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Posted: 5/3/2008 10:32:01 AM EDT
| well i recently started picking up up all my brass so i can start reloading soon.. i noticed that all my cases have a small ding in the middle of the case.. and the deflector on my receiver has some signs of wear.. obviously from the cases striking it i assume this is normal.. but just wanted to see i it was going to cause any problems reloading the cartridges or if it sounded unusual |
If your digital camera has a Macro mode, try using that to take a picture of the spent casing as it should yield a clearer picture. |
+1 |
| no macro mode i know of ... its not really the casing bothering me now its ..... were the cases are hitting dead center of the case it striking the deflector right were that little spot is.....i should note this rifle only has about 600 rounds through it it just seems unlikely that by design this should cause that much were so fast.... |
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No need for another pic. RobRat gave you the answer. Minor dings are not an issue. Dings in the body of the brass and esp on the shoulder that are substantial are a problem. Your concern with a ding is substantially altering the internal case volume and causing a pressure problem. Want to prove it to yourself? Take a non blemished same headstamp case and one of your dings and measure the internal volume. Note where you are on your load - below / at / over max load - and plan accordingly. From what I see - no issues and my loads are over max. |
That wear spot is pretty typical. Now this below is wear.................  
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Your rifle has a strong enjecton pattern. As the bolt and carrier move to the rear, their speed(along with ejector spring tension) is what dictates where the ejected brass strikes the brass deflector. All things normal, if the gas system is weaker, the bolt and carrier will be moving to the rear at a slower speed, hence, when the expended brass clears the chamber and locking lugs it will be ejected through the ejection port sooner and will either hit the brass deflector fullcloser to the tip. If the ejection is too strong, the bolt and carrier will be moving to the rear with enough speed that by the time the expended brass ejects out of the ejection port, its contact will be at the rear of the ejection port (as your pictures indicate). Next time you head to the range, observe where your ejection pattern is. Is the brass ejecting somewhat forward of your position? How strong is the ejection? Is it sending the brass a fair distance from you, or is it dropping fairly close to you? If the brass is dropping close, that may also speak of a weak ejector spring which is not ejecting the spent brass from the bolt as fast as it should. This could mimic having a rifle with a strong gas system except for the fact that the brass won't be traveling very far from you. If the gas system is strong and the ejector is strong, it will eject somewhat forward, and the brass will go a good distance from you. With the damage to the casings though, I would think that your ejector is plenty strong and that coupled with an overly aggressive gas system, would be inflicting a lot of force on the spent brass to do that kind of damage, however minor it may seem. Keep in mind that an overly strong gas system will wear your rifle quicker as the forces associated with it that are exerted on your rifle will be increased. |
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And to add to what Mr. Grumpy stated above, if you want to try adjusting your ejection pattern, take a look at this: www.armalite.com/images/Tech%20Notes/Tech%20Note%2034,%20Adjusting%20the%20Ejection%20Pattern%20of%20the%20AR-10%20….pdf |
| I handload for my ar 15 and the brass always has the ding in it whether it's my brass or stuff I pick up at the range. It doesnt cause any problems. However I recently started using a brass catcher that I install in front of the deflectot and I dont get any more dings in the brass or brass on the deflector |
Anything you can do to slow the bolt and carrier speed will help. An H buffer or heavier (if you already have a standard H buffer) will help, and perhaps even putting out the bucks for an LMT enhanced bolt carrier will help. While Armalites ideas work for adjusting the ejection pattern, they do nothing for addressing the problem in the first place, which is an accelerated bolt and carrier. Slow those down to an acceptable speed and your rifle will thank you. |
Thank you for superb info. On my LMT cases hit deflector at the tip. So, this is OK. On Armalite they hit same area as OP's, however they clear the ejection port. Should I install heavier buffer? Or, leave it as is, since cases do not hit rear of port. |
Damn, that is a fantastic photo. |
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