Go gauge goes fine. Factory ammo barely chambers.

[earlthegoat2]

Rebarreled a Savage with one of those ER Shaw barrel kits. The kit came with the go and no-go gauges.

I set the barrel up to go on the go gauge and not go on the no-go gauge. I dont feel anything when pushing the bolt down on the go gauge.

When I try to chamber some factory ammo the bolt definitely barely wants to chamber the round and there is a small bit of sticking upon primary extraction. Upon inspection of the round, there is definitely a ring at the base of the neck telling me it is pressed up against the neck to shoulder transition area of the chamber.

I can live with with this but should I?

If I go to adjust headspace, how am I to trust the gauge when it told me it was fine the first time but then turned out to be a bit too tight?

I could open up headspace the tiniest turn of the barrel but then should I trust that the No-go gauge is telling me the truth?

 

[Blue68f100]

I personally like tight chambers for it's easier on the brass if you reload. Since I hand load I can set my dies up for what I want.

I would check to make sure the factory ammo is in spec before changing the head space. Go to NoGo is normally 0.003" difference so not a whole lot of room to work with. But I've seen 0.0005" make a difference on once close. So it would not be much of changed needed to correct the problem.

Take the factory ammo and paint the bullet and brass with a marker then chamber and unchamber and see where it's contacting. It could be a burr in the chamber, that may clear itself. If you have access to a bore scope take a peak to make sure it's not a problem with the chamber.

 

[Mizar]

Chamber gauges are set to check the distance between a datum point at the shoulder (in the middle of it, very roughly put) and the base - this is only for bottle necked cartridges. You can't check neck diameter, radiuses or angles with them - probably your reamer is not good, not the gauges.

 

[earlthegoat2]

You can see the line here just above the neck.

 

[Blue68f100]

I would look at it with a bore scope or take a cast of the chamber. It almost looks like the chamber does not have a radius on the neck to shoulder transition.

If you know someone with a RCBS Precision Mic it will give you a reference to the datum point where the go/nogo gauges measure from. Do the gauge first to check the reference, then check the ammo.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Well I played around with it a bit today. Adjusted headspace a bit and the factory ammo still chambered tightly and left the same mark on the shoulder.

I took a chamber cast as well even though there is really no good way for me to measure anything. I do notice the cast has sharp corners and angles whereas the ammo has rounded and “sluggish” corners and angles. Maybe that has something to do with it.

I also chambered a bare piece of brass that I am unsure of whether it has been resized or not. That one chambered just fine. I guess I’ll have to buy a different brand of factory ammo or two to see if the problem repeats.

I’m inclined to think the chamber or the ammo is just a bit off. I have some reloading dies on the way so I can run a few of the bare brass through the sizing die and try them out. Maybe even make up some dummy rounds.

I don’t think it is unsafe either. As long as the rounds will close smoothly after resizing, I am ok with that.

 

[Blue68f100]

Would be nice to take a peak with a bore scope. They are pretty cheap these days.

Where your getting the mark is not a common area where you normally see problems at. Almost like there was a chip that caused a problem with the reamer.

 

[shooter1niner]

What is the caliber please.

 

[earlthegoat2]

What is the caliber please.

35 whelen

 

[earlthegoat2]

Would be nice to take a peak with a bore scope. They are pretty cheap these days.

Where your getting the mark is not a common area where you normally see problems at. Almost like there was a chip that caused a problem with the reamer.

I’m reluctant to get one just for this as I don’t use one for anything else…though I could start.

Teslong for iOS is a little more than the standard one I see. I would like to shoot this weekend. I could inspect the brass after.

 

[shooter1niner]

Saami 35 Whelen chamber drawing page 125 shows: 1.9935" max headspace, 1.9835" min headspace, for a difference of 0.010". IIRC the difference between the "go" and "no go" for a Springfield rifle was .006". I'm fairly certain the .010" dimension would equate to the "field" headspace gage in the '06. If the '06 swallows the field gage the rifle is considered unsafe.

 

[shooter1niner]

On the Whelen chamber there should be fairly small radii on the body/shoulder junction as well as the shoulder/neck junction. The line on your case is somewhat puzzling to me as it looks fairly sharp and distinct. I suppose it could be the tangent point of the radius touching seeing the headspace is a little on the tight side...

 

[earlthegoat2]

The difference between the go and no-go is .008” on my gauges.

The rifle is headspacing. There doesn’t appear to be anything drastically wrong with the chamber. It’s probably a SAAMI minimum chamber and the ammo is a bit fast and loose.

I tweaked the head space a bit and now the bolt closes with only the barest of resistance and my guess is that it is still within .003” headspace clearance. The go gauge will go with some .002” tape on the back of it.

 

[shooter1niner]

You are doing this set-up with a stripped bolt right?

 

[earlthegoat2]

You are doing this set-up with a stripped bolt right?

Yes. I have done it both ways with similar results.

 

[shooter1niner]

What gage is the bolt closing on with the "barest of resistance" as you wrote in post #13? The bolt should NOT close on the "NO GO".

 

[David Hoback]

I don’t use a NoGo. I use a Go Gauge & I made shims from feeler gauges. .003”, .0025” & .002”.

I’ve seen this before. It’s the shoulder. Even though it’s factory, I’m willing to bet the shoulder needs bumped just a bit. Have you tried another type, brand of ammo? Especially these days…ammo consistency is NOT what it was just a few years ago. Factory output is at an all time high. Do you reload? If you do, I’d say bump the shoulders maybe a thou. But then, I don’t reload 35 Whel. Just something to check. I am however, I Savage enthusiast. And I run into this with mine in 260 Rem.

 

[BBBBill]

Sometime the chamber reamers get dull before being replaced, leaving the chamber a bit lacking. Easy to touch up with a properly sharpened reamer. A couple very careful turns will remove just the offending spot without cutting anything else.
Is it possible you gat a 35 Whelen AI chamber instead of standard 35 Whelen.

 

[earlthegoat2]

.
Is it possible you gat a 35 Whelen AI chamber instead of standard 35 Whelen.

I had thought about that but the chamber casting I did pictured above verifies that is is not an AI chamber.

And yes, I have considered attaining a finish chamber reamer and making a turn or two in the chamber.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I don’t use a NoGo. I use a Go Gauge & I made shims from feeler gauges. .003”, .0025” & .002”.

I’ve seen this before. It’s the shoulder. Even though it’s factory, I’m willing to bet the shoulder needs bumped just a bit. Have you tried another type, brand of ammo? Especially these days…ammo consistency is NOT what it was just a few years ago. Factory output is at an all time high. Do you reload? If you do, I’d say bump the shoulders maybe a thou. But then, I don’t reload 35 Whel. Just something to check. I am however, I Savage enthusiast. And I run into this with mine in 260 Rem.

I can reload but I don’t typically. I planned on it and I am going to for this one though. I am sighting in with some factory Federal Fusion and will use that for deer hunting this year. Later in Jan, I will be going for a Nilgai in TX and will be using hand loads I develop between now and then.

I think the story will be told with the fired brass and how it groups. After that I will proceed as seems fit. Bumping the shoulder back may be a remedy in this instance. Dialing the headspace back helped enough that the ammo chambers much more freely now but still leaves the ring on the shoulder.

 

[BBBBill]

...I have considered attaining a finish chamber reamer and making a turn or two in the chamber...

35 Whelen - 4D Reamer Rentals (4drentals.com)

 

[David Hoback]

35 Whelen - 4D Reamer Rentals (4drentals.com)

Great place 4D is! Ń(For anyone who hasn’t dealt with them) They are quick & no BS. I recently rented a Throat Reamer from them.

 

[Clemson]

The Go and No Go gauges that Shaw provides in those barrel kits are not nearly as well-made as gauges from Manson or Clymer. You might want to borrow a regular 30-06 Go gauge from a reputable manufacturer for one last try before you go recutting your chamber.