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Posted: 6/17/2008 6:16:34 AM EDT
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While shooting with my sons on Father's Day, my dpms AR came up with an interesting problem... It jammed, the bolt wasn't quite locked into the chamber, and would not allow me to pull it all the way back to lock it open. I worked it several times, then tried to pull the rear pin to open the gun up. It would not come open! So, after dinking with it I pulled the front pin also. After working it a bit, I finally got the gun to come apart. What happened was this... in the butt of the gun is the recoil spring, which is held back by a little cup or pin that has a spring that pushes it up to hold the recoil spring back. This had somehow come up past where it normally sits to hold the recoil spring, which was keeping the bolt from coming all the way back, but also interfering with the bolt moving all the way forward. None of the parts appeared to be damaged, so I put the spring in the hole (while holding the recoil spring back), put the cup/pin on it, and let up on the recoil spring so it was back to normal, or at least what I think is normal. The gun worked fine for a while and it happened again. I put the gun away at that point, and will get out my AR-15 book tonight to see what I can do. I wondered if anyone else can A) figure out my description (lol) and/or B) has had this happen to their AR before. Again, this is a dpms kit gun, I'm not sure I like the way this pin/cup thing holds the recoil spring. It seems like a another accident waiting to happen. I had to put a new trigger pin in the gun, one with a flared end and a retaining clip - the pin kept walking out of the hole. I'm wondering if this is another situation like that where I simply need to replace the parts I have with something that won't come out. Any ideas? |
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Sounds like your receiver extension isn't properly installed allowing the buffer retainer to pop out of it's recess @ the rear of the receiver. Does your AR have a std rifle stock or c-stock? You'll probably need to adjust the depth of the receiver extension, also referred to as the "buffer tube". Once it's installed to the correct depth, the buffer retainer won't be able to pop our of its recess. ETA: The buffer retainer is held in place by the receiver extension, not by the buffer itself. By your description, it sounds like you pushed the buffer into the the receiver extension, then pushed the retainer down and let the buffer rest on the buffer retainer holding the retainer captive. This reversed the roles as you're trying to have the buffer retain the buffer retainer- rather than the other way around. With that said, brushing up on proper terminology will be of great benefit to you.  HTH. Sly |
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carbine or rifle? Sounds like your receiver extension was not screwed in far enough to retain the buffer detent and spring. Buffer detent pic:  most times the detent comes loose in the weapon the detent and spring need to be replaced - unless you were really lucky. The tip of the buffer detent is all that should appear above the receiver extension (tube). The extension should screw into the lower receiver far enough to cover the shoulder of the buffer detent with the tip exposed. Hold the detent and spring in place with your finger as you screw in the extension. Stop when it holds the shoudler of the detent and the tip of the detent will hold the buffer in place and move freely up and down without coming out of the hole. |
| Apologies, I should have gotten the book out and RTFM... Didn't mean to be annoying, I have the book out in front of me now. It was the retaining pin and spring that came out allowing the buffer and action spring to come too far forward. It is the retaining pin that is the problem... I'm trying to find in the book more about this retaining pin. Did I read right that it screws in? I don't see a complete dissaseembly pic in the book (The AR-15 Complete Owner's Guide) yet, still looking. I also bought the AR-15 Rifle tech manual and Armorer's Guide on DVD, going to load that so I can peruse it also today/tonight. |
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The buffer detente and spring just sit in the hole, you hold them down with your finger while you screw the receiver extension (buffer tube) into the back of the receiver. The receiver extension should screw in far enough to cover the edge of the detente and keep it from coming up out of the hole, but not far enough that it pushes against the nub on the detente and binds it. The detente should move freely up and down, but should be held in the receiver by the edge of the buffer tube. Edit: Yeah, what the two guys above me said... |
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