Broke my bolt release catch.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Broke my bolt release catch.

Posted: 9/16/2005 7:38:22 AM EDT

I had my upper and lower reciever apart yesterday while I was cleaning it. I wanted to run some q-tips inside the fire control group so I flicked off the safety and pulled the trigger to get good access into the compartment. When the hammer fell the tab on my bolt release catch broke off and went flying. Pics below:

Did dry-firing the lower when it was apart from the upper cause this damage? Or do I just have shitty forged parts inside my AR?

Oh, I got the lower from Joe Ken Firearms (ordered it before I knew what LYING JACKASSES they are).

ETA: Sorry about the big file size. I'm apparently not smart enough to figure out how to resize them.

Posted: 9/16/2005 8:06:33 AM EDT

[#1]

holy crap those pics are huge

there's nothing holding the hammer back with the upper off so it is able to strike the bolt catch and the lower reciever.

reason why you dont dry fire a ar without the upper on it.

dont blame it on the parts blame the guy to dropped the hammer

Posted: 9/16/2005 8:13:20 AM EDT

[#2]

I've broken them in the field on Diemaco weapons too --- It happens.

You can minimise the chances by using good parts, and not firing the weapon w/o the bolt carrier group installed - but it is still a human designed and used system so it will not be infallible.

Posted: 9/16/2005 8:24:23 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
holy crap those pics are huge

I know, sorry! I don't know how to make them smaller.

there's nothing holding the hammer back with the upper off so it is able to strike the bolt catch and the lower reciever.

reason why you dont dry fire a ar without the upper on it.

dont blame it on the parts blame the guy to dropped the hammer

LOL, not trying to blame the parts. I just didn't know that it was an issue. I'd done it plenty of times with my M16 lower in bootcamp while cleaning, so I didn't know it would be a problem with my AR.

Thanks for the input.

Posted: 9/16/2005 8:55:48 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

LOL, not trying to blame the parts. I just didn't know that it was an issue. I'd done it plenty of times with my M16 lower in bootcamp while cleaning, so I didn't know it would be a problem with my AR.

Thanks for the input.

It was wrong to do it with your M16 as well. On a brighter note, its an easily replaced part. Buy a new one, drop it in, and the world will be a better place. It will probably cost you more for shipping than it will for the part itself.

Chalk it off as a learning experience. You have now taught a boat load of other people who also had no idea.

Posted: 9/16/2005 9:14:03 AM EDT

[#5]

bad things happen if you make a habit of dropping the hammer without the upper installed.

Posted: 9/16/2005 9:36:20 AM EDT

[#6]

Happened to me not too long ago.

Thanks again munyguru.

LOL see

Posted: 9/16/2005 12:19:47 PM EDT

[#7]

I use one of these.

Great of tuning triggers.

Posted: 9/16/2005 12:29:41 PM EDT

[#8]

That happened to my bushmaster once, they sent me a new one free of charge

Posted: 9/16/2005 12:47:47 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
holy crap those pics are huge

there's nothing holding the hammer back with the upper off so it is able to strike the bolt catch and the lower reciever.

reason why you dont dry fire a ar without the upper on it.

dont blame it on the parts blame the guy to dropped the hammer

+1

ignore all the warnings, you get to buy a new bolt catch and just be happy you did not crack the lower receiver magwell wall.

Posted: 9/16/2005 12:50:08 PM EDT

[#10]

The macro button on your camera is your friend.

Posted: 9/16/2005 1:16:50 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
holy crap those pics are huge

there's nothing holding the hammer back with the upper off so it is able to strike the bolt catch and the lower reciever.

reason why you dont dry fire a ar without the upper on it.

dont blame it on the parts blame the guy to dropped the hammer

+1

ignore all the warnings, you get to buy a new bolt catch and just be happy you did not crack the lower receiver magwell wall.

think the hammer would have gave before the lower would have but yeah at least its just a bolt catch

Posted: 9/16/2005 1:25:34 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
holy crap those pics are huge

there's nothing holding the hammer back with the upper off so it is able to strike the bolt catch and the lower reciever.

reason why you dont dry fire a ar without the upper on it.

dont blame it on the parts blame the guy to dropped the hammer

+1

ignore all the warnings, you get to buy a new bolt catch and just be happy you did not crack the lower receiver magwell wall.

think the hammer would have gave before the lower would have but yeah at least its just a bolt catch

You may be right but I'm sure not going to test it

Posted: 9/16/2005 1:39:43 PM EDT

[#13]

I did the same thing with my dad's Colt SP1 back in '83.
It's not a matter of parts, you just can't do that with it.
I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who learned this "the hard way"

On the up-side, I believe that was my first experience with replacing a part on the AR lower.

Posted: 9/16/2005 9:42:56 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I did the same thing with my dad's Colt SP1 back in '83.

Oops. At least it wasn't just me.

Posted: 9/17/2005 11:07:20 AM EDT

[#15]

No, dude, it's not just you.
Plus, you might need to add a couple things to your order--
you know, to "justify the shipping costs".

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Broke my bolt release catch.

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