User Panel
Posted: 5/23/2001 1:04:25 PM EDT
I just got my bushmaster yesterday . It is the A3 with 16" barrel. I was shooting the British SS109. The first 5 shots were fine. Then the bolt would cycle when fire but only enough to ejected the spent case and shut. It wouldn't hold open on the last shot ether. So I took a part the bolt clean it and put it back together. I shot 15 rounds though with no problem. Then move to another longer range. It would shot the first shot and jam the next round half way in the camber and keep doing it so I went home. I read in the instruction book that the rings on the bolt head have to be turn so the gaps are 120 degrees apart and two were together. I notice this when clean at home. Would this have cause it to jam or bad ammo?
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short stroking is not a mag issue.
I would try different ammo First. i'm doubtful that the ring alignment would have anything to due with it. next, you might check out the gas tube for alignment or obstruction. and lastly, (this happened to me) you might have to have a gunsmith check out the gas port in the barrel. i had to have mine openned up a little. |
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Quoted: it could but it sounds like bad magazine or ejector. View Quote |
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didnt catch the part about not fully coming open could be gas tube?
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markm I went on the way home and picked up one box of white box Winchester 55gr. I start back my summer semester of gunsmith school June 4. If the ammo thing don't fix it I can see if somebody there can help me out.
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Originally Posted By AK Fan: markm I went on the way home and picked up one box of white box Winchester 55gr. I start back my summer semester of gunsmith school June 4. If the ammo thing don't fix it I can see if somebody there can help me out. View Quote Bring this thread over the the Maintenance Section where the people with interest and knowledge of such problems hang out? British SS109 is loaded lighter than American M855 (the equivalent round) some ARs have problems cycling with the ammo. Also some rifles require breaking in of 200 rounds or so (not common for Bushmasters but it does happen). Get some American Eagle 55gr, that is usually my benchmark - if the rifle won't funtion with this then its definately a rifle problem. Watch out for the Winchester ammo if its dated 1999. Rifle should function with only 1 ring so ring alignment isn't an issue. Is the rifle lubricated to spec? Download the manual (-10) from [url]http://old.ar15.com/books[/url] and see how the rifle should be lubricated. Also download the (-23&P) and look up 'short stroking' problems. |
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Forest
I will move it if I can't get it to work tomorrow. I hope it isn't the ammo I brought a 900rd can of the British SS109 and it wasn't cheep. |
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If you are using the magazine that is sold with the rifle, (a 20 modified into a 10 for legal reasons) that could definitely be your problem. Also,...my Bushy had to be "broke in" before it worked reliably (about 70, or 80 rounds) after that,...it runs like a swiss clock. Ive put well over 1000 rounds through it after break in, with quality mags, and no malfunctions. make sure your rings are properly spaced, and well oiled also.
[sniper] |
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Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought
a Colt or ArmaLite like Black and Green. |
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Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote |
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[:D]Hangfire you beat me to it!
900+ rounds through my Colt MT6371 with narry a hiccup. I would bet my last nickle this ain't an ammo problem. But a gas problem, be it tube or whatever else can be wrong in a gas operated rifle. |
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Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote |
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Originally Posted By AK Fan: Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote View Quote Who told you that? Santa Claus? |
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Quoted: Originally Posted By AK Fan: Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote View Quote Who told you that? Santa Claus? View Quote everybody I know that shoots AR at Matches. At my gunsmith school to older student received DCM bushmaster that they were going to shoot in matches. They said the Colt uppers and lower fit lose. |
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AK Fan,
For what it is worth, I have heard the same thing about Colt. I heard their quality has gone south. Jim |
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akrazy: I would bet my last nickle this ain't an ammo problem. View Quote Sounds good! I think it's the ammo too (I've run across some pretty anemic British crap). Bet it'll run fine on IMI, SA, Federal, AE,,, OK-Winchester too, even if it's the "questionable" stuff (& if AK Fan can't be talked into picking up a box of IMI [i]please[/i]). How about $10 (To go to this site, through Castle)??? 3 x 28 rounds w 0 FTF, F,& E? AK Fan, slop CLP all over that thing! |
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Man, I hope it isn't a ammo problem considering how much ammo you ordered. Was this the first time you shot it? I know my first Bushmaster needed a breaking in, and then functioned fine after that. Anyway, good luck!
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Quoted: Man, I hope it isn't a ammo problem considering how much ammo you ordered. Was this the first time you shot it? I know my first Bushmaster needed a breaking in, and then functioned fine after that. Anyway, good luck! View Quote |
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Try some different ammunition if that's not the problem call Bushmaster Customer Service don't even fool with it theres no reason to drive yourself nuts. I had a problem with mine it wasn,t bad it just wasn't right so I called Customer Service to ask a few questions and they took over from there. They arranged immediate shipping, in just under three weeks it came back in a new case and this rifle was "Real" right. I can't say enough good about Bushmaster. BTW there were no charges for anything.
Have a nice evening,Rabon. |
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I find my Bushmaster to be equally, or maybe even more reliable than my friends Colt. I bought mine brand new, and I never bothered to use the 10 round mag with it. I've put 2500 rounds in without any problem whatsoever. My friend with the Colt was the one who gave me one of his mags, and he has problems. Colt has made more military rifles, but when Bushmaster made some M4 rifles, they were more reliable than the Colt's, and the Bushies were sent to Spec Ops use, or so I've been told by people who still serve in the USMC.
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I just got back from the range today. I put 80rds of the British SS109 though with no more problems. It seems like the gas rings must have been the problem. I space the ring gaps 120 degrees apart like the book said. I am also getting batter with the AR sights. I have bad eyes but I still got a 2" group at 50 yards. I got one last question on the A2 rear sight. Does the sight housing post to be lose and cocked to the left making the peep not parallel the the front sight? It straightens up and gets tight when you crank the sight up all the way
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Originally Posted By AK Fan: I just got back from the range today. I put 80rds of the British SS109 though with no more problems. It seems like the gas rings must have been the problem. I space the ring gaps 120 degrees apart like the book said. I am also getting batter with the AR sights. I have bad eyes but I still got a 2" group at 50 yards. I got one last question on the A2 rear sight. Does the sight housing post to be lose and cocked to the left making the peep not parallel the the front sight? It straightens up and gets tight when you crank the sight up all the way View Quote Gas rings were not the problem, look at them right now you will see they are not aligned as you set them. They move every time the bolt does. Also its been shown time and again that an AR can function fine on 1 ring, so having the gap aligned for 1 shot will not affect functioning. It could have been a simple case of the rifle just needing a break in period. Some Bushmasters require it (thankfully mine didn't). Be sure the rifle is lubed to spec with CLP and you should be good to go! |
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![/quote]
Gas rings were not the problem, look at them right now you will see they are not aligned as you set them. They move every time the bolt does. Also its been shown time and again that an AR can function fine on 1 ring, so having the gap aligned for 1 shot will not affect functioning. It could have been a simple case of the rifle just needing a break in period. Some Bushmasters require it (thankfully mine didn't). Be sure the rifle is lubed to spec with CLP and you should be good to go![/quote] Ok do you know anything about the sight problem? |
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Originally Posted By AK Fan: Ok do you know anything about the sight problem? View Quote You bet (sorry I forgot to post about that). That is a perfectly normal A2 rear sight. They are spring loaded so they return to a consistant (and thus accurate) position. The gap is so large to allow the sight to operate under less than range/ideal conditions. So the sight tends to be a bit cockeyed. Should be in the FAQ at the Maryland AR-15 Shooters Site |
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Originally Posted By black&green: Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote View Quote M15A4C |
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Don't worry The experts on this board will help you fix it. Thanks to all who have posted and helped me out in the past. You guys are great!!!
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ARladies Bushmaster rifle did the same thing when new. With her rifle is was fire, fire, jam. Fire, fire, jam. The stock bushy 10 round mag did this way more than USGI mags.
After about 500 rounds, it only jams when we screw up, or have a bad round misfeed. As comparison, my ar-15 is postban colt that I picked up cheap. It has never jammed on me, but I think the Bushmaster rifle is little more solid and a lot less sloppy. If the tolerances on the rifle are tight, it may take some wear for everything to operate smoothly. I am sure this was the case with Arlady's rifle. Which by the way is more accurate than my Colt. They are both 20" H-bars. And she has a chrome lined barrel. Same shooter on both guns, her, since she shoots better than me [:o] |
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Colt is the biggest POS on the planet. I would rather have a Hesse with an ASA upper than a colt.
Anyway back to your problem. Its most likely the ammo. That referance about the gas rings being lined up is a old wifes tale. It never has an effect on performance. |
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Bush vs Colt
I own Busmaster and Colt ar style guns, including preban and mac. My experience is that the Colt is as good as they get. The uppers fit tighter to the lowers than my Bushmaster...I am not complaining about the Bushmaster.. it is a fine shooter...but my Colts are, in my opinion, better. I must say that my newest Colt was purchased 2 years ago, so if they have "gone south" with their quality control, I wouldn't know about it. Just another opinion. SNB |
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No one can really say which company makes a more reliable rifle. From what I've heard and experienced, the Bushmaster is more reliable than the Colt. I've even been told that by people in the military. Then some people say Colt rifles are the best. I still stand by my opinion, I think Bushmasters are better, but I can't prove it, there are too many factors involved. Some rifles function better than others. Bad ammo or mags can contribute, too.
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Quoted: Originally Posted By black&green: Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote View Quote M15A4C View Quote |
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Originally Posted By black&green: Quoted: Originally Posted By black&green: Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote View Quote M15A4C View Quote View Quote AR10A4[smoke] |
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Quoted: Originally Posted By black&green: Quoted: Originally Posted By black&green: Quoted: Ya gets what ya pay for. You should have bought a Colt. View Quote View Quote M15A4C View Quote View Quote AR10A4[smoke] View Quote AR16ABCDEFG23456789,,, SO THERE!!! [i]Gota see what this looks like, I've never seen so many [quotes] before.[/i] |
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