AR-15 "Jamming up"?

Rustydust

Rustydust

Active member
I was reading some earlier post about the concern of AR rifles "jamming up". I can't help but wonder if this is some of the old hype that the AR-15 and M-16 bashers used to dish out on us. I will say right now without any doubt that I had no desire for any of those black rifles for the longest time. This was mainly due to the writings of those that loved Garands or M-14's and had no use for that "Mattel Toy" as they liked to call it. They were very quick to jump on any and all hiccups that these rifles had back then.

Now, over 40 years later, that AR platform is likely second only to the fabled AK-47 in reliability these days. I certainly have had no trouble with either of mine, and I personally dont know of anyone that has.

So....the question is- any of you guys had or having trouble with your AR style rifles? Is so, let me know quick! I'm leaving for my annual praire dog shoot tomorrow morning and my AR-15 varmint rig is going to be my primary shooting platform this year.
 
The issues with the jamming came from the first generation of rifles that were issued by the armed forces.

It had mostly to do with the ammo issued for them back then, & the problem has been solved since then to the extent that jamming of AR's or M-16's has become a non-issue....

My wife & I have 3 that we warm up pretty regular. Never had a jam...even when I knew I was running the rifle past when it should be cleaned.

Just take it with you & watch the dogs fly! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I have three (all colt's) - an SP-1 Car, a pre-ban H-Bar, and a Colt Match... no problems with them. They have never jammed.

At one point the SP-1 got so dirty that the bolt wouldn't slide forward to close - sprayed it with G-96 and right back into action... I can't remember the last time I cleaned it, but it has been thousands (and thousands) of rounds ago.

It's the EverReady Bunny of guns...


.
 
When i was in the Military from 1970 - 1973 I fired a few thousand round in my M-16 and never had a jam. The jams the poster was referring to was a human error at the reloading bench in my opinion.
 
That "jamming up" issue was likely before the M16's had the forward bolt assist on them. That was added from request from the military on the 2.0 version of the rifles.
 
I have used an AR of some type for hunting of and on for the past 10yrs and have never had a problem. But, I have more than once prayed before pulling the trigger on an issued M4. I've even opted to carry an AK47 or Mossberg when on patrol or clearing rooms. I have found that in extreme conditions the AR is sensitive to user maintanence and have witnessed many jams at the worst possible times. Magazines are a major culprit also. For a hunting rifle they can't be beat when you compare semi-autos. I have been at the CQM range and by the end of the day there will only be maybe 10 out of 100 weapons that will still fire a magazine of ammo without malfunctions.
 
The only problems I've ever had with any of my ARs 'jamming' was when:

1) The chamber got dirty and wouldn't allow the cartridge to fully seat in the chamber,

2) The 'action' spring lost some of it's recoil ability to apply enough force to the cartridge being stripped from the magazine,

3) The compression rings in the bolt rotated enough where all the openings were lined up and reduced pressure on the bolt/carrier action,

4) I accidently picked up a box of reloads that had be neck-sized only for my bolt action and the first round failed to seat far enough for the bolt to lock the round in the chamber..

All were easily remedied with a little maintenance on my part.

I was at a match one time one of the other shooters had a cartridge case split, leaving the front part of the case in the chamber and wouldn't allow the next round to chamber.
A broken case extractor and some elbow grease with some solvent solved his problem.

In general, all of mine have proven to be very reliable.
 
I've had a few jams, it was due to cheap mags. I bought quality ones, and never had the problem again.

PHOT0004.jpg
 
Quote:
I have used an AR of some type for hunting of and on for the past 10yrs and have never had a problem. But, I have more than once prayed before pulling the trigger on an issued M4. I've even opted to carry an AK47 or Mossberg when on patrol or clearing rooms. I have found that in extreme conditions the AR is sensitive to user maintanence and have witnessed many jams at the worst possible times. Magazines are a major culprit also. For a hunting rifle they can't be beat when you compare semi-autos. I have been at the CQM range and by the end of the day there will only be maybe 10 out of 100 weapons that will still fire a magazine of ammo without malfunctions.



Wow. I wonder if this has anything to do with environment factors. I have been a Firearms Instructor for quite a few years now and been to many high speed SWAT and Firearms schools and classes. I was a SWAT team member for 7 years. I have never ever seen what you are seeing. The extremely rare malfunctions that I have seen in the AR platform, especially in rifles set up for Patrol and SWAT applications can almost always be tied back to a bad magazine. Not saying you are wrong, just that I have never experienced or seen what you are seeing.
 
Thanks guys for all the info!

I have had my varminter AR for two years now and like most of the rest of you, never a hiccup. BUT, wanted to know if any of you guys ever had any issues. I am taking around 1500 rounds of .223 ammo with me and about 1000 rounds total of .204 and .221 Furball. I amagine that I will be bringing quite a bit back with me, but I hope that I shoot it all. That be signs of a good hunt there!

Anyway, thanks again. Makes me feel a bit better.
 
I've shot my AR's a lot, I rarely have a problem with feeding, but when I do it's usually one of two things, I use a brass catcher, and sometimes the case will bounce off the catcher and go back in the ejection port, the jam will be an empty case jammed with a case trying to enter the chamber, it's a brass catcher problem, not the rifle.

The other problem shows up from time to time, when you put a full magazine in on a closed bolt, you shoot and the next cartridge doesn't feed, this is operator error since I didn't have the magazine fully seated, this isn't a problem when loading a new magazine with the bolt locked open.

That's it, no other problems, and as mentioned, these weren't caused by the rifle, but by the brass catcher or the operator.
 
I keep seeing posts with trouble using a full magazine.
I frankly have not experienced that either...

I know if I'm loading several mags & not really counting the rounds, I'll not know how many rounds are in it til it tops off.

I don't mess with stipping a couple of rounds out, I just use them like that....no trouble so far. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

BTW, in the early days of the M-16, the magazines were designed to be used once, & dropped on the battlefield.
It was an afterthought that really lead to utilizing the mag more than once. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
The issues with the early problems of M-16 jamming was due to 1 Winchester the main supplier of the 5056 Ball ammo for the military chose to change the powder the cheaper powder they changed to was very dirty, this powdere residue combined with the Hot Humid environment it was being used in at the time The Republic of South Viet Nam, caused these "jams" during periods of rapid sustained fire. The field expediant "fix" was to tape a cleaning rod to the upper so when the rifle stopped the chamber could be cleared rapidly. Some reported saw this and finding a "scoop" caused the years of controversy with this "scoop" about how the M-16 was a bad wepion and the US Government was to blame for the troop deaths due to inferior equipt. (Hey sounds familiar don't it?)
The Stoner design and it's offspring has proven itself, and is now the longest serving main battle rifle in US history. If the AR is kept reasonably clean and lubed it will work just fine. And considering the fact that most sport hunters are in no where near combat conditions "Jaminmg" is really a non issue.

BTW I have two AR's one in 243 WSSM with never a problem in over a year and fifteen hundred rounds and one in 458 Socom that I just finished a month or so ago had some inital problems with FTE but took the bolt apart and lubed the ejector and extractor good with tetra rebuild my mags and have had no more problems just waiting on some componenets now so I can load up another two hundred rounds. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
The only time that I have had issues with AR-15s/M16s is with blanks.... but to fix that, tighten down the BFD, throw some CLP on the bolt and push the base of the magazine forward and up - she'll rip through them then. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I don't shoot blanks through my own ARs though, and I have never had any issues with my rifles, even with Wolf ammo (mind you, they are chambered for the 5.56, so they will eat anything - I understand that those Varmint rifles in .223 can be a little finicky with certain ammo).
 
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I understand that those Varmint rifles in .223 can be a little finicky with certain ammo).



You know, I was kind of worried about that with mine, having a match chamber on it and all, but it will eat anything that I stick in it. Wondered if it would need small base dies but I just use my regular FL dies and they work fine- every time too.

Truth is, I dont think that I have ever gone more than around 150 rounds or so without cleaining it- at least the barrel anyway. Maybe if the shooting gets good in Wyoming I may go a bit longer. We shall see anyway.
 
Quote:
I have used an AR of some type for hunting of and on for the past 10yrs and have never had a problem. But, I have more than once prayed before pulling the trigger on an issued M4. I've even opted to carry an AK47 or Mossberg when on patrol or clearing rooms. I have found that in extreme conditions the AR is sensitive to user maintanence and have witnessed many jams at the worst possible times. Magazines are a major culprit also. For a hunting rifle they can't be beat when you compare semi-autos. I have been at the CQM range and by the end of the day there will only be maybe 10 out of 100 weapons that will still fire a magazine of ammo without malfunctions.




I am simply trying to relate to the folklore of which the OP was refering as to the unreliablity of the weapon when employed in the role it was designed for. Maybe I wasn't clear about the AR being sensitive to user maintanece or magazines. I can't think of a more reliable weapon (with the same capabilities). Although, I tested the "transformer" XM8 in Afganistan in 2004 myself and others became a huge fans of the reliability and versatility, testing was all it amounted to and the green machine simply decided no/go.



Quote:
Wow. I wonder if this has anything to do with environment factors. I have been a Firearms Instructor for quite a few years now and been to many high speed SWAT and Firearms schools and classes. I was a SWAT team member for 7 years. I have never ever seen what you are seeing. The extremely rare malfunctions that I have seen in the AR platform, especially in rifles set up for Patrol and SWAT applications can almost always be tied back to a bad magazine. Not saying you are wrong, just that I have never experienced or seen what you are seeing.



I have no idea what is involved in SWAT schools and have no doubt in your credentials and yes I agree that that magazines are major a pain. But, I have been involved in training many federal, state, and municipal/ local agencies in MOuT (urban warfare) operations. I will without a doubt admit that they have much newer and less used equiptment than a typical light infantry unit. When I refer to the CQM range experience, I should have included that those hundred weapons usually fire 30,000 rnds within a 16hr period with 2 armorers standing next to them to no avail. Also, I have been on the same range and see 12-15 of those same weapons keyhole the target consitantly. My last issue M4 I had for 2yrs and I went through three barrels. All the while running around with the same BCG that I know that I have fired at least 40k of ammo through it(who knows what the story was the 5 years befor I got it). Blanks are a major killer of AR reliability also and any one with experince with them knows the kind of gumm substance that will build up. That said, consider the fact that 18-20yr olds are responible for the maintanece after firing 400rnds in 3 1/2 minutes almost everyday. But, I sure like them for hunting.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Don't get me started on MGs, I have many time had to make feed paw springs out of a soldiers key ring.(incidentaly the spring steel of the key chain works better) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
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Ditto what azcoyotehunter said.

No gun problems so far, just got some crappy mags.

All is good in AR land! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I have been shooting ARs for over 40 years, starting with the XM16E1. I have never had a single failure to function as long as the magazine was fully seated.

Jack
 
Quote:
starting with the XM16E1.



I haven't handled one of those so-marked rifles since Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood in 1985. Of course, it had probably been rebuilt once or twice since its birth. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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