Cannot eject live round with charging handle

[PKRobbins]

A person that works in my building caught me this morning asked me to help him with an AR15 he is having problems with. Details are slim, the weapon is supposed to be back from the local bubba gunsmith at noon today, the guy couldn't fix it but thankfully he hasn't messed with it either.

Here is what I know-
RRA lower
DPMS 24" .204 SST Bull Barrel upper
Weapon cycles ok when firing. Problem occurs if you want to unload it. He drops the magazine, but cannot cycle the charging handle to extract the live round. Says it is locked up tight but if he fires the weapon it will eject spent brass no problem. Bubba told him on the phone that the rifle was "marking the brass up". He didn't elaborate.

What should I be looking for? I have never had this problem with mine.

Edit-Here is a pic of a round that has been chambered. They removed it by taking out the rear pin and pivoting the upper to pull the charging handle. The round is really messed up the denting goes about 1/3 of the way around and is about 1/16" deep. He is using a 5.56 Pmag to feed it.

 

[bohem]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

Is the action being run almost dry? That was a common problem that I found with hand cycling the 308 platforms. Unless they were greased on the locking cam it was a PITA to cycle.

ETA: That doesn't address the brass getting beat on, just the hard cycling.

 

[maladat]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

To me it looks like a feeding issue that is fucking up the rounds on the way into the chamber. The deformed round gets forced into the chamber by the momentum of the BCG, and then it is jammed in there. Firing the round fireforms the case back to the right shape and it ejects fine.

Just a guess. I'd start by checking the magazine feed lips, that the mag catch is seating the magazine at the right level, and that the feed ramps look OK.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

I'm assuming thats reloads. If thats the case try a factory round.

Reloads with the should not propertly set back causes that problem (live round sticks in chamber but case will eject if fired).

Simple fix is to use a Case Gage to set up the sizing die to make sure the case is sized to specs.

 

[shootist2004]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

is he full length resizing?

 

[NoName2010]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

2X

If you're reloading you need to full length resize with small base dies.

Are the rounds being fired factory, or reloads? Looks to me like there's a chamber problem, or the ammo used is reloads that have not been resized properly for use in a semiauto weapon.

 

[PKRobbins]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

No reloads. These are factory Hornady .204 40gr Vmax.

After some more study and your replies here is what I think is going on. When the bolt pick the round up out of the mag it is not lining up with the chamber. It is being forced in by the weight of the buffer spring deforming the case. When the rifle is fired the case is fire formed so it extracts easily, if not fired it is jammed. I think the PMAG is the problem. It is designed for the 5.56 round the .204 is based off of the .222 rem mag not the 5.56x45 (.223). The shoulder is significantly more forward. The PMAG <span style="font-style: italic">seems</span> to hold the round more tightly. I think that a metal USGI type mag might allow the round more travel to line up with the chamber. I'll let you guys know if it works.

 

[glocksig40]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

I have a Sabre .204 upper and I use .223 P mags with mine. Works fine. Check for remains of blown primer inside the upper receiver and around the bolt. I had this same problem before and found where a blown primer caused the bolt to lock up.

 

[jrgfox]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

I had this exact same problem with a brand new factory built POF rifle. Put some lube on the bolt on the back side of the locking lugs. I did this and now my POF runs perfect. I used militec but im sure any lube will work.

 

[Casey Simpson]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

PKR,
just any ole' gunsmith isn't competent in AR's. The smith has to be an AR smith. Your bud should try the mags that came with his rifle. If the issue persisists, then an AR smith should inspect the rifle, or your friend should send it back to DPMS.

A good AR man, like me, will polish the bolt face, feed ramps, and chamber, to smooth out the feeding, upgrade the mags and mag springs for consistency, and properly lubricate the the bolt carrier group. Those plastic magazines are toys. Let the kids play with the one's you have and don't buy anymore of them.

The problem is likely caused by mag lips that simply need tuning. The round in the mag isn't poised at the correct angle, bullet slightly upward, to ramp correctly into the chamber, so its crunching on the way in the chamber. Just another case of mass produced guns not being checked well before being sent out and hoping it doesn't return. Profits, profits, profits......

 

[bcw1284]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Casey Simpson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">PKR,
just any ole' gunsmith isn't competent in AR's. The smith has to be an AR smith. Your bud should try the mags that came with his rifle. If the issue persisists, then an AR smith should inspect the rifle, or your friend should send it back to DPMS.

A good AR man, like me, will polish the bolt face, feed ramps, and chamber, to smooth out the feeding, upgrade the mags and mag springs for consistency, and properly lubricate the the bolt carrier group. Those plastic magazines are toys. Let the kids play with the one's you have and don't buy anymore of them.

The problem is likely caused by mag lips that simply need tuning. The round in the mag isn't poised at the correct angle, bullet slightly upward, to ramp correctly into the chamber, so its crunching on the way in the chamber. Just another case of mass produced guns not being checked well before being sent out and hoping it doesn't return. Profits, profits, profits......</div></div>
I agree with some of that, but I think the mag comment is off base.

1)pmags are far from toys, many folks swear by them including people working on a on two-way range. That's pure nonsense, don't listen to it for a minute. Not every weapon out there likes certain mags, but that doesn't make the mags shit. That's on the weapon, IMHO. In this case, it's running a cartridge it was NOT designed for, so you can't blame magpul for that.

2) Lube the snot out of the BCG with a nice light gun oil, don't buy into that "dry lube" hogwash.

3) Inspect the chamber, brass markings are a sign of burrs, tool marks, or foreign materials that do not belong there. Check the feed ramp too.

4) DPMS watches this board now after they got outed a few times for subpar workmanship, so if the problem persists I suggest sending it back and letting them give it a go. A good polish of the chamber might make it run like a top. They'll make it right, because horror stories end up on the Hide. PS- I do think they care about their work, they're just saddled with the corporate ooze monster that is Cerebus and major pressure to crank it out yesterday.

5) No slight to anyone, and I realize there are plenty of exceptions, but sometimes you get what you pay for with barrels. I've had cheapos that ran great and others that didn't, but i've yet to have any lemons from LMT, Noveske, WOA, etc. and I don't expect to ever run across one. If you can't get the issues ironed out, i'd swap out the tube and start over.

 

[TigernLionGSP]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

I got a question
I was at the range yesterday tring out my new trigger, America Gold,, very smooth. I am have a ejecting problem.I put about eight rounds down the pipe/suppressed and got a jam. I cleared it and thought maybe too dry so I put some spray oil in and cycled and seen to work fine. Then my " bolt latch " got stuck and won't hold the bolt back after the last shot. I got home and took it apart and it seams brent or chewed up a lttle but still sticks open. My question is could the non ejection problem caused the latch to get chewed up ? I am taking it back to my gun smith and ask what the heck and have them look at. Any feed back would be great thanks

 

[Casey Simpson]

Re: Cannot eject live round with charging handle

Brad, you said you think the mag comment is off base. We are all expressing what we merely think. My opinion is what I think.

PKR's question was "What should I be looking for?" Not "You guys debate the issues for me."

I didn't opine they were "shit", just that they are toys, in my opinion, and I suspect they're causing the problems in this gun or contributing to them.

 

[Ghost76]

A person that works in my building caught me this morning asked me to help him with an AR15 he is having problems with. Details are slim, the weapon is supposed to be back from the local bubba gunsmith at noon today, the guy couldn't fix it but thankfully he hasn't messed with it either.

Here is what I know-
RRA lower
DPMS 24" .204 SST Bull Barrel upper
Weapon cycles ok when firing. Problem occurs if you want to unload it. He drops the magazine, but cannot cycle the charging handle to extract the live round. Says it is locked up tight but if he fires the weapon it will eject spent brass no problem. Bubba told him on the phone that the rifle was "marking the brass up". He didn't elaborate.

What should I be looking for? I have never had this problem with mine.

Edit-Here is a pic of a round that has been chambered. They removed it by taking out the rear pin and pivoting the upper to pull the charging handle. The round is really messed up the denting goes about 1/3 of the way around and is about 1/16" deep. He is using a 5.56 Pmag to feed it.

Try pulling on the forward assist at the same time.

A person that works in my building caught me this morning asked me to help him with an AR15 he is having problems with. Details are slim, the weapon is supposed to be back from the local bubba gunsmith at noon today, the guy couldn't fix it but thankfully he hasn't messed with it either.

Here is what I know-
RRA lower
DPMS 24" .204 SST Bull Barrel upper
Weapon cycles ok when firing. Problem occurs if you want to unload it. He drops the magazine, but cannot cycle the charging handle to extract the live round. Says it is locked up tight but if he fires the weapon it will eject spent brass no problem. Bubba told him on the phone that the rifle was "marking the brass up". He didn't elaborate.

What should I be looking for? I have never had this problem with mine.

Edit-Here is a pic of a round that has been chambered. They removed it by taking out the rear pin and pivoting the upper to pull the charging handle. The round is really messed up the denting goes about 1/3 of the way around and is about 1/16" deep. He is using a 5.56 Pmag to feed it.

Try pulling on the forward assist if it has one. Sometimes they get a bit sticky and fouled...about the only thing in bolt retreat that could stop manual ejection that is not obvious. Rather rare to get major debris in buffer tube. Little oil goes a long way.

 

[ormandj]

Try pulling on the forward assist at the same time.

Try pulling on the forward assist if it has one. Sometimes they get a bit sticky and fouled...about the only thing in bolt retreat that could stop manual ejection that is not obvious. Rather rare to get major debris in buffer tube. Little oil goes a long way.

Thread was last posted in May 31 of 2011. Hopefully he/she's figured it out by now...

 

[BootyLord]

Dude pkrobbins hasn't even logged on in the last 6 years lol. Good lookin out though.

 

[smoothy8500]

First post, he must have been really looking for something to help with.