Who rents the USGI TE / ME erosion gages?

[jjrothWA]

Looking to obtain gages to check my 03A3 barrel?

[togor]

Do you have any other '03s of known throat erosion?

If so, easy to roll your own "poor man's throat gauge" as follows:

1) Get a ball m2 bullet (exposed lead flat base)

2) get a length of building wire, AWG 12 or 14

3) strip a bit of insulation off of one end of the wire

4) solder wire into the base of the bullet. With proper flux on the copper it will go easily into the lead of the bullet. Wire should go in straight behind and centered in bullet for best results.

5) use a ruler and put marks in the insulation to help you gauge depth. Every 0.1" is common for gauges.

6) stick it gently intoo the chamber of a known good (or bad) reference barrel and note the tick that lines up with the back of the receiver ring.

7) do same for any other barrel to get a feel for the throat length in comparison to the reference action.

I make seem more complicated than it is. If you can't lay ahold of gauges, a possible plan B for you. Good luck!

[jjrothWA]

How about good brass rod epoxied into bullet core?

Also was considering soft load a bullet into case and load into chamber and close bolt to get leade depth and check againt SAMMI datums??

[togor]

How about good brass rod epoxied into bullet core?

Also was considering soft load a bullet into case and load into chamber and close bolt to get leade depth and check againt SAMMI datums??

These are all options.

The gauges have the ground taper and this is nice, but if someone is just trying to find where the lands kick in, there are these other ways.

[lyman]

sounds like you are measuring 2 different things,

the TE gage is the tapered rod and graduations to show, (the Gage for the 1903 is a multipurpose gage, measures 1903, 1917 and 1919)

where as the rifling is a diffferent measurement as in for a different thing,

what togor is describing is basically the same as what you (OP) is talking about, and will give you a good idea , but not necessarily accurate, (close enough for gov't work as he mentions)


neither should be compared to SAAMI specs, since SAAMI and US Gov't are not exactly the same,

FWIW, the tools are not that expensive

Fulton has one shaped like the M1/M14 gage

https://www.fulton-armory.com/throat...-garand-1.aspx


here is a modern copy of the original gage,

https://ravennaarmory.com/gun-parts/...d-browning-30/