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Posted: 2/6/2013 2:23:16 PM EDT
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I recently purchased a custom ar15, new build.
Taking it to the range for the first time I notice it was not cycling properly. It suffered from three problems.
The gun tended to jam before it could work up any serious temperatures. So I followed the instruction in this youtube video for lubing the gun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIsKEHo-4g The results were a significant increase in gun performance. In fact as the long the gun stayed cool it worked well. However once it heated up it began suffering the same problems as well as not even being able to put a new magazine in. Basically once hot the magazine would not catch properly. BTW, I am using pmags. So at this point i have tightened down the bullet button some more hoping that would help with the magazine problem. Possible the bullet button was too loose causing all of these problems as these parts rely on a properly fitted magazine? Also, I think i may have to much grease on there but in order to test that i would need to be able to find some more ammo somewhere cause i ran out. I have attached some pics to hopefully help visualize what I am dealing with. Any help and idea's are appreciated! https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dBkC7yXiGeXLCIOL3x3AN_zh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/toOsdWBxOM7l3-92bm5xBfzh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ILir-ql-Xd_riUuRt1RCC_zh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jsPPqz5TnA34vqvbXdV7ufzh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink |
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My images aren't working so here are the links.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dBkC7yXiGeXLCIOL3x3AN_zh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/toOsdWBxOM7l3-92bm5xBfzh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ILir-ql-Xd_riUuRt1RCC_zh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jsPPqz5TnA34vqvbXdV7ufzh58RBohF_1fs9ypWF45w?feat=directlink |
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First off, Welcome to the site. There is a lot of good info if you read around the different sections. So, on to the issue at hand. We need to know the details of the build to be able to help you. What kind of gas system do you have. Carbine, Mid length, or Rifle length? What length barrel do you have? What type of receiver extension do you have? Carbine w/collapsible stock or rifle length w/fixed stock. What type of buffer do you have? Carbine,H,H2 or Rifle length buffer. What type of gas block do you have? Standard fixed front site or low profile gas block or something else? With a loaded mag inserted, If you charge the rifle manually does it chamber? If you load one round in the mag, chamber it and fire it, does the bolt lock back to the rear via the bolt catch on the last round fired. With an empty mag inserted, If you manually charge the rifle does the bolt lock back to the rear via the bolt catch. We need details. |
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Thanks for welcoming me and for helping me with this problem. I appreciate it!
Answers below: What kind of gas system do you have. Carbine, Mid length, or Rifle length? Carbine. 7.5 Inch tube length.
What length barrel do you have? 16 Inch
What type of receiver extension do you have? Carbine w/collapsible stock or rifle length w/fixed stock. It has a collapsible stock, so it would seem to be Carbine w/collapsible stock.
What type of buffer do you have? Carbine,H,H2 or Rifle length buffer. Still trying to determine the buffer. There are no marking on it to help.
But it is 3 1/4 inch long and my cheap food scale say it weights .1KG (This is prolly not helpfull, I will work on it). What type of gas block do you have? Standard fixed front site or low profile gas block or something else? Low profile gas block
With a loaded mag inserted, If you charge the rifle manually does it chamber? Yes, every-time
If you load one round in the mag, chamber it and fire it, does the bolt lock back to the rear via the bolt catch on the last round fired. I am out of ammo right now to go back and test this. But generally on the last round it would catch but once in awhile it would miss.
With an empty mag inserted, If you manually charge the rifle does the bolt lock back to the rear via the bolt catch. Yes, every-time
Ammunition type: 223 Remington 55 GR
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Quoted:
Also, Is this a new build, or an old build with a new problem? And, did you function check the rifle after build... One round in mag does the bolt carrier stay back? I'm not going to hazard a guess till more info.. Bret New build. Not sure if was functioned checked. Bolt carrier will not stay back with one round in the rifle. It will if I manually pull the catch though. |
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OK, not sure where the hell you found the link for lubing, but it ass backwards.
Do not use grease on a AR-15. All it going to do is gunk up the system, and collet fouling even faster. The lube of close for both cleaning and lubing the rifle is CLP. If you need a source for CLP, the BreakfreeCLP in the 16oc spray can that sells for under $10 from Walmart. So lets back this up since we have an idea of what build you have/parts that are in play. Shotgun the upper open and pull the buffer and spring. Give then, and the inside of the tube a shot of CLP, then wipe all the parts off (we are getting ride of any grease that you have in play). Now check the length of the recoil spring. since you have a carbine receiver for a telescoping butt stock, the free length of the spring should be around 10.5",and not 11.75" While you have the recoil spring in hand, check the end of winds for burs, and if round, remove the protruding burs from the spring so they don't scrap down the inside of the receiver extension. Now pull the charging handle, and the B/C. Pull the B/C down to cleaning level, and not only give a good shot of CLP to the B/C parts, but to the charging handle, and the inside of the receiver (hit the chamber as well). Now with a chamber brush, and CLP in the chamber, clean the chamber by hand with the brush. Give the chamber another shot of CLP, and now start wiping off all the CLP in the upper receiver, then start running dry patches down the chamber/bore until they come out dry. Next, lets check the gas system before you start putting everything back together. With a piece of tubing, blow air down the gas tube from within the upper receiver, and make sure that it flow freely down out of the barrel bore. Here, if you did not index/center the gas block passage to the barrel gas port, it going to cause a block in the gas system, and you will need to reinstall it. Best way to reinstall the gas block is just put an index mark on the barrel shoulder center of gas port, then use the gas tube in the block as your indexer for reference. Note, do not forget to re-loctite the allen gas block bolts down when you tighten the back up. If you don't loctite them, the gas block is going to end up loose on the barrel in about a box of rounds. With the gas block reinstalled, not out of the wood yet. Grab just the carrier without bolt, and dry fit it into the upper receiver to check the alignment of the gas tube to the carrier key. If the two do not align, then you need to tweak the gas tube over about the center of the barrel to correctly index is at the inside of the receiver. Also, speaking of gas tube, it should have some play inside the upper receiver channel for it. If it solid, then the barrel nut was not installed correctly, and the gas tube passage in the barrel nut is not alined with the upper receiver gas tube passage, hence the barrel bolt has to be correctly installed. Ok, now lets start putting things back together. Start with the recoil spring and buffer, give then a light shot of CLP, the install the into the receiver extension. On the Charging handle, light coat of CLP and put it in the receiver. On the B/C, you can assembly it dry, but you going to CLP lube it both on the inside and out side (and on the wetter side for break in). With the wet B/C installed in the upper receiver, lock the upper home and dry cycle the action a few times. The CLP on the B/C will migrate to the upper bearing areas of the upper receiver to correctly lube these parts. Now off for a live fire, Here, only one round in the mag, insert the mag, charge the round while leaving the empty mag in the mag well, and fire for effect. The correct effect should be the bolt locking back on the bolt catch. If the bolt locks back, load up a mag and have some fun. If during the break in, the rifle starts acting up/bolt not lock back, pull the B/C, and give it another healthy dose of CLP inside and out, reinstall it right back in the rifle. Don't worry about cleaning the B/C before your relube it. CLP has a cleaning agent in it, and the new CLP will dissolve any fouling right off the parts as you continue to fire the weapon. |
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driftxmike, Did you build it or did someone else. Check your gas key to make sure it is good and tight and their is no movement. Also check to make sure it is staked good. Check your low profile gas block to make sure it is not seated all the way back against the shoulder on the barrel. The reason I say this is, with regular plastic m4 hand guards their is a hand guard retaining cap, then the front site gas block. So, you would install the hand guard retaining cap all the way till it hit the shoulder on the barrel, then you would install the front site gas block tight up against that. In that situation the gas port on the barrel will be in perfect alignment with the gas port on the gas block. But since you have a low profile gas block, you don't have a hand guard retaining cap. So, if you pushed your low profile gas block all the way up against the shoulder on the barrel, the gas port on the barrel and the gas port on the low profile gas block will not be in alignment. Part of the gas port will be covered by the low profile gas block. This will restrict gas flow and can cause short stroking. Check your gas block to see if it is pushed all the way up against the shoulder on the barrel. If it is, you have to realine it properly. You will have to measure from the rear face of the gas block to the center of the gas port hole in the gas block. Then measure from the center of the gas port hole on the barrel back what ever measurement you came up with for the gas block. Then make a mark on the barrel. Then slide the gas block on till the rear face of the gas block lines up with mark on the barrel. Then tighten it down and see if it fixed your problem. |
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Thanks for the input. I'll get some CLP and work through these steps. The grease did have make the gun work better. Maybe the CLP is all that is needed.
I actually bought the upper from a guy that i milled the receiver with and I did not assemble it. I have the option to return it but, since i bought it before the sandy hook shooting it's going to be tough to replace it and for the same price. I'll see what i can do from here and report back in a few days when i get some results. Of course I need to find some ammo. That sounds gun =) Thanks guys... |
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The one thing that did not catch my eye the first time around was the bolt over during a charge by hitting the bolt release alone.
The things we need to check here, First start off with a mag pulled apart so you only have the body of the mag alone. With the bolt closed, insert the mag body until is snaps in place, then push the mag release button in and shove the mag up farther. At most, you should only be able to push the mag up about 1/8" until the lips of the mag flush/max out against the bottom of the bolt. If you good so far, then double check to confirm that you have the threaded part of the mag catch flush with the face of the mag release button. As for the mag you have apart (please tell me it's a USGI mag, and not some cheap knock off clone mag), it and the rest of the mags you have should be all pulled apart and CLP (yes, even when brand new). |
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