I put together a lower last night, PSA deplorable lower, spikes lower build kit.  The bolt catch was VERY tight going on, not the pin or spring but the actual bolt catch lever/button whatever the technical name is for it.

It is frozen as far as being able to operate it with a hand.  I can move it open and closed with a rubber mallet.  I just went to the range and it works fine as far as allowing the AR to fire flawlessly and it does hold the bolt open if you push it to the bolt hold open position with a screwdriver.  Then if you tap it with the mallet it releases the bolt and you can shoot no problems with cycling.

You just cannot operate it with your hand.  Anyone seen this before?  I'm thinking either the lower is out of spec in the ridge the lever goes into or the lever is out of spec as in too wide.  Where it goes into the ridge is definitely where the tightness is at.

Just wondering if anyone has seen it and any tips to loosen this up.  Just hit it back and forth with the mallet?

Thanks all.

Thanks sully.  Here’s some pics.

Attached File
Attached File

Attached File

Attached File

That looks a little tight, I would take a dremel or file to the side of the bolt catch and fit it to the lower.

It's always best to make modifications to the cheapest part in case you have to replace it. I had a Cerekoted lower do that one time, took and emery board to the slot and removed the Cerekote.

Had that on one build.  I felt it being tight/difficult to insert into the slot in the lower so rather than install it I used a knife sharpening stone to remove enough metal from the sides of the bolt catch till it slid in freely.  Then I installed the spring/detent/bolt stop and roll pin.

It happens.  I have no idea whether it was the bolt stop or the lower, I just took care of it so I could get the darn thing put together.

Thanks everyone I think I will try filing on the bolt catch this afternoon.  I'll let you know the results.

Appreciate it.

OK thanks for that.  I have not had time to mess with it yet.  Functionally it's not a big deal since I don't ever use the bolt hold open position anyway.  

The only way to move it more than a fraction of a bit was with a rubber mallet....

So tonight I pulled it off and installed another spikes bolt catch (I bought two lower parts kits) and the other bolt catch went in no problem, no binding.  So it's definitely the bolt catch that is out of spec.  Once I got the pin out I could tell it was actually the lower part of the catch below the pin and spring that is binding, the top part moves in and out of the slot no problem.

I'm going to try the "bad" one in another stripped lower and if it binds then I'll ask spikes to send me a new one.  Not tonight though, tough day at work and I'm two beers in.  Later this week lol.

Thanks to everyone that replied.  I have several ARs but this is the first lower I put together all by myself with no help.

Last ETA:

It's very free moving in a stripped snowflake lower, so it must have been PSA's lower was a tight one combined with a slightly large bolt catch.

Good to go now (not assembling this evening)