LE Head Space Gauges

[dhe]

Beat to death in other places is 303 British Head Space Gauges VS SAAMI.

It would seem the general consensus was, when shooting old LE - ArrowMark was the go to gauge company, but they have not been available for a long while.

Is there a current "best" recommendation?

Thanks in advance.

[RyanJames170]

Read up on the British specs for 303 British head space, the SAAMI specs are tight which is why just about all US made 303 brass has rims that are to thin and create head space issues, ppu makes brass with the correct thickness of rims.. there is a way to measure the head space with a peace of brass and a spent primer.

[Bloodman14]

Having never used headspace gauges, I use the o-ring trick to set headspace right away, even using factory rounds on the first firing. As you stated in your other post, keep that brass with that rifle, as it is now 'fireformed' to that rifle. Happy shooting!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I use some Forster gauges that I bought from Brownell's back in the early '80s.

DG

[M14fulton]

I ordered a set of Tectal .303 button gauges, Go Field and NoGo they are really fast and easy to use and outstanding quality. Shipped from Austria took about two weeks or so if I remember correctly. I think it was less than $100 US dollars. As I have quite a few LE's and my friends do also, I felt this was worth the investment.

[MOC031]

Beat to death in other places is 303 British Head Space Gauges VS SAAMI.

It would seem the general consensus was, when shooting old LE - ArrowMark was the go to gauge company, but they have not been available for a long while.

Is there a current "best" recommendation?

Can't help you with info on recommended gauges; I have a set I was given by a Canadian gun plumber, but I've never even used them. Can't recall any markings that are on them as far as who made them.

With the Lee Enfield, unless the rifle has been badly abused, I fit the cases to the rifle's chamber, versus measuring headspace. I go with forming a false shoulder and then gradually resizing until the case chambers with just a crush fit. Having done that, the case is supported at the shoulder at the front of the chamber and by the bolt face at the rear. They're essentially fire-formed before they're ever fired, pretty much. Combine that with regular annealing and .303 British brass will have the lifespan of pretty much any other caliber.

As far as headspace goes, The Brit's 1929 Textbook of Small Arms specifies rim thickness as being between a low of .058" and a high of .064". You can compare that to what SAAMI and CIP call for today.

I had some idle time on my hands years ago and compared various WWII/Korea cases and Greek HXP cases to the commercial cases available today. PPU is essentially an identical twin to the cases of Commonwealth Mk VII ball ammo during the war years and afterwards. It's easy to find and I use it exclusively in my Lee Enfields