Israeli Mauser K98, 7.62 Headspace Question

albayo

albayo

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I have an Israeli Mauser (Czech manufactured) with a 7.62 X 51 barrel. My question pertains to the headspacing of the 7.62 X 51 military compared to .308 commercial rifles.
A friend tells me that an Israeli K98 7.62 X 51 will close on commercial Foster 1.634" No-Go gage. He said the tolerences for the headspace of 7.62 X 51 is greater than a commercial 308.

I need someone with hands on experience is he correct?

I think if a bolt closes on a Field Length Gage 1.638" it's at the end of the road for the 7.62 X 51.
 
The military spec allows for greater tolerances, as stated above. Doesnt mean that the Israeli mauser in question will fail the commercial spec - it could very well be tighter than the average 308 sporter... If in doubt, get the gages out.
 
cosmic said:
The military spec allows for greater tolerances, as stated above. Doesnt mean that the Israeli mauser in question will fail the commercial spec - it could very well be tighter than the average 308 sporter... If in doubt, get the gages out.
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Thats right. And there are literally thousands of military 7.62 NATO milsurps out there that are perfectly safe using commercial .308 ammo. Take it to a gunsmith and let them check headspace. Probably it will be ok.

If all else fails you can still buy and/or reload military 7.62 NATO ammo... 75% of internet experts agree that 7.62 NATO ammo is safe in a 7.62 NATO chambered rifle. :) Just remember to reduce powder charges on max loads by 10% compared to commercial .308 win loads when using milsurp brass.
 
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308 Versus 7.62

Thanks Monkeycanada that was really great information.
Now I need a set of gages for 7.62 Nato rifles. If you gentlemen know of any source of gages for 7.62, 8 X57, 7 X 57, and 6.5-55 I would appreciate it.
 
albayo said:
Thanks Monkeycanada that was really great information.
Now I need a set of gages for 7.62 Nato rifles. If you gentlemen know of any source of gages for 7.62, 8 X57, 7 X 57, and 6.5-55 I would appreciate it.
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Brownells has all the gages.

It's going to cost about 100 - $150 for each caliber, cause you will need a go and a no-go in each. It should be less costly to get the headspace checked by a gunsmith.
 
For what its worth, I have an Israeli M98 in 7.62. I haven't checked headspace with gauges but the chamber seems tight in that I'm not getting much case stretch when full length resizing.

I also fired a full length resized case with just a primer and a paper towel wad in it. The primer was pushed back about .007" out beyond the base, which I take to approximate the actual headspace.
 
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