Malfunction question

[ssc]

INTRO: Took three rifles to the range today. Rifle one and two have at least 800 rounds through each with no issues. Only difference worth mentioning is one has a G SSA-E and the other has a G SD3G. Rifle three has a proven top end and the lower is a LMT stripped lower I built yesterday with a G SSA-E.

Ammo was both factory and reloads. The reloads are built to spec and have shot MOA with very low deviation on the chrono. I have shot these reloads for at least a year and have shot at least 4000 rounds from 11 different guns--never any issues.

Today rifle one ran great as usual. The LMT ran great. (Shooting both reloads and factory ammo.) Rifle two with the SD3G had 8 FTFire with the reloads.

Fact pattern: Pull trigger-click. Pull back bolt and lock open. The round was still in the chamber with a lighter than normal primer strike. Note that when I pulled the charging handle it did not eject the round. I then let the bolt go forward and tried to eject by pulling the bolt back. A couple of times it did eject and a couple did not. For those that didn't eject, I turned the gun muzzle up and the round would fall out. Hence, no stuck issue. I also had a double feed on one occasion.

Factors: Reloads fired 50 rounds with the above issues. Hence not a consistent problem. But, it happened at the beginning of the shooting session. Ran 20 factory rounds with no issue. Attempted to fire the "duds" and just went click. Attempted to fire the duds in my other rifles and they went bang. Took the BCG from a different gun and ran another 40 reloads with no issue. I still had a few duds left and they fired fine with the other BCG. I then put the original BCG back in the gun. Then took a break. Then shot another 50 rounds of reloads with no issues. Shot 1 inch group at 100 yards and was hitting our steel pig at 300 yards 90%. No malfunctions???

Thoughts: Maybe an extractor issue? I have now changed the extractor spring and insert. Will give it a go next range trip. Reloads? I don't think so. Debris in the bolt or chamber that may have come out. The issue was when I first started to shoot the gun and it did it with different mags, so don't think it is a mag issue or ammo issue. Lastly, it is a quality upper and lower and BCG from the same company.

Thank you for reading this and any thoughts or suggestions.

Regards, Steve

[MegademiC]

Sounds like the bolt is failing to engage fully... possibly an extractor issue. Is your ejector sticking at all?

[ssc]

I did not check the ejector. I will do so and report back.
ejector is good.
Cheers, Steve

[darr3239]

The entire bolt carrier group should look wet with oil, or so I've been told.

[P2000]

Sounds like a bad extractor or extractor spring/insert or assembly of the two. I'd also be curious to know if the rifles headspace is excessive.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

[Iraqgunz]

Knowing who, what, and why would help.

INTRO: Took three rifles to the range today. Rifle one and two have at least 800 rounds through each with no issues. Only difference worth mentioning is one has a G SSA-E and the other has a G SD3G. Rifle three has a proven top end and the lower is a LMT stripped lower I built yesterday with a G SSA-E.

Ammo was both factory and reloads. The reloads are built to spec and have shot MOA with very low deviation on the chrono. I have shot these reloads for at least a year and have shot at least 4000 rounds from 11 different guns--never any issues.

Today rifle one ran great as usual. The LMT ran great. (Shooting both reloads and factory ammo.) Rifle two with the SD3G had 8 FTFire with the reloads.

Fact pattern: Pull trigger-click. Pull back bolt and lock open. The round was still in the chamber with a lighter than normal primer strike. Note that when I pulled the charging handle it did not eject the round. I then let the bolt go forward and tried to eject by pulling the bolt back. A couple of times it did eject and a couple did not. For those that didn't eject, I turned the gun muzzle up and the round would fall out. Hence, no stuck issue. I also had a double feed on one occasion.

Factors: Reloads fired 50 rounds with the above issues. Hence not a consistent problem. But, it happened at the beginning of the shooting session. Ran 20 factory rounds with no issue. Attempted to fire the "duds" and just went click. Attempted to fire the duds in my other rifles and they went bang. Took the BCG from a different gun and ran another 40 reloads with no issue. I still had a few duds left and they fired fine with the other BCG. I then put the original BCG back in the gun. Then took a break. Then shot another 50 rounds of reloads with no issues. Shot 1 inch group at 100 yards and was hitting our steel pig at 300 yards 90%. No malfunctions???

Thoughts: Maybe an extractor issue? I have now changed the extractor spring and insert. Will give it a go next range trip. Reloads? I don't think so. Debris in the bolt or chamber that may have come out. The issue was when I first started to shoot the gun and it did it with different mags, so don't think it is a mag issue or ammo issue. Lastly, it is a quality upper and lower and BCG from the same company.

Thank you for reading this and any thoughts or suggestions.

Regards, Steve

[ssc]

Headspace is correct. The guns were clean and well lubed. Please note that after I removed the BCG and then reinstalled, it ran fine with zero issues for an additional 50 rounds. I have changed the insert and extractor spring and will hit the range in a few minutes. I will report back. I am thinking that the debris is a possibility followed by the extractor spring. Iraqgunz, Gun 1 and 2 are both complete BCM uppers with matching BCM BCG's and complete BCM lowers. I hope I have answered your questions.

Cheers, Steve

[cutter_spc]

If I am reading this right, you only had issues with your reloads? Sounds to me like you most definitely have a head space issue with your ammo. Are you bumping the case shoulders back to far during resizing? Could also be a combination of both rifle and cases. Your rifle may just be on the outer edge of tolerance and your resized round on the other end of tolerance. Try backing your sizing die out a turn or two.

[5.56 Bonded SP]

If I am reading this right, you only had issues with your reloads? Sounds to me like you most definitely have a head space issue with your ammo. Are you bumping the case shoulders back to far during resizing? Could also be a combination of both rifle and cases. Your rifle may just be on the outer edge of tolerance and your resized round on the other end of tolerance. Try backing your sizing die out a turn or two.

I also suggest using a headspace gauge for your brass just to play it safe.

Took the BCG from a different gun and ran another 40 reloads with no issue.

Maybe there is a leak in the BCG? Check gas key?
Maybe there was a loose primer in your gun? Was any of your spent brass missing a primer?

[ssc]

Cutter, that was my thought at one point. Tolerance stacking. However, this gun has run these reloads for many rounds without issue. There were no issues with any guns, including additional rifles I shot today. The variable that steered me away from that is that the BCG would not extract the unfired round nor fire it, but 4 other BCG's would, including when I put the BCG in the upper with the issue. Today after changing the extractor spring I went to the range and had the same malfunction twice in the first 20 rounds. When I cleaned the BCG and changed the spring and inspected all the parts, I had a hunch as to the problem. Keep in mind that this gun had been flawless with these reloads for (after checking my log) 980 rounds.

I replaced the BCG with a new unit I had and ran 220 rounds through the gun with the reloads. It ran perfect. The problem, I believe, is the extractor. It appears to be rounded and not sharp. The shape of the claw appears to be worn. It has a different look and feel (as you run your thumb over the face of the extractor) as compared to other extractors. I will replace the extractor. It may be a red herring that I did not have an issue with factory ammo because, I had not shot a lot of factory loads.

Cheers, Steve