that there was or could have been go-no go gauges right along side it! I have them for 12 Walker, 14 Walker, 17 Javelina, 17-222 AI, 17-222 Mag AI, 6x47, 6.5x257 Roberts AI just to name a few.
I'm not trying to give you or anyone else here a hard way to go, and please accept my apology in advance if anyone takes it that way! I'm just not an advocate of toolshed gunsmithing, especially just to save a few pennies! The reason...we have yet to develop the technology to replace body parts, at least not with any certainty and definitly not without a lot of pain and suffering.
Yep, you're right. I am an engineer. Even got them thar initials behind my name.

Probably a bit hillbilly too. At least enough to not take much offense by yer name callin'.

We are here to arm ourselves with knowledge and confidence, not fear and apprehension.
No offense was meant to you or any others here and I didn't call you or anyone else a hillbilly! I said that using a fired cartridge case as the single and sole way of determining headspace was "hillbilly engineering"...not that there wasn't better verbiage to use such as out house gunsmithing... As an "engineer"...you should be acutely aware that there are right and wrong ways of doing things...and when things are done the short cut way...generally just to save a few pennies, things can and do go wrong...not always, but just often enough to remind us to do things the right way.
What I wrote above was not meant to keep anyone from seeking knowledge and arming themselves with confidence, but rather to help them arm themselves with the confidence to seek the knowledge to do things the right way, the first time.
Many, probably thousands of Savage rifles and others for that matter...have been re-barreled successfully using nothing more than a piece of brass and scotch tape for a headspace gauge...and at least according to this thread there will be several more :)... You nor anyone else here need to take my advice in this matter and I wish you and the others much success and especially safety as you "go onwhicyoubadself"
You guys have a great Thanksgiving...and a safe one too!
Mark