Went shooting today & everything was running great, shot about 40 Fed. XM193, no problem until I put in some handloads (they shoot great in my NIE .223). When I chambered the 1st round & tried to fire it just clicked.  Waited a while and tried to eject it & I can't get it out. Its like the bolt is locked.   Also it won't move back to safe position. What do I do now? Sure won't use reloads in it again thats for sure.

The M16 TM requires that a stuck bolt / round be ejected by banging the butt of the rifle on a solid surface while applying rearward pressure on the charging handle.  This procedure has always bothered me.  I believe it puts undue stress on the lower receiver back where the stock attaches.

I prefer separating the upper and lower and using a modified flat screwdriver to "pry" the bolt carrier rearward to unlock the bolt and extract the chambered round.  Grind or file one side of the screwdriver blade to match the radius of the opening in your lower receiver.  Stick the end of the blade in just ahead of the front of the carrier and pry it backward.  Works like a charm, lots of mechanical advantage, and won't blemish your receiver.

Russ, YOU ARE THE MAN!!  It worked! Thanks for the help. I thought I would be taking it to the Smithy tomorrow. Now I need to get it cleaned. THANKS!! Alan

A [url=http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=14&min=0&dyn=1&]case gauge[/url] is a worthwhile investment for reloading rifle ammo.  I learned that the same way you just did -- except (like an idiot), I learned it during a tactical match.  It'll tell you if your cases aren't being fully resized and if they aren't trimmed short enough.

1dreamer,

It does not sound like the problem is reloads in general, but like it is your particular reloads. In order for the cartridge to stick like that, the case is oversize somewhere:

Diameter through the body;

Length from shoulder to case head (headspace);

Less likely, the neck interfered (a doughnut forms at the bottom of the neck and interfere and raise pressures - this usually requires several loadings).

Examine the cartridge carefully for marks from the chamber. Then measure and compare it to the ejected empties that worked fine. Where to measure and how is below.

My bet is that your cartridge is long from case head to shoulder, and the shoulder shows marks. A chamber gage or set of Stoney Point gages will show the length to the shoulder of a fired case. You need to adjust the sizer to set the shoulder back at least 0.002 more than the fired case.

The other possibility is that your cases are too big through the body. Measure the fired cases just below the shoulder and just above the extraction groove, then check the reloads. If the reloads are much bigger, you either have a sizer die problem or you used a neck sizing die.