Smyth Busters: Fixing Your AR-15's Headspace

In our last Smyth Busters episode, about mixing and matching AR-15 bolt-carrier groups, Steve and Caleb talked about checking the headspace to make sure it's OK after making a swap. What happens if you pull out your headspace gauge and get a "no-go" result? Can you fix / correct /adjust an AR-15's headspace? Some folks say, "Yes." But the AR-15's unique setup combining a rotating bolt with a barrel extension behind the chamber makes that difficult. You're pretty much stuck with the headspace you have when the bolt lugs lock into the barrel extension.

There are ways to change the headspace, but you really have to be a gunsmith to do it. The guys give us an overview of how EXCESS headspace is fixed. The cost of the labor to do the fix will likely be much higher than the cost of the barrel. If the headspace is too SHORT, you can get a reamer (which isn't cheap) and ream out the chamber, but NOT if it's chrome-lined or nitrided.

For the average shooter the best way to fix a headspace problem is to get a new barrel. If you bought it from Brownells, that's where our "Forever Guarantee" comes in handy! So the myth isn't exactly busted. It IS technically feasible to correct an AR-15's headspace. It's just not worth the cost.

Watch our earlier video, "Can You Mix & Match Bolt-Carrier Groups?"    • Smyth Busters: Can You Mix & Match Bo...  

Unfamiliar with what headspace is and why it's important?
   • Tech Tip: What is Headspace  

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