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Page AR-15 » Troubleshooting
AR Sponsor: bravocompany
Posted: 2/13/2006 6:23:00 AM EDT
Alright, to start off, I've lurked around here for quite a long time, and I had a name at one time, but I seem to have lost it, so I started a new one.  I have a Bushmaster XM15E2S (The "varminter").  I bought it used about a year and a half ago.  I've had absolutely no problems with it whatsover, until yesterday.  I've run all sorts of ammunition through it, from RWB to Wolf, to M193, and M855.  I was shooting M855 yesterday.  Everything was fairly clean when I went to the range.  I'd cleaned the bolt/carrier and the receiver before I went.  I left my cleaning rod at my brother's house, so I didn't clean the barrel.

Anyway, so I got to the range and fired 12 rounds, and then it looked like this:

http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/7766/arbroken16yu.th.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6065/arbroken22gi.th.jpg

and a look through the magazine well:

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4303/arbroken33bu.th.jpg


I read some other posts on here about a guy who had a similar problem with his CAR-15 and how it took a chunk out of the magazine, so I inspected the magazine (and all the others just to be sure) and it was intact, as well as the shells I had fired (as far as I could tell....some were already buried in the sand under other shells, so it was hard to find them all).


Before anyone says anything about me not knowing what I'm doing, I do.  I'm not out to build AR's or anything like that, but lets just say I can disassemble an M16A2 with my eyes closed.

Now, is there a possibility I did something wrong, even though I've done it ten thousand times?  Yes.  I know people have the tendency (and rightly so) to blame the operator first off for being stupid.


After inspecting everything, I tried the forward assist, with no luck.  Then I tried pulling the charging handle...no luck.  Removing the lower?  Impossible.  The bolt is about 7/8 of the way forward, and because of the way the lower is designed, I can remove the front pin and the rear pin, but the receivers won't come apart.  I removed the stock and buffer spring/tube to see if maybe the retainer was blocking the bolt (for some reason), and it appeared that it was, and I was able to remove it, but the bolt was still stuck.  The bolt has seized as though it was meant to be that way, and there is no way to remove even the lower receiver to get a better inspection.  I can separate the upper/lower by about 1/2", where the only contact being made is between the very back of the carrier and the lower at the rear of the rifle where the buffer spring tube would be attached if I hadn't removed it.  I'm going to call Bushmaster today to see if they've heard anything about this, as well.


Anyone on here had any similar problems?

Thanks in advance for your replies,

Ross
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 6:26:16 AM EDT
[#1]
I've had this same thing happen with two different rifles; you didn't do anything wrong.

What happened to me was that a primer had been blown out of the case at some point and lodged in or around the bolt carrier, locking it up. In both cases I had to disassemble the rifle by removing the stock and whacking on the back of the bolt to get it to move forward.  This let me disassemble the rifle conletely and get the bolt out of the receiver.

YMMV. Good luck.
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 6:28:45 AM EDT
[#2]

Quoted:
a primer had been blown out of the case at some point and lodged in or around the bolt carrier



A common theme with the BUSHY Varminteer.
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 6:35:28 AM EDT
[#3]
You shouldn't be too defensive when you post and just go to the "meat" of the problem.

Fisrt off, is there an ammo stuck in the chamber? Maybe a bad ammo?

I had a similar experience with a Model 1 barrel where the bolt just froze on me for no apparent reason. In my case however, I was able to remove the upper from the lower. Pulled the CH till my fingers hurt and eventually popped the round out. Repeated similar failures with quality ammo made me return the barrel. I never did find out what caused it.
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 6:41:03 AM EDT
[#4]
Yeah sorry about being so defensive, its just that especially with rifles, and especially with how many people on here who know more than the maker himself about AR-15's, I don't want people to waste posts on telling me it was my fault, when all I need is a solution.  


I'm pretty sure there's a round still in the chamber, yes.  I'm not sure whether its a live round or just a shell, as I can't see that far lol.  I thought about just pulling like crazy on it, but I didn't want to bend anything.  I'm gonna try both of those suggestions when I get home this afternoon.  Thanks for all your help guys.


Ross
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 6:43:06 AM EDT
[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
a primer had been blown out of the case at some point and lodged in or around the bolt carrier



A common theme with the BUSHY Varminteer.



Well, in my case one was a DPMS LW and the other a Colt M4, so I tend to blame the ammo (Federal environmentally correct stuff; I didn't buy any more after the first case).
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 7:46:14 AM EDT
[#6]
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 1:38:46 PM EDT
[#7]
What is KB aftermath?


edit:  this seems to be caused by faulty ammunition.  I got it to release, and the case had an impression of something that looked like an intake valve on a car pressed into the side of it, and a square indention on the other, and it was all screwed up.  I don't know about using this dirty M855 ammunition anymore.....
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 1:53:15 PM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:
I don't know about using this dirty M855 ammunition anymore.....



It's not Lake City M855PD is it? There's been quite a few members complain about it.
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 5:55:46 PM EDT
[#9]
KB=KaBoom.
Link Posted: 2/13/2006 8:04:32 PM EDT
[#10]
Broken Cam Pin will jam a rifle in just that way...and not allow total lock-up. The round dent is from the ejector.
Link Posted: 2/16/2006 8:07:39 PM EDT
[#11]
I try to avoid the Wolf ammo at all costs! I hate the stuff, it seems to be underpowered and is REALLY dirty. I also don't like the steel case, as I have heard it can scratch the chrome lining of the chamber. I just can't stsnd the stuff, I mainly use Georgia Arms ammo, it's cheap and runs well in semi and full autos. I have ionly had one bad lot and they owned up immediately to rectify it (unfortunately I had already discarded the bag). Great stuff, I buy it for all my gins in full ammo cans.
Link Posted: 2/16/2006 9:28:47 PM EDT
[#12]
Link Posted: 2/18/2006 12:01:55 PM EDT
[#13]
Shouldn't a person be able to push out the take down pins in a situation like this ?  You would have to put a pretty good bit of rearward pressure on the upper to overcome the pressure of the buffer spring but unless I am overlooking something it should be possible to push out the pins and slide the upper off toward the front.  

 Once the upper is off then you can see if the BCG is wedged  or free.

rj
Link Posted: 2/18/2006 12:14:31 PM EDT
[#14]
Page AR-15 » Troubleshooting
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