muzzlestuffer

so what's with the head space issue and how to notice the problem and correct it ? also can i use remington kleanbore 209 primers with the bh209 powder ?

Muley Hunter

No, you can't use any of the 209 primers made for muzzy's. They're too weak. You need the full power shotgun primers. I like the Federal 209a primers. They're the hottest, but the CCI mag and Winchesters work fine too.

The headspace is too large from the factory. It causes a weaker spark, and blowback. CVA offers a shim kit to put behind the firing pin housing. That moves the housing closer to the primer to seal it up.

Another option is to use the o-rings you got with your Western BP. You use those under the primer to take up the space. I don't like those, but they work ok.

muzzlestuffer

is cva the only place to get the shim kit ?

Muley Hunter

Carlos has them too. I think they're $6.00.

You can also tell CVA the firing pin housing is set into the receiver. Meaning it's not flush with the receiver, and they'll send you a shim kit for free.

muzzlestuffer

i would much rather have the shim kit than fumble with those little o-rings !

Muley Hunter

Jon has a video on how to set the headspace with the shims. I forgot, but are you on his forum? It's posted there.

ronlaughlin

What i do is insert the o-ring in the plug before putting the plug in the barrel. The o-ring is shoved into place by using a primer. Then plug is installed into the rifle. At the end of the shooting, and i am at home, i remove the breech plug from the rifle, and then remove the o-ring from the breech plug. No 'fumbling' involved.

The o-ring makes a wonderful seal, because it soft, and can be compressed at least 0.020". In order to make a seal using the shims, the primer itself needs to be compressed, and that isn't near as easy as compressing rubber. If the bushing is shimmed too high the rifle won't cock. If the bushing is shimmed too low, the primer doesn't get compressed. The amount of shims is kinda critical. One should purchase two shim kits to be able to get just the right bushing location.

Using the o-ring is just plain simple, because there is so much forgiveness.

Yes, my rifle is shimmed just about right for W209 primers, and they come out 'crushed' right at 0.004".

Muley Hunter

I use a simple method to set the headspace with the shims.

I add shims until the hammer won't cock. Then I back off a little until it does cock. If the action will close normally now I call it good. If I still have to slam the action shut i'll remove a small amount of shims.

My goal is to have the hammer work smoothly, and the action to close the same as it does with no primer installed. This takes some fiddling, but will end up with everything working smooth and no blowback.

I want zero clearance, but also no crush on the primer. Any sort of crushed primer on a loaded gun rubs me the wrong way.

ronlaughlin

Crush is required, if there is to be zero blow by.

MountainDevil54

you'd be surprised at how long those o rings last muzzlestuffer. In the wolf i use them in, easily 50 shots. In a traditions ldr and a strikerfire, 70+ before I decide to pull the old one and replace it.