Posted: 2/22/2025 12:38:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: dalle0001][Edited]
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So I had my DD R3 lower for about a year now. I sold off the original R3 upper in favor of another block 1 inspired style build that I like. I had trouble with it ever since I got it but never really thought it was the lower. Just recently, I bought a new DD 14.5 barrel and it would give the same thing where it would appear to short stroke nearly 95% of the time. I thought again just bad luck and measured the gas port at .062 and it would barely fit the pin so I opened it up to .078. Now it cycles 100% but it is overgassed and the first round with the dust cover closed would have a unusual ejection pattern compared to the rest. I'm now testing for H2 buffer but then I stumbled on a video that describes the exact problem I'm having. However, earlier this week I stumbled on this video....  It Can't Be! Broken Daniel Defense M4A1 RIS 3. And the original video he show is the EXACT problems I've been having. He even described where he would test other uppers, bcg, magazines, etc and they would sometimes work but would often just stovepipe like it was undergassed. I ran though the EXACT same steps but as I said above I decided to open the gas port to .078 instead. I tried to measure the magwell to see if it is offcentered but it appears centered to me. Is there any way DD might be able to give the serial to see if there was a range affected by the off centered magwell issue? Is there a test at home that I can do to determine if it is off centered? I do not have another lower to test unfortunately. My plan is to leave it as is if the H2 buffer works but just curious if maybe DD can offer any help? Unfortunately it's not the original rifle and I'd be glad to pay for any report or exchange, but just wanted to know if there's a way I can cancel out at least the lower? Thanks. |
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Originally Posted By TGWLDR: You should send it to Chad at SOTAR.  Yeah to be honest it did have me curious which is rare but I’m still not sure if I totally believe it and wanted to see if dd is aware of anything. My hunch was maybe the buffer tube was loose on the lower and given Chad didn’t test anything else on the lower it makes me wonder. I did make it to the range with my new h2 buffer and spring. It works….. much differently now. The first shot with the dust cover closed throws the brass now similar to when the ejection port is open. It still flies forward but the recoil is not as sharp and feels pleasant to shoot. I think I will leave it alone now. Definitely feels great to “solve” it. |
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Since posting this the rifle started to act up again. Random failures and jams and stovepipe stuck cases. I decided to buy a new lower for the heck of it. The new lower works flawlessly and without problems. Today I shot 300 rounds and zero failures on the new lower. It was one of the happiest range trip for me in a long while. I decided to sell the dd ambi lower. I’m massively disappointed as 2024 was the worst shooting year for me and spending what amount to $1000s in ammo, new uppers, new bcgs, new recoil springs and buffers. Since I shot so many rounds out of it I can see where the failure point is I believe. I believe the bolt catch is raising ever so slightly that it rubs the bottom. Before selling it I decided to test it by taping the right side bolt catch to the receiver and it seems to work flawlessly. So I guess if anyone else is having random failures with the new r3 take a look at the bolt catch. You should see after a while the edges are slightly eating away from where I believe the bcg is hitting it when it raises slightly during the recoil. Also here’s a wild theory I have with it that the dust cover when it smacks the right side bolt catch I believe it pushes it slightly upwards during the hit. A lot of the failures seem to come from the first shot with the dust cover closed. Studying it with looking at it from home I can see the dust cover strikes the right bolt catch more so that the bump on the front of the lower. Not 100% sure but it is my theory. |
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Originally Posted By GTRider245: Did you ever get ahold of DD directly about it? The problem is that I bought the complete r3 rifle but I pretty much parted everything but the lower so I didn’t really have a stand. I just know for sure something is out of spec with that lower and the last remaining item would be the bolt catch. It has very slight damage to it near the upper edges so I believe it is bouncing. I know that video suggests a warped mag well but I don’t think that is the issue. My thought is if the magazine is out of sync then simply not having a mag inserted would work but it is consistently jamming with or without a magazine. |