Sorry all. This is not that critical of an issue. The setting of a thread ring gage is a feel thing. If one person has one feel and another has a different feel, it is OK because the actual difference between the two feels is minimal. By minimal. I mean less that the thread gage tolerance. For a 16-TPI thread, the gage tolerance is 0.0003".
Thread set plugs have a similar tolerance. A thread ring gage set with one thread set plug will not fit a different thread set plug, but both thread ring gages are considered to be properly set. The standard states that a part is considered good if a properly set thread ring gage passes the part. If checked with two properly set thread ring gages, and if either thread ring gage passes the part, the part is considered good, even if the other thread ring gage fails the part.
The standard gives lots of room here, because it is not that critical of an issue. Don't work at it so hard. Just meet the intent of the standard and be happy, regardless if you have Betty Boop or Brutus setting your gages.