FN's min & max headspace?

**garyd1961** · April 02, 2011, 11:59

What's FN's specifications for minimum and maximum headspace for the FAL rifle?I am not talking about SAMMI's specifications for the 762x51 round. There was a tread about this but I can't seem to find it. I believe it stated the min as 1.6285 and max as 1.643 but I'm not 100% sure on this.
I'm not saying this is what you should go by. I sure wouldn't shoot a 1.640 headspaced rifle must less a 1.643 rifle. I have also read that the specifications changed over time but this is just hear say.
EDIT-The reason I'm looking this information is there are so many people saying 1.630 is too small of headspace for a FAL. I believe it's within FN's specifications for the FAL.

IRONWORKER · April 02, 2011, 13:15

1.630 is MINIMUM, i have a few FALs this tight & several M14 but i generally shoot match or handloads out of em'

1.639 is my personal MAXIMUM - While i wouldn't build a rifle with HS any longer that NATO min (1.634) i owned a "unmarked" (SN# only) Norinco with a HS measurement of 1.637, i fired many cases of ammo thru it with ZERO problems - I have owned 3 Chicom M14s that had HS longer than my FIELD gauge (1.639) i didn't even test fire em' until i got around to doing a GI bolt conversion

**garyd1961** · April 02, 2011, 13:21

IRONWORKER I agree with what you are saying but that is not the info I'm looking for. What I'm looking for is what does FN state as the specifications for the FAL min and max headspace?

IRONWORKER · April 02, 2011, 13:30

Quote:

Originally posted by garyd1961
IRONWORKER I agree with what you are saying but that is not the info I'm looking for.

I'm sorry bro, just read (NOT glanced!) your post - I too would be interested to know what FN has to say about HS

**garyd1961** · April 02, 2011, 14:02

There was a tread where either Gunplumber or Raspguy was talking about this. I was just learning to headspace a FAL at the time and remember them saying that FN's specifications were different than SAMMI's specifications. From what I can remember and what I can dig up on the internet I believe FN's specs are min 1.6285 and max 1.643. But I can't find anything definite on this.
I know this differs from SAMMI specs for the 762X51, min 1.6315 and max 1.640.

GeorgeS426 · April 02, 2011, 14:20

I don't know if this helps or not

http://www.cruffler.com/trivia-April01-assembly.html

**garyd1961** · April 02, 2011, 15:49

GeorgeS426, that's a lot of good info but I'm looking for specific specs for the FN FAL. The FN FAL has different specs than most 762X51 rifles. On the Gunsmithing forum in the Sticky at the top of the page it list British max headspace as 1.643.

**def90** · April 02, 2011, 16:58

Here's a take out from a Brit manual:

CHS within the limits of gauge SM 651 (1.6325 in.) and SM 650 (1.638 in.)

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showt...threadid=49526

Some info here as well:
http://www.falfiles.com/forums/print...threadid=67443

Quote:

Posted by Pa. Patriot on March 03, 2003 06:34:

Saami 308Win:
GO 1.630
NO GO 1.634
FIELD 1.638

FN FAL:
GO 1.6325 (FN & Brit/commonwealth) (Canadian is 1.6315)
NOGO 1.638
FIELD 1.640

7.62NATO (M14 US MILSPEC):
GO 1.6355
NOGO 1.638
FIELD 1.6445

jbrooks · April 02, 2011, 17:16

Quote:

Originally posted by def90
Here's a take out from a Brit manual:

CHS within the limits of gauge SM 651 (1.6325 in.) and SM 650 (1.638 in.)

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showt...threadid=49526

Some info here as well:
http://www.falfiles.com/forums/print...threadid=67443

def90 ,

Good Post!

JWB

**LaConservationist** · April 03, 2011, 08:19

Found this for you Gary.....

Quote:

This was well within the SAAMI .308 Winchester tolerance of 1.630" minimum and 1.640" maximum. More importantly it was within the FN factory specifications for a new or overhauled FAL of 1.6315" minimum and 1.638" maximum. (Editor's Note: The FN factory specification for an "in service" FAL was 1.6315" minimum and 1.640" maximum.)

Source:

READ HERE about 10 Paragraphs down....

Hope this helps!

LaC

Tim Dreas · April 06, 2011, 08:01

I have a set of three headspace gauges from Israel. They are marked with numbers I believe to be millimeters but they are nowhere near the same as the inch measurements. I don't know what is used as a datum point on them. The British use shorter headspace gauges with their 7.62 bolt action rifles. The US originally used the same headspace gauges for the M-14 rifle and the M-60 machine gun. More recently the newest versions of M-14's use shorter headspace gauges. The US M-240 machine gun uses completely different headspace gauges supplied by FN for the MAG-58.

1811GNR · April 13, 2011, 11:15

Looking through "The FAL Rifle" AKA: The FAL Bible. The specs for the C1 are:
Field and base 1.6315-in min
Field 1.640-in max
Base- when fitting new barrel
or shouolder locking 1.6378-in max

More as I find it.

April 02, 2011, 11:59	#1
garyd1961 Curio & Relic Contributor Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 39373 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Posts: 2,701	FN's min & max headspace? What's FN's specifications for minimum and maximum headspace for the FAL rifle?I am not talking about SAMMI's specifications for the 762x51 round. There was a tread about this but I can't seem to find it. I believe it stated the min as 1.6285 and max as 1.643 but I'm not 100% sure on this. I'm not saying this is what you should go by. I sure wouldn't shoot a 1.640 headspaced rifle must less a 1.643 rifle. I have also read that the specifications changed over time but this is just hear say. EDIT-The reason I'm looking this information is there are so many people saying 1.630 is too small of headspace for a FAL. I believe it's within FN's specifications for the FAL. __________________ One nation under God. Last edited by garyd1961; April 02, 2011 at 16:04.

April 02, 2011, 13:21	#3
garyd1961 Curio & Relic Contributor Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 39373 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Posts: 2,701	IRONWORKER I agree with what you are saying but that is not the info I'm looking for. What I'm looking for is what does FN state as the specifications for the FAL min and max headspace? __________________ One nation under God.

April 02, 2011, 14:02	#5
garyd1961 Curio & Relic Contributor Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 39373 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Posts: 2,701	There was a tread where either Gunplumber or Raspguy was talking about this. I was just learning to headspace a FAL at the time and remember them saying that FN's specifications were different than SAMMI's specifications. From what I can remember and what I can dig up on the internet I believe FN's specs are min 1.6285 and max 1.643. But I can't find anything definite on this. I know this differs from SAMMI specs for the 762X51, min 1.6315 and max 1.640. __________________ One nation under God.

April 02, 2011, 15:49	#7
garyd1961 Curio & Relic Contributor Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 39373 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Posts: 2,701	GeorgeS426, that's a lot of good info but I'm looking for specific specs for the FN FAL. The FN FAL has different specs than most 762X51 rifles. On the Gunsmithing forum in the Sticky at the top of the page it list British max headspace as 1.643. __________________ One nation under God. Last edited by garyd1961; April 02, 2011 at 15:54.

April 06, 2011, 08:01	#11
Tim Dreas Registered FALaholic #: 17255 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: York,PA Posts: 842	I have a set of three headspace gauges from Israel. They are marked with numbers I believe to be millimeters but they are nowhere near the same as the inch measurements. I don't know what is used as a datum point on them. The British use shorter headspace gauges with their 7.62 bolt action rifles. The US originally used the same headspace gauges for the M-14 rifle and the M-60 machine gun. More recently the newest versions of M-14's use shorter headspace gauges. The US M-240 machine gun uses completely different headspace gauges supplied by FN for the MAG-58. __________________ http://www.mpri.com/

April 02, 2011, 13:15	#2
IRONWORKER Registered FALaholic #: 48581 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Millspring NC Posts: 2,652	1.630 is MINIMUM, i have a few FALs this tight & several M14 but i generally shoot match or handloads out of em' 1.639 is my personal MAXIMUM - While i wouldn't build a rifle with HS any longer that NATO min (1.634) i owned a "unmarked" (SN# only) Norinco with a HS measurement of 1.637, i fired many cases of ammo thru it with ZERO problems - I have owned 3 Chicom M14s that had HS longer than my FIELD gauge (1.639) i didn't even test fire em' until i got around to doing a GI bolt conversion

April 02, 2011, 14:20	#6
GeorgeS426 Registered FALaholic #: 51821 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: n. illinois Posts: 3	I don't know if this helps or not http://www.cruffler.com/trivia-April01-assembly.html

April 13, 2011, 11:15	#12
1811GNR Registered FALaholic #: 11900 Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: WA, USA Posts: 1,046	Looking through "The FAL Rifle" AKA: The FAL Bible. The specs for the C1 are: Field and base 1.6315-in min Field 1.640-in max Base- when fitting new barrel or shouolder locking 1.6378-in max More as I find it. __________________ "I only wish I had a gun rather than a camera" - Sebastian D'Souza, the photographer who took the picture of the terrorist at the Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminal railway station, Mumbai, India, 26 November 2008

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode