As y'all think this through, remember to think he following over too.

!. What is the reason for chambering to fit a particular gauge?

A. to end up with a chamber which is large enough (some of my friends would say "sloppy" enough) to take ANY factory cartridge of that designation, despite who manufactured it or where AND to not be so large as to where cases fail(such as have the cases split or the primers leak) when any of that factory ammo is fired in it.
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2. Are FACTORY CASES/AMMO MADE TO THE SAME DIMENSIONS AS THE GAUGE?

a. NO! Most definitely not. Factory cases and ammo are made to smaller diemensions than the chamber gauges establish for the chambers. That is the manufacturer's way of assuring that rheir ammo will fit in any factory rifle's chamber out there, regardless how small the chamber reamer wear may cause the chamber to be.
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3. So, how much "slop" is there, if any, between the largest standard factory cartridge, and the smallest standard factory chamber?

A. SAAMI generally establishes hat difference at .003"...rthat is, the biggest factory ammo or cases, are .003" smaller than the smallest factory chamber of the same name.
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So, by thinking that through, anyone can see that if a barrel fitter uses a standard factory case or (inert) round of ammo, he is going to be ending up with, at worst, a chamber very slightly tighter than he would get if he used a gauge.

But, if that chamber will still accept factory ammo, is there any harm in that? From a practical standpoint, NO. If it won't accept factory ammo, and thus can't be fired with factory ammo because it won't fit in the chamber, what is the harm in that? Is the would-be user likely to blow himself up with it? Hardly likely if he can't get the ammo in the chamber.
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4. Do factories carefully headspace each and every rifle before they are shipped?

A. Hmmmm...maybe, maybe not. The more CNC machines come into production lines, and/or chambers are forged as part of a hammer-forming rifling/chambering process, the more that gauges will be used only as part of the manufacturing machinery set-up process, followed by spot checks during runs.

Already I have found many new take-off Remington barrels to be spot on within gauge tolerances from one rifle to another.


Anyway, I sure wouldn't stamp any barrel non-standard where I used a cartridge case as a gauge. It IS standard. Standard for the cases/ammo factories are turning out.

So, if anyone is worried about that, all they have to do is say "no thanks" to any rifle I might leave them in my will, and walk away from it.

As to my heirs selling the stuff, there is no implied liability in their selling goods at estate dispersal sales anyway...especially as they will be asserting no warranties of any kind. Nor will my estate itself.

And any purchaser should have the good sense enough to take precautions with ANY rifle they buy used.

Caveat emptor, even with a rifle bought anywhere, even if supossedly new and unfired from the factory.

A perfect answer that suits all? Of course not.

But folks fire aqmmo all the time in rifles which may or may not match gauge dimensions. If the chambers are small enough, they can't get all makes or "lots" of ammo in there. If the chamber are too big, they may have other problems. But it is their OWN responsibility to forsee theose possibilities and act accordingly, Nana isn't gonna do everything for them.