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12/17/2010 4:11:24 PM EDT
I was shooting the AR15 this morning, when it jammed up bad. The bolt carrier is stuck in the open position. The bolt catch/release is free, and the trigger and hammer seem to move a bit, freely, the charging handle goes back and forth freelly, and the odd thing is the upper receiver moves back and forth on the lower receiver, working against the buffer spring, but the bolt carrier is stuck inside the buffer tube in the stock, and won't come out. I think I over-lubed it this morning. Plus, I haven't taken the bolt carrier/'bolt apart for cleaning for the last 500 rounds. That might be what did it in, or maybe a sliver of metal got stuck somewhere. If anyone can give me any ideas though, that would be much appreciated. I'm thinking I should get a spanner wrench and take the ring off of the stock tube, then unscrew the stock tube out to get the bolt carrier out. Right now I cannot separate the lower from the upper receiver, because the bolt carrier is stuck between the recoil tube and the upper.

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12/17/2010 4:24:50 PM EDT
[#1]
I'm thinking your buffer detent escaped. You sure you had the receiver extention screwed in with plenty of coverage over the buffer detent?
12/17/2010 4:29:27 PM EDT
[#2]
No, I bought the complete lower from a gun shop, and they said they built the whole rifle from the ground up. I was (and still am sort of) an AR newbie, so I didn't know to check that. By receiver extension, do you mean the buffer tube that the spring is in?

Oh I should add that I heard a "sproing" after the last round fired. The bolt was stuck almost all the way forward and I was trying to pull the charging handle back. It took a lot of force. Now it's back, and the case is ejected, but I can't get the BCG forward.
12/17/2010 4:45:26 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
I'm thinking your buffer detent escaped. You sure you had the receiver extention screwed in with plenty of coverage over the buffer detent?


+1

What do you see where the buffer detent should be?
12/17/2010 5:00:15 PM EDT
[#4]
Push out both takedown pins, lside upper off the lower in a forward motion.

YOu're sure teh recoil spring is in the buffer tube.

Also consider tapping the rifle muzzle first into the ground.
12/17/2010 5:12:39 PM EDT
[#5]
I did some google searching and brought myself up to speed on the buffer tube and detent. Yep, I see the detent in there, and I poked it with a screwdriver and it moves up and down. Here's a picture.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4609/1000032ok.jpg
12/17/2010 5:15:39 PM EDT
[#6]
MisterPX, I slid the takedown pins out, and the upper can move forward and backward, but I can't remove the upper from the lower. The bolt carrier group is pushing on the buffer, and the carrier is partially inside the tube and partially inside the upper receiver. I can't figure out why the bolt carrier group itself does not want to move.
12/17/2010 5:18:56 PM EDT
[#7]
Is the hammer in the fired postition, or is it down?  It may be catching on the inside of the rear of the carrier.
12/17/2010 5:19:09 PM EDT
[#8]
Maybe the bolt is stuck inside the bolt carrier due to fouling? The bolt seems to be fully extended inside the carrier, like it doesn't want to rotate back?

The hammer is down. I can flick the safety on/off. I see the hammer moving up/down slightly as I play with the upper and slide the upper back and forth.

I think that either the hammer is making the bolt carrier jam, or the bolt carrier is jammed because of fouling and excess oil, or debris or some metal sliver.
12/17/2010 5:41:20 PM EDT
[#9]
N/m
12/17/2010 5:42:42 PM EDT
[#10]
It may be the trigger. Hmm, I'm going to take it to our big gun shop here tomorrow. I'll see what they have to say about this. I don't think I can fix it without an armorer's wrench.

Thanks for your help everyone, much appreciated!
12/18/2010 2:15:47 AM EDT
[#11]
Buffer retaining pin escaped, or a blow primer, with either of such now back in the receiver extension and has wedged the B/C back in the tube.

Unless the B/C can be walked forward so the upper and lower receiver can be removed from each other, the easy solution is to pull the receiver extension and resolve the problem that way.
12/22/2010 8:42:02 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
Buffer retaining pin escaped, or a blow primer, with either of such now back in the receiver extension and has wedged the B/C back in the tube.

Unless the B/C can be walked forward so the upper and lower receiver can be removed from each other, the easy solution is to pull the receiver extension and resolve the problem that way.


+1                      

  Tell us what you have tryed!!!!
12/23/2010 8:47:22 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Push out both takedown pins, lside upper off the lower in a forward motion.

YOu're sure teh recoil spring is in the buffer tube.

Also consider tapping the rifle muzzle first into the ground.
- Provided it has a flash hider, never smack a crowned barrel against the ground.



12/23/2010 9:12:39 AM EDT
[#14]
Take the buffer tube off and see if you can separate it, just make sure you get a hold of the spring that will come flying out.

12/23/2010 12:19:57 PM EDT
[#15]
remount the upper and lower, push the take down pins back in. Tap the butt stock on the ground to dislodge the BCG from the extention tube.

If it dislodges, take your gun apart and familarize yourself with every part and how it works.

If you get it apart check for a broken cam key, or as Dano and others suggested blown primers lodged in the fire controll assembly. Extention (buffer tube) demounting may be your only resort.
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