Does Palmetto check the headspace on their complete upper kits? I just put together two kits and was going to test fire them but someone mentioned to check the headspace or could go boom
PSA 16" Midlength 5.56 NATO 1/7 Phosphate MOE EPT Rifle Kit & Rear MBUS|
They have stated on here that they do indeed check headspace, but also recommend you do so if concerned.
While headspace is certainly important, and in no way am I trying to downplay it, I personally have never checked it on any AR. They only time I am remotely concerned is when a used BCG and a used barrel are mated in the same gun. YMMV though.
You are probably good being how the barrel and bolts are both new and from the same manufacturer. Headspace is important though. Go No Go gages aren’t that expensive if you want to be sure. You may even call a local gunsmith in your area and they may be able to check headspace for you.
Just ordered my first upper and lower from PSA, hopefully first of many over the years!
This is the upper I ordered: PSA 16" M4 Carbine Length 5.56 NATO 1/8 Phosphate MOE Upper With BCG, CH, & MBUS Rear, Olive Drab Green
Anyone able to suggest a good set of go-no-go gauges for a barrel/caliber like this? Is there a different set I’d need to check if the headspace for .223 will be there?
God forbid there be any headspacing issues, I can return to PSA for fixing right?
Yes, if the headspace is an issue PSA will fix you up. Just as a note, i have NEVER checked headspace and have never had an issue with any of my guns.
That’s good to know. I’ve never heard the term before, never checked it on my older Ruger rifles or anything else I’ve shot and never had an issue like that either.
I bought a Toolcraft .224 Valkyrie/6.8 SPC BCG who’s bolt was out of spec. Shocked me as I’ve never headspaced an AR before and it was never an issue. I didn’t check it with go/no-go gauges, I just took the barrel, put a round in the chamber, and took the firing pin out the bolt, and tried to get the bolt to lock into the barrel and the lugs would hit when a round was in the barrel. I went through some back and forth with Toolcraft and the barrel manufacturer, and I thought it was going to be the barrel that was out of spec, but it turned out to be the bolt was out of spec. The barrel manufacturer sent me one of their bolts without me even asking them too, and it’s worked great since. That was very nice, unexpected, and unnecessary for them to have to do. The only bad thing was I spent for a DLC BCG from Toolcraft, and the bolt that ended up working correctly is a phosphate bolt. No big deal though. Props to “Spinta Precision” for helping me get that issue fixed.
When building an AK headspacing is required. AR is a different animal (more like a puppy dog compared to an AK who’s barrel you have to headspace and populate) to build, and while most likely everything will be within spec that’s obviously not the case 100% of the time. I would at least do what I did and make sure the lugs on your barrel and bolt will lock with a round in the chamber before assembling your upper. Checking with gauges is the best thing to do though.
I have checked Headspace on every single AR I have built, helped build, and even a few random ones people asked me to check for them - it’s now somewhere between 50 and 75 firearms. I have yet to have a .223/5.56 barrel and bolt fail.
PSA Barrels with the PSA/Toolcraft bolts have all been pretty much Perfect - just lock into Battery on the Go with the ejector removed (Thank YOU Sinclair!) - don’t on NoGo.
I’m certain it’s going to happen some day, maybe even with a PSA.
But not Today……
Just bought a set of 300BLK GO/NOGO, add to my tooling….
(two guesses what’s coming up on the bench!)
Well I think I found you one! I know this is an old thread but anything helps. Just built the same upper kit onto an Anderson lower and my 5.56 rounds are getting stuck on the feed grooves. I’ve gone through different mags and I’m never able to seat a round in the chamber. I don’t want to have to send it back to PSA but because I don’t have the headspace tools that looks like my only reach choice right now
It can happen. But if the round is getting stuck in the feed-ramp, that isn’t a headspace issue.
Headspace is solely about how deeply the cartridge seats in the chamber, and the lede clearance to the forcing cone.
Feeding/extraction/ejection problems are, well, other problems….
Same here. Headspace is definitely a thing, but way overrated and nothing I’ve ever personally been concerned about.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER: I’m just a guy on the Internet. Don’t make critical decisions about your own rifle build based on statements made by a guy on the Internet.