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HELP! Gun gurus needed

cjs88

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Minuteman
  • Jan 7, 2020
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    Took our oldest to the range with his new rifle his uncle built him. We were shooting 5.56 through it and it would shoot but not extract. Pics below of the brass aftermath. Tried 223 and it would shoot, eject, shoot another but only halfway eject while it tried to cycle another round in. The RO and someone else tried diagnosing it to no avail. We swapped the bcg for mine and it had the same issue, although I don’t think mine was shearing the brass like his. What could be causing the issue?

    My thoughts?
    1. Not chambered for 5.56
    2. Gas tube issue/pressure issue
    3. It didn’t seem to like the mags I brought for it but he left his at home his uncle gave him.

    It’s an Anderson lower and I don’t know about the upper.
     

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    Hard to see but there are scratches above where it’s been sheared on the case
     

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    Yeah, and a 6month wait lol. We'll take it out one more time and see how it performs with the mags his uncle gave him. Maybe try and tune the gas a bit but I've never done that so will need to look it up.

    Nope those are in stock, I ordered one Friday afternoon and it shipped.

    You’re wasting your time and ammo with that barrel. Mags and tuning a gas system aren’t going to do a thing when it’s got a chamber that was cut with a chisel. That barrel and/or entire upper belongs in the scrap pile.
     
    Nope those are in stock, I ordered one Friday afternoon and it shipped.

    You’re wasting your time and ammo with that barrel. Mags and tuning a gas system aren’t going to do a thing when it’s got a chamber that was cut with a chisel. That barrel and/or entire upper belongs in the scrap pile.
    Okay. The wife said send her a list and she'll buy new stuff haha. I'll look around. I backordered my PWS Mk111 but probably won't go that nice for him.
     
    A for Anderson? Only marking I can find
     

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    There's no way a properly-built 20-inch .223/5.56 rifle should be destroying brass like that.

    That barrel's a piece of sh!t.

    I'll bet you a bucket of chicken that upper is salvageable at the price of a new barrel. PM me. You buy the barrel, send me the upper and replacement, and I'll swap 'em for you, no charge (you get the old barrel back to use as a tomato stake). You pay the ride both ways.
     
    Look at the shoulders. . .holy @%*#!

    Putting 556 in a 223? Bet there is a ton of brass in the throat now.
    I was thinking it was chambered in .223 as well. His uncle was a Marine so he thinks he knows what he's doing. Told him to text him and ask him what it's chambered in and he said, "it's chambered for both, it's mil-spec and everything." Like dude, mil-spec is just part sizes and shit nothing to do with the chambering of the rifle.

    Anyway to find out for certain what it's chambered in?
     
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    I was thinking it was chambered in .223 as well. His uncle was a Marine so he thinks he knows what he's doing. Told him to text him and ask him what it's chambered in and he said, "it's chambered for both, it's mil-spec and everything." Like dude, mil-spec is just part sizes and shit nothing to do with the chambering of the rifle.

    Anyway to find out for certain what it's chambered in?
    Both the lower and the barrel should be marked with the cartridge they're made for- it's a government requirement.
     
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    Lower just says multi like most lowers. Don’t know where it is on the upper. I don’t think mine even says on the upper. Unless it under the handguards
     
    5.56 will chamber and fire fine from 223 chambers. The dimensions of the cases are identical. Long bullets used in 5.56 ammunition “may” cause excessive pressure in barrels throated for light weight 223 ammunition.

    Many ARs are marked 5.56/223 because they are essentially identical.
    Haven’t heard that. Always heard the opposite. 223 through a 556 but not 556 through a 224 unless 223 wylde
     
    Haven’t heard that. Always heard the opposite. 223 through a 556 but not 556 through a 224 unless 223 wylde
    223 chambers cut for 40gr hunting ammunition may have short throats that cause excessive pressure with the longer bullets used in 5.56 ammunition. But, so long as the bullets aren’t jamming into the lands, there is no issue with firing one from the other. There is a lot of internet myth based on a lack of understanding CUP vs PSI pressure measurements used for ammunition.
     
    Last edited:
    His uncle was a Marine

    Well bless his heart.

    Is the chamber perfectly clean/clear? I've seen a separated casing stuck in a chamber and the guy was still trying to shoot his rifle wondering why it didn't work.

    There are lots of sources for 20" government profile barrels out there. You'll need a vise, action block, ar15 wrench, hammer/punches to get the old sight off. It's not hard to swap a barrel.
     
    Generally speaking, the barrel's data should be engraved on it somewhere.

    The cheaper (or more exclusive, like gunsmith-machinist done from a blank) the fewer the markings. The OP's looks like it's from the cheap end.

    LMTBarrel.jpg
    o1nrw1nl5y931.jpg

    P1010532.jpg
    IMG_4131.JPG
    IMG_4354-1-660x347.jpg
     
    Buy the Larue! They run.

    A friend bought an M&P 15 and I got sick of fixing the POS for for him. Had him buy that same Larue in the link (went on sale last year 4th of July). Not a problem since. Just sent me a video of his kid running a full 60 rd drum through it. He can’t believe there’s not been a single malfunction in 1200ish rounds.
     
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    You do NOT need a LaRue.

    LaRue fan boys are just that.

    Buy a cheap ballistic advantage or Mega barrel and screw it on there if you know how or have someone do it for you.

    Unless it is a custom throated chamber standard 55 gr or 62 gr 556 will go through a 233 just fine.

    There is a lot if internet bs about the whole 223/556 type thing. Just go out and shoot them.

    If it's a 223 custom varmint gun, then proceed with caution.
     
    Good barrel at a good price and in stock:

     
    I was thinking it was chambered in .223 as well. His uncle was a Marine so he thinks he knows what he's doing. Told him to text him and ask him what it's chambered in and he said, "it's chambered for both, it's mil-spec and everything." Like dude, mil-spec is just part sizes and shit nothing to do with the chambering of the rifle.

    Anyway to find out for certain what it's chambered in?
    Doesn’t really matter what it is chambered in between 223 rem or 5.56 if shooting 55gr fmj. Between the two the chamber is nearly identical, the throat is slightly longer on a 556 chamber.
    The problem is that chamber is flat out messed up from whoever cut the chamber, evidenced by the messed up shoulder on your fired brass.
    Replace the barrel and it will probably run fine.

    6786F17B-4A29-4B99-9F95-26E61C599E9E.png
     
    One thing for sure. When you bring a problem here there seems to always be one more idea that is more expensive than the previous idea.
    How about some low budget recommendations to cure the issue ?

    Because most people here like quality, well engineered, well manufactured things.

    You wouldn't happen to be the "uncle" who "built" that complete piece of dogshit rifle, wouldn't you?

    I bet you're the kind of guy who would stick some sandpaper at the end of a drill bit and "polish" that chamber.......
     
    Could the chamber be just redone by cutting extra material off? Seems like the problem is too much steel in the chamber.

    In theory yes. In practice, it's a royal pain in the ass unless you're a competent machinist and know exactly what you're doing. To start you'd have to remove the barrel extension, recut the chamber, face off the breech, then re-face the shoulder that locates the barrel extension. But now you extension pin hole is off................

    It's just not worth it to fix what is clearly a piece of shit barrel.
     
    He wants to keep the upper because he likes the old school style -.- and he won't admit it but he places sentimental value on everything people give. He gets that from his father who hoards anything and everything. Since a lot are saying a barrel swap should do the trick, I'm looking at this one to swap for the shitty one.

     
    He wants to keep the upper because he likes the old school style -.- and he won't admit it but he places sentimental value on everything people give. He gets that from his father who hoards anything and everything. Since a lot are saying a barrel swap should do the trick, I'm looking at this one to swap for the shitty one.


    Yeah, no problem keeping that upper and handguards and FSB at all assuming they are all in spec.

    As far as the barrel, just buy this one and never look back.

    It is the correct barrel for that rifle. I am not sure that the one you posted will even fit.