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Thread: Upping The Bar - 1911 Headspace Micrometer

  1. #1
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    DougGuy's Avatar
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    Upping The Bar - 1911 Headspace Micrometer

    I have heard it said many years ago and I am guilty of repeating it as well, but "A man can't do any better work than the tools he has to work with."

    To wit, I get a lot of aftermarket barrels sent in for throating, Kart, Lone Wolf, KKM, and the owners don't realize that not only are these barrels made under tolerance for some gunsmith fitting, but their chambers are also short reamed and there is virtually zero throat, this is so the smith can set headspace and then cut the throat in the barrel once the hood and the lugs have been fitted. Since some of them will work with no further smithing, the owners often think there is nothing wrong, when in fact they skipped a pretty important step in proper fitting of the barrel and this is setting headspace and throat reaming to put the icing on the cake.

    I needed a better tool to measure this than the stilt leg of a cheapo vernier caliper so I set about making this from a Mitutoyo Digimatic Micrometer Head I got from ebay for about $50 or so. All it took was a little machine time to make the collar and fit it with a locking screw, then make a plunger that will zero with the micrometer and sit in the end of the chamber for measuring. About 2 hours work total and success is sweet! I have wanted and needed one of these puppies for years and years and finally I have one!





    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master corbinace's Avatar
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    Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

  3. #3
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    contender1's Avatar
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    Sometimes necessity creates a job that results in a better workmanship.
    Kudos!

  4. #4
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    thegatman's Avatar
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    Nice job Doug Guy.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I am going to find out how well it works for him. He has 2 of my 45ACP barrels at his place now getting rechambered and throated. It will be a while before I get them back but I expect he will do his usual excellent job.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check