A customer's misfire showed me I was wrong about headspace for years

I had a guy bring in a sporterized Mauser that kept having light primer strikes. I checked everything I could think of, even swapped the firing pin spring. The real issue hit me when I finally put a field gauge in it. The bolt closed on a .308 gauge that should have stopped it cold. I'd been so focused on the firing pin protrusion I never thought the chamber could be that worn. It took that one rifle, a 1943 German action, to make me add a full headspace check to my initial look over for every bolt gun now. How many of you have had a simple check you skipped that came back to bite you?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_jackson21d ago

Man, that's the kind of thing that'll haunt you. You get so sure you know the problem, chasing down one rabbit hole, and the real answer is something basic you just skipped. Had a similar wake-up call with an old .30-06 that kept feeding rough. Spent an hour looking at the magazine box before I finally noticed the feed rails were just worn smooth from decades of use. Makes you feel a bit silly, but it sure teaches you to slow down and check the simple stuff first, doesn't it?

andrewanderson21d ago

My buddy swore his scope was busted, turned out he just had a loose mount.