-
ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info
Fixing a student’s 16” AR carbine
- Thread starter cmshoot
- Start date
Well I was going to say the extractor spring but you have ruled that out.
For all the noveske, bcm, DD fans...it’s my dads rifle. He’s not an AR guy but wanted to get into one. He loves firearms but is more of a classic bolt gun, tc contender, revolver guy. He’s a very, very skilled carpenter, electrician, and mechanic.
I purchased him a complete Radical Firearms 16 inch upper to include a BCG that came with the rifle from the factory. My brother bought him the Anderson lower with an Anderson trigger group and some no name milspec parts kit. We did it, because with my dads background, he likes to tinker, build, and learn.
He doesnt have the same “operator” experience my brothers and I have, so we paid for him to attend cmshoots class to get comfortable with his new rifle. It was having issues during the class.
My dad was able to shoot about 20 or so rounds before it would jam. He would change mags and then shoot about 20 more before another jam. He was able to complete the course though, and learned a lot. He became much more comfortable with this new rifle. At the end of the course cmshoot was the man and took it to repair it. I’ll forward my dad cmshoots message on here so he knows what to look for on ARs now.
The issue definitely got my dad thinking though and he texts me a YouTube video a day now on properly handling and working on ARs. So thanks cmshoot for all you do!
I purchased him a complete Radical Firearms 16 inch upper to include a BCG that came with the rifle from the factory. My brother bought him the Anderson lower with an Anderson trigger group and some no name milspec parts kit. We did it, because with my dads background, he likes to tinker, build, and learn.
He doesnt have the same “operator” experience my brothers and I have, so we paid for him to attend cmshoots class to get comfortable with his new rifle. It was having issues during the class.
My dad was able to shoot about 20 or so rounds before it would jam. He would change mags and then shoot about 20 more before another jam. He was able to complete the course though, and learned a lot. He became much more comfortable with this new rifle. At the end of the course cmshoot was the man and took it to repair it. I’ll forward my dad cmshoots message on here so he knows what to look for on ARs now.
The issue definitely got my dad thinking though and he texts me a YouTube video a day now on properly handling and working on ARs. So thanks cmshoot for all you do!
Also, for the price, my dad got this rifle last year. All in, my brother and I paid $550. With cmshoots repairs it will be about $775 total. Thats still half the price of what BCAs are going for now, about a quarter the price of colts, and a tenth the price of a noveske or DD. 
Also, for the price, my dad got this rifle last year. All in, my brother and I paid $550. With cmshoots repairs it will be about $775 total. Thats still half the price of what BCAs are going for now, about a quarter the price of colts, and a tenth the price of a noveske or DD.
She oughta run like a champ now! I was waiting on some ejector springs to come in, but then I found mine earlier tonight. Had them in the wrong drawer.
Replacing the ejector, ejector spring, and ejector pin.
I finally talked myself into buying a Young Manufacturing AR ejector tool and it makes the job a breeze. Just insert the bolt into the tool, screw it down to depress the ejector, and drive the pin out. Reverse to reinstall.
Replacement ejector from Colt. I mic’ed to make sure that it’s within the proper specs, and visually inspected it to make sure that it has a nice rounded edge on the working surface.
Cleaned the ejector pocket out with pipe cleaners and solvent, then applied oil to the ejector pocket with a clean pipe cleaner. Some oil on the new ejector spring and ejector, as well. Before this, the pocket was very dry and had fouling in it.
Back in the tool. This is showing everything compressed and waiting for the new roll pin to be installed.
Just waiting on a moment to get some range time later in the week for test-fire.
I finally talked myself into buying a Young Manufacturing AR ejector tool and it makes the job a breeze. Just insert the bolt into the tool, screw it down to depress the ejector, and drive the pin out. Reverse to reinstall.
Replacement ejector from Colt. I mic’ed to make sure that it’s within the proper specs, and visually inspected it to make sure that it has a nice rounded edge on the working surface.
Cleaned the ejector pocket out with pipe cleaners and solvent, then applied oil to the ejector pocket with a clean pipe cleaner. Some oil on the new ejector spring and ejector, as well. Before this, the pocket was very dry and had fouling in it.
Back in the tool. This is showing everything compressed and waiting for the new roll pin to be installed.
Just waiting on a moment to get some range time later in the week for test-fire.
Test-fired 60rds of Federal M193 today and she ran, but WHOOOOAAA the recoil was excessive. I started going through what I had done in my head, and realized that while I had the upper apart, I had not measured the gas port.
With thoughts of running a heavier buffer and/or buffer spring to tame her a mite, a pulled the rail and gas block. Cleaned the gas port out and used pin gauges to check the port. This is a 16” barrel with a carbine length gas system. The port should measure .062” - .064”. This one measured .089”. Gas port is drilled a bit weird, as well. A .091” pin would drop deep into the gas port, but not quite deep enough to drop into the barrel. Not sure if that’s the way that it’s drilled, or if there is some fouling that is keeping the larger pin from going through. I noticed originally that there was quite a bit of copper fouling coming through the gas port, in addition to carbon.
In my book, not worth trying to compensate for with buffers/springs/adjustable gas blocks. I’ll go over options with the owner and see how he wants to proceed.
With thoughts of running a heavier buffer and/or buffer spring to tame her a mite, a pulled the rail and gas block. Cleaned the gas port out and used pin gauges to check the port. This is a 16” barrel with a carbine length gas system. The port should measure .062” - .064”. This one measured .089”. Gas port is drilled a bit weird, as well. A .091” pin would drop deep into the gas port, but not quite deep enough to drop into the barrel. Not sure if that’s the way that it’s drilled, or if there is some fouling that is keeping the larger pin from going through. I noticed originally that there was quite a bit of copper fouling coming through the gas port, in addition to carbon.
In my book, not worth trying to compensate for with buffers/springs/adjustable gas blocks. I’ll go over options with the owner and see how he wants to proceed.
The port on this barrel is too large for a 12.5”, 11.5”, or 10.3” barrel. They are .078”, .076”, and .071”, respectively.
Not easy to salvage or repurpose a barrel with a port that’s too large. Tomato stake is a good option, though.
