A couple of days ago I was shooting drills when I had a failure to fire. I tap, racked, banged, and continued on. A few more rounds later, the same thing happened, and again, a few more rounds later, the same thing. Now, I admit, I should have broken my rifle down before this point and diagnosed the problem, because I had and estimated three thousand rounds through it without a single problem. However, I had done a lot of shooting lately without cleaning, only lubing, so I figured it was just built up carbon and gunk that was sticking things up. However, when I broke the rifle down I found that the gas tube opening had been peeled back on one side, and the gas key had been peeled back on the corresponding side. The failures to go into battery was obviously caused by the damage preventing the tube and key meeting up properly.
I ordered a new tube and key from BCM yesterday, and ADCO has said they will fix it no problem. I know, I should be able to fix it myself, but this is my go to rifle, so I want to make sure it's done right. I've never had this happen before, so I wondered if someone could diagnose the cause and if there was a preventive action to keep it from happening again once repaired.
The rifle is a BCM 11.5 inch that I sent the upper to ADCO for removal of the original front sight base, and installation and pinning of a BCM low profile gas block. Again, this was all when the upper was new, and since I have about three thousand rounds through it without a single malfunction, it is obviously no fault of BCM or ADCO. I only name drop to show this wasn't a bubba built or a bubba wrenched upper. Ammo was Winchester 5.56 55 gr. I was also shooting suppressed when the trouble started. Buffer spring was an almost fresh Springco white with H3 buffer.
If this is something that just happens, then so be it. I just wanted to check to see if there was something that I could do going forward to prevent it from happening again.
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