Working on a Galil AR barrel install. It’s an IDF old-but-nice one, obviously already drilled for gas port/etc. Rifling is there and chrome lined, kind of don’t want to give up on it so easily. I got the barrel timed right to about 1:00 and it will tighten to 12:00. But- the headspace is just a hair too tight. A quarter turn of the barrel back out and GO gauge is happy (NOGO gauge unhappy).

So before I go on an expensive hunt for an uncut barrel, I see two options to try and make this one work:

1. Trim a little off the back of the bolt lugs.  Need to loose ~0.02. Bolt is NICE and kind of don't want to fuck that up.
2. Ream the chamber a bit deeper. Same distance- ~0.02. I see a 5.56 finishing reamer for $100 $200. If this method worked, I might use it in subsequent Galil builds. Leaning towards this option, if I fuck up the barrel, whatever the barrel was cheap.
3. Wait for a virgin barrel to appear and pay $500 for it.

Not trying to do a restoration, just a shooter.

Input appreciated.

Use a shim.

Shimming would clock the existing cuts in the wrong orientation.
...And problem solved overnight, found a virgin IMI AR barrel for $425 shipped.
This old '75 Hebrew-marked barrel will eventually find a home in another build.

is the bolt fully seated/polished into the rec?
I usually get .001-.005 rearward movement when I polish the bolt in.

Ah, I saw that the barrel started at 1 o'clock and assumed you meant it was over clocking (clock face while looking at the barrel from the muzzle end).

I was considering just working it with lapping compound to get there.
Fits right in with a snap cap perfect, live round is tight-ish. GO is too tight- but oh so close. NOGO is too tight.

New IMI virgin barrel inbound, so this barrel can maybe find a better-fitting receiver.

Yeah sorry, everything is relative. Looking at the chamber-end.

Issue was resolved by finding a virgin 18" chrome-lined 1:7 barrel and stashing the old one for another day!

Any more where that came from?

If you got a take off surplus barrel to hand tighten at 11 and you are .002 tight...you just hit a home run...lap it in and enjoy...

It was a freak occurrence on Calguns. A user had been trying to sell it for years with no takers.