Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

AR-15 bolts and carriers, headspacing?

steve45
I just bought a DPMS varmint upper and was going to just drop in my Colt bolt and carrier and go shooting. I saw on an advertisment that an upper came with a bolt and was headspaced. Is it safe to shoot this upper with just any bolt, carrier?
0

Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • Mooseyard
    I switch bolt and carrier between several different rifles, and have never had any trouble.

    "My faith, my country and my family will guide me; nothing more, nothing less" -Gen. Tommy Franks

    Jess Hoffman
    Mooseyard Precision
    LE Supply & Firearms
    NRA Certified Instructor
    Shawano, WI 54166
    0
  • steve45
    Thanks Mooseyard, I feel better about shooting tomorrow.
    0
  • sr338
    if it makes you feel even better, I've done the same thing with my 3 ARs.
    0
  • Mobuck
    I know this is a common practice but it comes under the heading of "good enough for government work". If I'm going to the expense of a new upper I'll go the extra $100 and get one with the bolt too.

    Mobuck
    0
  • GreenLantern
    Seems to me that the general answer is 'no problem' .... as long as the bolt is new. However, I have put a used bolt into a used lower and had no problems too. You could go to ar15.com to find a lot more info on the topic.
    0
  • steve45
    Went shooting today, fired about a hundred rounds. No problems. Thanks for the help everybody.
    0
  • mag
    I have checked 5 different uppers with 3 different bolts, 3 different carriers. No combination would close on the USGI "field" headspace gauge. I haven't checked with a commercial go or no-go due to too lazy to remove the extractors and ejectors.

    mag
    ENA
    Enforcement Not Amnesty
    0
  • easygo6
    Interesting mag...

    Now I want to buy a headspace gauge. Did the bolt close on any upper which you bought that included the bolt group???



    "They're in front of us,
    they're behind us,
    they're to our left and to our right...
    they can't get away now."

    Chesty Puller,
    Chosin Reservoir, Korea

    SEMPER FI
    0
  • mag
    Not even close, which is as it should be. A "field" gauge is longer than a no-go. If the bolt closes on a no-go but not on a field then the rifle is safe to fire but will be rough on the brass. To make sure the rifle is really in spec you should use the no-go. I bought several of the field gauges and plan to have one shortened to no-go specs.

    mag
    ENA
    Enforcement Not Amnesty
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity