Tonight I was cleaning my AR and when I was just about done, I slid the Bolt Carrier onto the Charging Handle and pushed them up into the chamber and  I went to stick the Upper Receiver onto the Lower. When I lifted the Upper vertical in the air (muzzle pointed upward) the Bolt Carrier came loose and fell down slamming into the rear of the Charging Handle. I am now toying with it and I can get the Bolt Carrier to stay locked but if I tap the handguards with my finger it slides out again.

Anyone know what I would need to do to fix this?


Here's a picture of what I mean by the Bolt Carrier coming loose and falling down into the rear of the Charging Handle:


Here's a picture of the Bolt so you guys can determine if it is damaged in any way:


Sorry about the shitty picture quality.

Absolutely nothing is wrong with your rifle.

Quoted: Absolutely nothing is wrong with your rifle.

Thank you. I was trying to remember if this had happened in the past. Guess I just never noticed it before.

Quoted: Absolutely nothing is wrong with your rifle.

 

 +1  

       just watch out for the deadly sprong!

Quoted: Quoted: Absolutely nothing is wrong with your rifle.    +1          just watch out for the deadly sprong!

Yep, first time it happened tonight it cracked me on the knee.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Absolutely nothing is wrong with your rifle.    +1          just watch out for the deadly sprong! Yep, first time it happened tonight it cracked me on the knee.

I could be wrong, but I think he meant the sound it makes when you fire it.  The buttstock that is.  Lots of people thinks there's something wrong when they hear it?  I don't know, that's how I read it.

Your charging handle should lock and hold the carrier in place,you didn't push it in hard enough to set it,or the spring is Very weak ,or there is a LOT of crude in the cutout in the reciever where the charging handle locks up!


Bob

I could be wrong, but I think he meant the sound it makes when you fire it. The buttstock that is. Lots of people thinks there's something wrong when they hear it? I don't know, that's how I read it.

Nope, I meant that when I have the Upper Reciever in a vertical position with the muzzle pointing up, the bolt carrier falls out very easily. I figure that it should fall out like that with out manually pulling back on it.

Your charging handle should lock and hold the carrier in place,you didn't push it in hard enough to set it,or the spring is Very weak ,or there is a LOT of crude in the cutout in the reciever where the charging handle locks up!

That is what I thought is that the charging handle would keep the carrier from sliding like that. I know  I pushed it in hard enough because I was toying with it for a while and I was slamming it into the locking lugs. When I pushed it into the locking lugs hard sometimes it would hold a little better but not much. Just tapping the handguards with a finger makes it slide out.

I never did clean much around the area where the charging handle fits over the gas tube so maybe there is enough crap in there to keep it from going all the way. It would be odd though because I only shot 16 rounds through it.

If the spring is too weak as you suggested, what spring are you talking about? Is there anywhere I could purchase a stronger one?

The charging handle wont keep the bolt locked, all it does is provides something to unlock it with when you are loading a round. Nothing in the charging handle keeps the bolt locked. Closing the ejection port cover will help but the weight of the bcg can still push it out.

Look for wear on the rear portion of  the lugs on the bolt. I'd check the headspace just to be safe.

On my Colts, the bolts fit very tight when new but the assy will easily glide into and out of battery position with minimal effort after several hundred rounds.

If everything checks out, you'll be fine.

If it worries you then replace the gas rings on the bolt. I promise you the problem will be solved for a few hundred rounds or more

rj

Quoted: Look for wear on the rear portion of  the lugs on the bolt. I'd check the headspace just to be safe. On my Colts, the bolts fit very tight when new but the assy will easily glide into and out of battery position with minimal effort after several hundred rounds. If everything checks out, you'll be fine.

I'm kind of new to the AR world. How exactly do you check for headspace?

Quoted: I'm kind of new to the AR world. How exactly do you check for headspace?

Head on over to the AR15 build it yourself forum.
There is a tacked topic on headspacing that will answer your questions.
www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=3&f=4

Quoted: Your charging handle should lock and hold the carrier in place,

No it won't.  The chaging handle will prevent the bolt carrier from falling completely out of the rifle, but it won't hold the carrier in place.  If it did then the AR woulndn't be able to cycle the bolt.

The Ejection Port Cover can hold the bolt carrier in place if you close the door.

When the cover is open the only thing holding the bolt in place is the buffer & buffer spring.

So do I just need to get a field gauge and make sure the bolt doesn't close on it?

Above, bobbyjack said I could have a very weak spring. Which spring is he talking about?

Quoted: Quoted: Your charging handle should lock and hold the carrier in place, No it won't.  The chaging handle will prevent the bolt carrier from falling completely out of the rifle, but it won't hold the carrier in place.  If it did then the AR woulndn't be able to cycle the bolt. The Ejection Port Cover can hold the bolt carrier in place if you close the door. When the cover is open the only thing holding the bolt in place is the buffer & buffer spring.

So the weapon is fine considering that there is nothing holding the bolt in place when I am holding it vertical with the Upper and Lower seperated?