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Kyrie · 02-14-2019, 08:01 AM

I have a little different view on C.I.P. vs. SAAMI, and on whether to use C.I.P. or SAAMI compliant head space gauges for any specific task.

I'll share those views, purely FWIW.

C.I.P. standards are supposed to have the force of law in those countries who are signatories to the C.I.P. agreement. But in actual practice there is no force of law applied. More than one C.I.P. signatory has a history of fudging actual adherence to C.I.P. and sometimes simply ignoring C.I.P. standards. Structural problems within the C.I.P. organization and the sovereign powers of C.I.P. signatories make this evasion/disregard for C.I.P. standards difficult to detect and impossible to prevent.

SAAMI, OTOH, is admittedly voluntary, and (largely) funded by and run for the major US arms/ammunition manufactures. That’s why I trust those major manufacturers to be SAAMI compliant; no viable business ignores the expensive consultative service they have paid to create, and continue to pay to function every business day.

On the subject of C.I.P. and SAAMI head space gauges I tell people who are sufficiently concerned with the head space of one or more of their firearms to want to buy (or rent) head space gauges to check head space to get the head space gauges that are compliant with same system as the ammunition they intend to use.

As a real life example of this, I recently bought a CZ model 455 .22 rimfire rifle. I also bought, at the same time, two interchangeable barrels; one barrel chambered for the .22 Winchester Magnum cartridge and the other barrel .17 Hornady Magnum, all of which let me choose whether I wanted to shoot .17 HMR, .22 WMR, or .22 S/L/LR in that rifle. I plan on shooting nothing other than SAAMI compliant ammunition in this rifle, so I made sure I had SAAMI compliant .17 HMR, .22 WMR, or .22 S/L/LR head space gauges. Every time I change barrels I check headspace to be sure I haven’t committed canine carnal knowledge when I did the barrel change, and to be sure ammunition and chamber dimensions are a safe and functional match.

Just an account of my choices, and a little background on why I made those choices the way I did.

02-14-2019, 08:01 AM	#26
Kyrie User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 757 Thanks: 0 Thanked 212 Times in 101 Posts	I have a little different view on C.I.P. vs. SAAMI, and on whether to use C.I.P. or SAAMI compliant head space gauges for any specific task. I'll share those views, purely FWIW. C.I.P. standards are supposed to have the force of law in those countries who are signatories to the C.I.P. agreement. But in actual practice there is no force of law applied. More than one C.I.P. signatory has a history of fudging actual adherence to C.I.P. and sometimes simply ignoring C.I.P. standards. Structural problems within the C.I.P. organization and the sovereign powers of C.I.P. signatories make this evasion/disregard for C.I.P. standards difficult to detect and impossible to prevent. SAAMI, OTOH, is admittedly voluntary, and (largely) funded by and run for the major US arms/ammunition manufactures. That’s why I trust those major manufacturers to be SAAMI compliant; no viable business ignores the expensive consultative service they have paid to create, and continue to pay to function every business day. On the subject of C.I.P. and SAAMI head space gauges I tell people who are sufficiently concerned with the head space of one or more of their firearms to want to buy (or rent) head space gauges to check head space to get the head space gauges that are compliant with same system as the ammunition they intend to use. As a real life example of this, I recently bought a CZ model 455 .22 rimfire rifle. I also bought, at the same time, two interchangeable barrels; one barrel chambered for the .22 Winchester Magnum cartridge and the other barrel .17 Hornady Magnum, all of which let me choose whether I wanted to shoot .17 HMR, .22 WMR, or .22 S/L/LR in that rifle. I plan on shooting nothing other than SAAMI compliant ammunition in this rifle, so I made sure I had SAAMI compliant .17 HMR, .22 WMR, or .22 S/L/LR head space gauges. Every time I change barrels I check headspace to be sure I haven’t committed canine carnal knowledge when I did the barrel change, and to be sure ammunition and chamber dimensions are a safe and functional match. Just an account of my choices, and a little background on why I made those choices the way I did.