Headspace Checks on the New Upper

Finally, all my goodies are here. Palmetto can take a long time to get parts shipped. Anyway, here are a couple of pics of the headspace checks on the new rifle. I used Manson brand gauges from Brownells. Near as I can tell, there is no field gauge available in 6.8. With the price of brass what it is, you don't want to ruin brass with a rifle that passes the field gauge.

First, I removed the extractor from the bolt. Mainly, to prevent damage to the gauges- they have a rim similar to a case. Then reassembled the bolt carrier group. If you can get as far as removing the extractor, you already know how to reassemble the bolt carrier group. Obviously, I'm very lazy with my how to stuff here.

The bolt and carrier are NOT Palmetto State Armory. 6.8 parts availability is hit or miss right now. The bolt is a PRI bolt sourced from Midway USA. The price went up around $10 recently. I've read somewhere that PRI buys them from Stag/CMT. The carrier is a new commercial carrier found at the last gunshow. It looked acceptable for $65. The firing pin, cam pin and retaining pin are Armalite, as is the o-ring I put under the extractor to aid extraction. All my ARs have one.

Here is a pic of the assembled bolt carrier group sans extractor. The two gauges are next to it. Yeah, the other bolt carrier is just sitting there, mocking me to build a rifle around it....

With the no go gauge, it doesn't close all the way. Don't drop the bolt with the bolt release. You will damage the gauge and the rifle. Instead, ride the charging handle closed, then press forward with your thumb on the divot in the bolt carrier- this is the original Stoner designed forward assist. If the bolt will not rotate closed on the no go gauge, the chamber is not too deep (long?)

Repeat with the go gauge. The bolt should rotate closed this time while pushing forward on the bolt carrier group. This indicates the chamber is deep enough per the SAAMI spec. Mine did. The bolt looks just like the pictures of the rifle below.

 I decided to put the black MOE stock on it for now. A battery carrier insert is coming for the pistol grip, and I haven't decided on what I want to hang off the handguard.

Oh, here is the barrel spec:

It is the Palmetto State Armory 6.8 SPCII Cold Hammer Forged 1:11 twist, A2 midlength barrel. It tapers down to .599 under the handguard, and is about .670 from the FSB to the muzzle device.

Using my bathroom scale, it is about 6.6 pounds in the configuration pictured.

Range time tomorrow!

FTC/FCC whatever: paid for this stuff myself.