After one response that is taking a null data point (making a mountain out of a molehill) - for someone that reveres technicalities (shoulder setback) and datum etc, that ruins credibility.As you can see I am the only member that believes you left out all of the information necessary to help you.
Merc: What you had with your Eddystone bold was normal. I have had one Winchester bolt that was quite different, most others (including another Winchester) were at the 80%.
I suspect your Winchester bold was tighter (more material forward) than the rest.
Just keep in mind, a lot of slop was the norm for these, mine on a rigged field reject (tape on a no go) close about 80%.
Military cartridges are not made to SAMI, not did SAMI exist back then. Chambers on military guns tend to generous for field conditions for functioning (crud) - they had not figured on civie pick up and use latter (nor did they care of course)
I just keep the brass for those guns separate as the head spaces is longer and I don't mash the shoulder back more than needed on them for reloads. With your tighter Winchester bold you might be able to cross shoot them with minimum shoulder setback (which avoids cracked bases)
- - - Updated - - -Thanks for your help. Full story: I bought the NOS Winchester bolt to replace a slightly worn Eddystone bolt that was originally installed on my M1917 Winchester rifle when I bought it. The E bolt would close on a gunsmith’s no go gauge but only closes about 80% on my field gauge. The W bolt closes about 50% on the same field gauge. Seeing the difference in closing percentage makes me think that the W bolt would probably not close on the gunsmith’s gauge.
Not really, they were made that way at the factory. Said factories were setup originally for 303 which has a lot of excess chamberage.So I ask; did the bolt close on the field reject length gage? M1917 rifles with long chambers are not rare; how they got that way is an interesting story.
Brits having a lot of hard combat experience that in turn was clear the unlike low use US forces they did not have the latitude all the time to keep the guns pristine.
The M16/M4 has the same aspects. They work and are accurate when maintained well. When not they fail. AK-47 does not care.