M82 Barrett not cycling

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - M82 Barrett not cycling

Posted: 3/1/2020 4:34:21 PM EDT

First time firing this rifle. Will eject the brass just fine, but doesn't cycle far enough to load another round. M33 ball ammo. Any ideas what might be happening here? This is a new rifle(never fired) that sat in a safe for a number of years before I bought it last year.

Link to slo-mo video of rifle cycling:
Barrett cycling

Posted: 3/1/2020 4:47:33 PM EDT

[#1]

Your link isn't public unfortunately so I can't see the video. I'm assuming yes but, just in case, have you ruled out ammo with a few samples from various sources?

Posted: 3/1/2020 5:03:24 PM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
Your link isn't public unfortunately so I can't see the video. I'm assuming yes but, just in case, have you ruled out ammo with a few samples from various sources?

View Quote

I think I fixed the link.

Posted: 3/1/2020 5:23:02 PM EDT

[#3]

Clean and lube?

Posted: 3/1/2020 5:40:37 PM EDT

[#4]

Take the rifle apart, make sure everything is free moving.
Clean and lube, wipe down everything, especially the ammo + chamber.
Buy different ammo if the problem persists, as the video clearly shows the bolts not retracting enough to take a round from the magazine, due to a low power round or somethings interfering with the bolt.
Did you try firing it with just one round in the magazine ?
Another thing I noticed, is that you need to shoulder that rifle better.

SJC

Posted: 3/1/2020 5:59:09 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Your link isn't public unfortunately so I can't see the video. I'm assuming yes but, just in case, have you ruled out ammo with a few samples from various sources?

View Quote

I didn't have the option to try any different ammo. We used American Marksman ammo. It feels like just at the end of the cycle it seems to catch on something. Even when cycling it by hand, just after the ejection it feels like it becomes noticably harder to pull the bolt back the whole way.
Out of the 30 rounds we shot, only one cycled properly. I am going to weigh some of the rounds when I get home to see if there is something off.

Posted: 3/1/2020 6:10:13 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Take the rifle apart, make sure everything is free moving.
Clean and lube, wipe down everything, especially the ammo + chamber.
Buy different ammo if the problem persists, as the video clearly shows the bolts not retracting enough to take a round from the magazine, due to a low power round or somethings interfering with the bolt.
Did you try firing it with just one round in the magazine ?
Another thing I noticed, is that you need to shoulder that rifle better.

SJC

View Quote

Yeah, all that is on the list. It would not cycle even with just one round in the mag. That is my son shooting in the video. He knows, just trying to shoot at a awkward downward angle down range to 200 yards. It wouldn't cycle for me either.

Posted: 3/1/2020 6:34:42 PM EDT

[#7]

Looking at that video, my shoulder starting hurting.
My 82 ran with any decent ammo that would fit in the magazine, so I'm guessing that you'll get it solved before to long.

SJC

Posted: 3/1/2020 9:44:06 PM EDT

[#8]

My money is on the ammo. Probably loaded with powder that burns too fast causing a short stroke.

Posted: 3/1/2020 10:00:53 PM EDT

[#9]

I'd field strip it and make sure the previous owner didn't pull it apart and reassemble it incorrectly. Make sure the barrel recoil springs and action springs are installed correctly.

It's been more than a decade since I worked on a SASR, so that's all I can think of....

Posted: 3/2/2020 10:23:50 PM EDT

[#10]

It's clearly not cycling fully to the rear. Can you take some pics of inside the upper and lower with the buffer and buffer spring removed?

Another thing, clear the rifle and cycle by hand while holding the trigger to the rear. See if the disconnected resets the trigger and transfer bar.
Looks like something is abruptly stopping the carrier from cycling.

Posted: 3/3/2020 1:19:21 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
It's clearly not cycling fully to the rear. Can you take some pics of inside the upper and lower with the buffer and buffer spring removed?

Another thing, clear the rifle and cycle by hand while holding the trigger to the rear. See if the disconnected resets the trigger and transfer bar.
Looks like something is abruptly stopping the carrier from cycling.

View Quote

It seems like the buffer spring is binding around the buffer when it nearly gets fully compressed. One of the spring loops becomes deformed and expands outward and over sized. This is catching in the buffer(tube) slide area. I've taken it out already, cleaned and lubricated the whole thing. Seems to be better now, but I have a feeling I may need to replace the spring. I'm going to give it another try on Saturday. I'll get you those pics tomorrow. I would appreciate your review. Barretts are certainly a new arena for me, so I am grateful for any help.

Posted: 3/3/2020 6:54:33 AM EDT

[#12]

Remove the mainspring and lay it out and post up a pic. The coils should be evenly spaced.
If its binding like you say, it will need replacement.

Posted: 3/3/2020 8:08:58 AM EDT

[#13]

When I got mine, brand new, it wouldn't cycle at all. Ended up sending to Barrett who found that the chamber hadn't been polished so brass wasn't releasing properly. Not sure how that got past QC as they claim to test fire before shipping (mine wouldn't even try to eject, the bolt would have to be hammered back).

They dicked me around for a couple of months to get my rifle back and were pretty miffed that I wanted to be refunded my shipping cost to them. Overall it was a really disappointing experience from what is supposed to be a premium manufacturer. If I ever tried to call them on their bullshit their standard answer was "troops come first" which I'd agree with if I didn't think it just an excuse for shitty service that would make you a callous asshole to ever doubt. Don't think I was ever treated so poorly by a gun company, certainly not one that I had spent so much money with.

In the end they begrudgingly sent me a magazine and a bottle of lube

to offset my shipping and insurance costs.

Posted: 3/3/2020 3:15:33 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Remove the mainspring and lay it out and post up a pic. The coils should be evenly spaced.
If its binding like you say, it will need replacement.

View Quote

Buffer Spring

Posted: 3/4/2020 6:02:30 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Buffer Spring

View Quote

The buffer spring looks to be in good condition. Really odd that it binds when compressed.
Install the spring and buffer. Leave the upper off and push the buffer to the rear with a long screw driver. See where the spring binds at. Or if it's catching on something.

Posted: 3/4/2020 6:05:00 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
When I got mine, brand new, it wouldn't cycle at all. Ended up sending to Barrett who found that the chamber hadn't been polished so brass wasn't releasing properly. Not sure how that got past QC as they claim to test fire before shipping (mine wouldn't even try to eject, the bolt would have to be hammered back).

They dicked me around for a couple of months to get my rifle back and were pretty miffed that I wanted to be refunded my shipping cost to them. Overall it was a really disappointing experience from what is supposed to be a premium manufacturer. If I ever tried to call them on their bullshit their standard answer was "troops come first" which I'd agree with if I didn't think it just an excuse for shitty service that would make you a callous asshole to ever doubt. Don't think I was ever treated so poorly by a gun company, certainly not one that I had spent so much money with.

In the end they begrudgingly sent me a magazine and a bottle of lube

to offset my shipping and insurance costs.

View Quote

Wow. That doesn't sound like from when I worked there. I did all the chamber polishing. The 1st round was always inspected for frosting and hard pull marks. Always.
Things do change a lot when a company gets big. Usually for the worse.

Posted: 3/4/2020 9:00:04 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

The buffer spring looks to be in good condition. Really odd that it binds when compressed.
Install the spring and buffer. Leave the upper off and push the buffer to the rear with a long screw driver. See where the spring binds at. Or if it's catching on something.

View Quote

I would agree with you. I didn't think the spring looked that bad at all. I installed the spring in the opposite direction it was installed before, and that has seemed to help quite a bit. Just for the heck of it I ordered another one from Barrett since it was only $13.

One thing that I keeps rolling around in my head. They guy I bought it from is a long time friend of the family. My rifle sat unused and never fired (as in brand new) for I bet a good 2-3 years in his safe. Since it was stored with the spring and buffer pinned back for so long could that have caused the spring to weaken in certain areas? (i.e. right around the buffer where it seems to compress the most.)

I'll grab another pic or two of what the spring looks like with the upper off, and it cycled back to where it's binding.

Posted: 3/4/2020 9:54:13 AM EDT

[#18]

The main spring is very resilient. Pinned back for a long time won't hurt it.

Will be interesting to see it compressed and see where the bind is.

Posted: 3/6/2020 6:37:17 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
The main spring is very resilient. Pinned back for a long time won't hurt it.

Will be interesting to see it compressed and see where the bind is.

View Quote

I tried to grab a couple of shots of the spring binding, and it just isn't really doing it anymore. Ever since I turned it around the other direction it seems to be just fine now. The replacement spring came in today from Barrett. I'm going to hold off swapping them out for now. We are tentatively heading to the range tomorrow and I'm going to put it through it's paces.

I'm kicking myself a bit because I wanted to get my hands on some other ammo to test against as well, but this week was just crazy busy for me. Hopefully all goes well... they have a mile target I want to take a poke at.

Posted: 3/7/2020 4:59:20 PM EDT

[#20]

Gun ran great today. No issues at all with about 30 rounds down range. Same ammo. It was a bunch of fun. Maybe turning the spring around helped after all.

Posted: 3/28/2020 9:58:19 PM EDT

[#21]

Thank you for posting about your issue and results. It's good to see that it is good to go now. This is a thread that might help someone else, basically everything that the technical forums are about.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - M82 Barrett not cycling

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