Tim, if you headspace a new barrel for 7.62 nato could i safely fire .308 win? how about vice versa?
Tim, if you headspace a new barrel for 7.62 nato could i safely fire .308 win? how about vice versa?
Buckshot, I've been using 7.62 ammo in my autoloaders as the brass is way stronger than the .308. Most of the FAL guys allow an extra .002 in the headspace for the NATO ammo, but I set my FAL exactly to .308 spec and it loves 7.62 anyway. Not Shuff -just my experience.
When dealing with liberals, always attribute to malice what would ordinarily be attributed to incompetence.
"Of course it won't be easy; nothing worthwhile ever is. That is why I have always failed where others have succeeded."-Clouseau
By definition;
- The chamber of a .308 is acceptable to 7.62
- The chamber of a 7.62 may not always be acceptable to .308
Even though both cartridges have the exact same outer dimensions, the 7.62 has a thicker case wall at the base thus being able to handle the more generous headspace for it.
.308 Winchester----------------------------------- 7.62x51mm NATO
GO 1.6300-------------------------------------------------- 1.6355
NO-GO 1.6340---------------------------------------------- 1.6405
FIELD REJECT 1.6380---------------------------------------- 1.6455
OK, the GO on a 7.62 is a little more generous because the assumption is that a rifle used in combat will probably be a bit on the dirty side and chambering problems wouldn't be popular. The field reject is way more generous on a 7.62 because the brass is much stronger, so a rifle with excessive headspace for a .308 cartridge is perfectly safe with a 7.62. Notice that the NATO allows almost .008 more headspace. As far as pressure goes the specs are mis-interpreted as one is given in cup and the other in psi. Basically they're about the same.
Soooo, a .308 is safe in a 7.62 rifle as long as the headspace meets .308 specs. If the headspace exceeds .308 specs but is less than the 7.62 field spec you're limited to 7.62 brass.
Last edited by Punch The Clown; 05-14-2012 at 04:29 PM.
When dealing with liberals, always attribute to malice what would ordinarily be attributed to incompetence.
"Of course it won't be easy; nothing worthwhile ever is. That is why I have always failed where others have succeeded."-Clouseau
thanks for the info. PTC. i am using a brand new barrel. a criterion, non-chrome, 22" GI profile. so Tim will have to ream the chamber. my point here is understand what are chamber numbers and what can i shoot in it. I also do not reload and more than likely will be shooting commercial stuff unless i can get a hell of a buy on 7.62. basically, i want the ability to shoot both.
Last edited by buckshot85; 05-14-2012 at 05:55 PM.
Yep,You can shoot both in a .308 chambered Rifle.
"The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of." -- James Madison (1788)
thanks guys! where has the Shuffster been lately? haven't heard much from him.
boy, sometimes the crumbs on the trail have to be the size of a VW for me to follow.