Gunsmithing Headspacing by the boltface??

[Wannashootit]

I was a bit surprised (naahh..shocked...) to learn that Weatherby headspaces their new factory rifles by milling the boltface to achieve the desired result...and doesn't touch the pre-chambered barrels from their supplier (whomever that is) according their factory tour on a gun show...

This seems absurd to me...but maybe I'm naive in the ways of some manufacturers.

Are there any other manufacturers that headspace their barrels like this, and what the heck do you do if you want/need to replace your boltface??

 

[LRI]

Re: Headspacing by the boltface??

Lots of ways to skin kitties in this game. I'd bet they took a long hard look through the lens of a process engineer and decided that this was a more affordable way to build the gun.

Zillion dollar cnc lathe that has to be setup/indicated every time by an experienced machinist or plop a bolt into a fixture and adjust a single offset for a single tool and mash the green button?

Whenever one is able to cut costs/increase production machinery sounds less like machinery and more like a cash register.

C.

 

[Jkob60]

Re: Headspacing by the boltface??

Winchester did it on the later pre-64's

 

[MikeeBooshay]

Re: Headspacing by the boltface??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wannashootit</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This seems absurd to me...but maybe I'm naive in the ways of some manufacturers.

Are there any other manufacturers that headspace their barrels like this, and what the heck do you do if you want/need to replace your boltface?? </div></div>

I'll bet you think that receivers are round too? Well, kinda they are, but not after you try to indicate one in, looks round, not exactly.

But to add to your concerns, most rifles from the factory, if you swap bolts, they may or may not headspace OK. Pretty much anytime you get a new bolt for a gun, you are looking at a headspace/chambering job. If you are lucky, it's too tight, must remove material from bolt face or sink chamber deeper. Otherwise, you are setting the barrel back a thread, or more likely ( since you are paying for a rechamber anyway) replacing the barrel too.

On the other hand, haven't seen many (none) replaced bolts on a 'Roy.