Reading through this thread gave me flashbacks to all the years & threads on several sites of people trying to figure out how to use a Manson gauge for getting consistent accurate measurements. Some of the earliest threads I remember were those posted by Dr. Gaddy and even he had to do a bunch of experimenting with the gauge for getting accurate consistent measurements.
My takeaway from all those conversations was. There's a reason why the Hosford wall thickness gauge costs what it does--it's a quality made instrument that simply works & you get what you pay for.
One of the best items I've ever bought was my Hosford wall thickness gauge, it's easy to learn to use & is user friendly. The next best barrel related tool I've dropped the bucks for is the Hosford dent raising kit. Between the two of them, they have probably saved me more money & costly gun buying mistakes than the initial cost of purchase of them.
Good luck with the Manson gauge, but after reading this thread, I'm glad I went the way I did.
Geoff-If we lived closer, I would be happy to get to together & measure your barrels out. We could possibly barter some for a ride in your wonderful drift boat, it would be fun to reconnect with an old not-board friend.
