Headspacing your rifle is important for safety reasons even if it is an all matching kit. It is a very easy and straight forward process that can literally "Save Face" and other body parts. The first thing to do is strip the bolt and clean the bolt face and the chamber. To strip the bolt you will need to remove the main pin and the extractor pin.


Using a small pin punch driver the main pin out from the bottom and remove the firing pin.


Next, using a small screw driver or punch push the extractor pin out while putting pressure on the extractor face. Remove the extractor and spring. The bolt is now stripped.


Now you will want to completely clean the bolt face and the chamber. Use cleaning solvent and a bore brush to ensure that all residue and grime are removed. The two most common gauges are the "GO" and "NO-GO" and are plainly marked for identification. Be sure that you use gauges made by the same manufacturer to ensure accuracy.


Insert the "GO" gauge into the chamber and close the bolt by hand. The locking lug should seat fully to the top left of the trunnion. Repeat the process with the "NO-GO" gauge. When you seat the bolt on the "NO-GO" gauge use finger pressure only. The bolt should not lock up fully. If you use a lot of pressure you may be able to force it to close. If it closes easily on the gauge then the headspace may need to be reset.


Once the headspace has been validated reassemble the bolt and test fire the rifle. Make sure to inspect the fired cases for any signs of deformation or damage to the primer.
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