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Can your troubleshoot AR bolt catch?

MSCHRIS

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Here is what is going on: I got one of those 10.5 uppers from PSA and then tried to put it on a new lower with the SBA3 brace. I went to do a function check.

With the mag well empty, I tried to manipulate the bolt catch to hold the bolt open. It failed. So, I changed the bolt catch out with a new one. It failed. I tried a shorter buffer tube. The bolt catch still would not work manually (though it would stay open on an empty magazine.) I swapped out the bolts and mag catch still wouldn't work manually.

Over the weekend, I went to a gun show, found a guy with a complete pistol lower and put the PSA upper on it. I cocked it and tried to get the bolt hold to work manually. No luck. So, the problem is in the upper receiver, but what could be wrong with it?
 
M MSCHRIS

I hate to ask this but are you operating the bolt catch lever properly?
You said it works on an empty mag so the bolt face where it contacts the catch should be fine.

Get a light to see inside through your dust cover while you pull the BCG back with the charging handle. Try to push in bolt catch lever and see what the issue is.

You should be able to see what the problem is as the bolt catch should be visible.

Here is what mine looks like with the bolt locked back on my rifle.

20200129_013537.jpg
 
The bolt catch works identical to my rifle. Rifle works fine manually. I guess my answer is yes. Sometimes I can get the pistol lower to work after several tries, but a slap on the back end of that brace and the bolt slams forward.

I guess that upper is going back to PSA. Nobody seems to know the answer.
 
Here is what is going on: I got one of those 10.5 uppers from PSA and then tried to put it on a new lower with the SBA3 brace. I went to do a function check.

With the mag well empty, I tried to manipulate the bolt catch to hold the bolt open. It failed. So, I changed the bolt catch out with a new one. It failed. I tried a shorter buffer tube. The bolt catch still would not work manually (though it would stay open on an empty magazine.) I swapped out the bolts and mag catch still wouldn't work manually.

Over the weekend, I went to a gun show, found a guy with a complete pistol lower and put the PSA upper on it. I cocked it and tried to get the bolt hold to work manually. No luck. So, the problem is in the upper receiver, but what could be wrong with it?

Is it as simple as you’re not getting the bolt pulled back far enough manually?
 
The wrong recoil spring in the tube...???

That was my thinking, but all I had access to were carbine and rifle springs. I sent it back to PSA (they supplied the spring and buffer tube), so maybe they can tell me what happened. I've never run across that problem before.

Do 10.5 inch pistols use a spring that is shorter than carbine length? I didn't think about that, but when I get the upper back I'll compare it against a carbine buffer spring. Great call on that one.
 
UPDATE

Sent my upper back to PSA. The gunsmith must have been a primate because he fires 60 rounds out of the weapon, declares that there is nothing wrong with it and sends it back.

On Feb. 13 I get an e mail that PSA shipped the upper back. After a few days go by, the package isn't moving through UPS. A telephone call to PSA and they say they're backed up. Every couple of days I'm calling them to see what's happening. They "lost" the upper, they were supposed to call back and didn't, then the weapon was supposed to go through quality control, it got lost again, and then they were backed up again.

Three weeks after they said they shipped the upper, they finally ship it back... the bolt hold mechanism still doesn't work right, the upper is filthy as a dirt road, and once I started cleaning it, the flash hider was found to be so loose I took it off with my fingers.

Meanwhile, on another thread here I was being chided by some posters as if I were an idiot for even asking for help. Surely if I knew about the AR platform, this should be an easy problem to fix... but nobody here could. PSA couldn't fix it.

One trip out with this thing and I'm mad at the charging handle for being so hard to manipulate. I swung by Bullseye, picked up a BCM charging handle and changed it out. It operated like a high end AR.... AND AND AND... the bolt hold mechanism worked without me having to insert a magazine. Problem solved: cheap charging handle on those promo uppers.

Two lessons learned: PSA has the worst customer service in the business

A bad charging handle can cause the bolt hold mechanism to malfunction.

Sent a certified letter to the owner of PSA about their quality control, incompetent gunsmith, and the 21 days it took them to take a labeled box from one part of the warehouse and put it on the dock door for UPS.
 
UPDATE

Sent my upper back to PSA. The gunsmith must have been a primate because he fires 60 rounds out of the weapon, declares that there is nothing wrong with it and sends it back.

On Feb. 13 I get an e mail that PSA shipped the upper back. After a few days go by, the package isn't moving through UPS. A telephone call to PSA and they say they're backed up. Every couple of days I'm calling them to see what's happening. They "lost" the upper, they were supposed to call back and didn't, then the weapon was supposed to go through quality control, it got lost again, and then they were backed up again.

Three weeks after they said they shipped the upper, they finally ship it back... the bolt hold mechanism still doesn't work right, the upper is filthy as a dirt road, and once I started cleaning it, the flash hider was found to be so loose I took it off with my fingers.

Meanwhile, on another thread here I was being chided by some posters as if I were an idiot for even asking for help. Surely if I knew about the AR platform, this should be an easy problem to fix... but nobody here could. PSA couldn't fix it.

One trip out with this thing and I'm mad at the charging handle for being so hard to manipulate. I swung by Bullseye, picked up a BCM charging handle and changed it out. It operated like a high end AR.... AND AND AND... the bolt hold mechanism worked without me having to insert a magazine. Problem solved: cheap charging handle on those promo uppers.

Two lessons learned: PSA has the worst customer service in the business

A bad charging handle can cause the bolt hold mechanism to malfunction.

Sent a certified letter to the owner of PSA about their quality control, incompetent gunsmith, and the 21 days it took them to take a labeled box from one part of the warehouse and put it on the dock door for UPS.
I've been in the store in Greenville and overheard some customer calls handled by staff. It's about all I can do to keep from laughing out loud.
 
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