Jay Ell Gee
New member
Hey everyone. Early last year, I put together my first AR. It consists of an 18" 223 wylde rifle length upper with 15" handguard (PSA complete upper) with a BRT linear comp. I am running a PSA carpenter steel BCG. Spikes lower, RRA LPK, RRA NM trigger, as well as a magpul STR stock. Standard carbine spring/buffer setup. I am using Magpul 10 round magazines.
While I have had this rifle built for about a year, I have only managed a handful of outings, due to a new job (lots of OT for training) and planning a wedding. Now that the wedding and deer season have come and gone, I'm back to fighting with this rifle.
The rifle will typically do one of two things. It will either "short stroke" and not chamber a new round (not as common), or the bolt will actually drag a round from the magazine up into the feed ramp area, catching the brass not far below the shoulder (more common). I cannot simply drop the magazine to clear the jam, as the loaded round will still be halfway in the magazine. This binds the magazine up until I can lock the bolt back, clear the round from the magazine, drop the magazine, and then the round obviously falls free, effectively ruined. The bolt will usually not lock back on the last round, though it does happen occasionally.
I have done literally everything possible to get this thing to function, including a visit to a gunsmith. They could not reproduce the issue, even when I left one of my magazines with them.
I have tried the following things to get the gun to cycle...
Removed rail and gas block (smith also did). Alignment is fine.
Gas port measures .094
Swapped lowers with two friends. One was a bone stock S&W factory lower.
Purchased a new RRA carbine buffer spring.
Used all kinds of ammunition. Red box black hills, creedmoor sports match ammo, 5.56 black hills, fiocchi 223, probably more that I can't remember.
Tried two different magazines.
Gas rings passed the "stand the BCG on the bolt" test.
Rifle cleaned and lubricated generously every trip.
At this point, I am effectively baffled. I called PSA, and after discussing every possible fix that I could try, they said that they would take a look at the upper. That's all fine and good, but the upper shoots very well and I hate to risk it spending weeks on end with them with pretty much no updates, as I have found their customer service somewhat lacking. I would rather address it myself, if possible.
Thanks in advance for anyone that takes the time to read this and provide suggestions. I'm just about to sell this dang thing and buy a bolt gun.
Joshua
While I have had this rifle built for about a year, I have only managed a handful of outings, due to a new job (lots of OT for training) and planning a wedding. Now that the wedding and deer season have come and gone, I'm back to fighting with this rifle.
The rifle will typically do one of two things. It will either "short stroke" and not chamber a new round (not as common), or the bolt will actually drag a round from the magazine up into the feed ramp area, catching the brass not far below the shoulder (more common). I cannot simply drop the magazine to clear the jam, as the loaded round will still be halfway in the magazine. This binds the magazine up until I can lock the bolt back, clear the round from the magazine, drop the magazine, and then the round obviously falls free, effectively ruined. The bolt will usually not lock back on the last round, though it does happen occasionally.
I have done literally everything possible to get this thing to function, including a visit to a gunsmith. They could not reproduce the issue, even when I left one of my magazines with them.
I have tried the following things to get the gun to cycle...
Removed rail and gas block (smith also did). Alignment is fine.
Gas port measures .094
Swapped lowers with two friends. One was a bone stock S&W factory lower.
Purchased a new RRA carbine buffer spring.
Used all kinds of ammunition. Red box black hills, creedmoor sports match ammo, 5.56 black hills, fiocchi 223, probably more that I can't remember.
Tried two different magazines.
Gas rings passed the "stand the BCG on the bolt" test.
Rifle cleaned and lubricated generously every trip.
At this point, I am effectively baffled. I called PSA, and after discussing every possible fix that I could try, they said that they would take a look at the upper. That's all fine and good, but the upper shoots very well and I hate to risk it spending weeks on end with them with pretty much no updates, as I have found their customer service somewhat lacking. I would rather address it myself, if possible.
Thanks in advance for anyone that takes the time to read this and provide suggestions. I'm just about to sell this dang thing and buy a bolt gun.
Joshua
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