Head space question

Yoda-X

New member
Hate to ask stupid questions, but........

I am in the process of building a 6.5 Creedmore AR. I ordered a McGowen 24" barrel and a JP enhanced bolt separately. Do I realistically need to pay $60 for the go - no go gauges?

I know I "should", but on a budget and would hate to piss off the wife by spending more than I budgeted.

Just looking for opinions.
 
I've put together a few AR's, never checked headspace, and I'm still alive to tell the story.

From when I first debated buying the gauges on my build, the consensus seemed that if you are buying new/quality components, you "SHOULD" be good to go.
 
Thanks for the replies. Wish it was easier to post pics here so I could upload some of the builds I have done already. The Creedmoor is the first build where I bought bolt and barrel seperately
 
Originally Posted By: MGYSGTGuessing your new barrel already has the extension on it. So no.

This. I've never bought an AR barrel without an extension on it, nor have I even see one for sale without an extension.
 
I wouldn't bother checking it unless components are being reused from other builds or its from a questionable source.

To be quite honest, we've had more issues with customers with random headspace gauges (and not using them correctly) than we've ever had headspace issues with components. Headspace is somewhat a science. IE, you need to ensure you have the correct gauges to measure the chamber you are measuring and remove the extractor and ejector to properly use gauges. 5.56, 223, 223 wylde are all different. Then there are slight differences between brands of a specific caliber, especially 5.56 and 223 Wylde.

Long story short, I wouldn't worry about it if you have new components and aren't having any obvious headspace issues showing up when you test fire the rifle.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top