First AR lots of malfunctions.

[Kdubya]

Ok, I will contact them. Didn't bother since I read so many bad things about their customer service.

I didn't realize that was in the rules, sorry.

I understand what folks are saying about outrunning the mag, but what about the bolt not locking back? Can it outrun the bolt catch as well?

How easy is it to lock the bolt back manually? And make sure it's all the way; as it's possible to lock it back short of where it's actually supposed to catch.

I had a lower with a receiver extension that would not allow for the BCG to travel far enough to the rear. It was a defect with the RE, and I caught it before firing any rounds. So, unfortunately I can't speak to any malfunctions it might have caused.

Also, break the rifle down and take a dowel rod/ruler/whatever and manually push the buffer and spring into the reciever extension. See if you can feel any binding.

If I'm reading things right, your malfunctions could be cause by the BCG not being able to travel far enough back. So, it's worth a shot looking into the RE, buffer and spring; as any one of those could impede the full travel of the BCG.

Keep is posted on what PSA says, and any troubleshooting you manage to do in the meantime.

[ScottsBad]

Maybe PSA needs their own forum for trouble shooting their crap.

[ScottsBad]

Per site rules you should probably contact PSA first.

I had a minor extractor issue with one of their BCGs a while back. I called on my way home from work, and waited for about 20 minutes. When I did get a CS rep, he went above and beyond in making it right. All it warranted was a new spring, but they replaced the whole thing. Shipped it back on their dime, and had the replacement in hand in under a week.

Some may have instances of poor CS with PSA. Others have echoed my experience. The same can be said about every company out there. Don't buy into the hysterics just yet. See what they have to say.

LOL. No, the same cannot be said about, "every company out there". Sorry, but the I've seen dozens and dozens of posts on this site and the Ca. guns website with PSA problems, mostly crappy quality, some with crappy quality and bad CS. PSA delivers crap.

[MistWolf]

Before doing anything, perform a lock back check.

First, insert an empty magazine and verify the bolt will lock back when manually cycling the action.

Next, load one round in the magazine, insert the mag in the rifle and fire the round. If the bolt does not lock back, it's short stroking.

Short stroking is caused by not having enough gas to operate the action. The rifle either has a gas leak or a constriction in the gas system. It should also function properly with an H or H2 buffer.

Your AR is not out running the magazine spring. The bolt carrier speed would have to be very high indeed, to outrun the magazine spring.

The first step in trouble shooting a malfunctioning AR is to perform a lock back check.
The first step in trouble shooting a malfunctioning AR is to perform a lock back check.
The first step in trouble shooting a malfunctioning AR is to perform a lock back check.

[26 Inf]

Maybe PSA needs their own forum for trouble shooting their crap.

Thank you for bringing so much to the discussion.

[Caduceus]

"contact PSA, and see if you can get them to un**** the rifle"

Good luck contacting them and good luck getting them to fix it if they ever call you back. He screwed himself by buying the piece of shit. No such thing as a free lunch.

They fixed a 6.8 upper and had it back in 2 weeks for me.

Gas tube was out of spec

[MegademiC]

I’ve been having a lot of problems with my brand new Palmetto AR.
It’s a 16” mid length, 1:7, premium BCG. 3oz buffer. I did not build it piece by piece. bought a complete lower, barreled upper, BCG, and charging handle, all from PSA, and put it together.

I had a lot of malfunctions, with 3 different ammo's (american eagle 223 55gr, PMC 223 55gr, IMI 5.56 55gr), and 3 different mags, 1 20rnd colt, 1 20rnd Brownells, 1 30rnd Brownells, all Aluminum.

Out of 120rnds of half filled mags, I probably had 40 malfunctions.

In the midst of this I had only a mag cycle perfectly once.

Most malfunctions the round didn’t feed and bolt closed on a empty chamber. Racking it fixed that, till the next shot, where it did it again, and again, etc.

Also had 10 where the bullet was on the feed ramp, and the brass was stuck under the bolt, back end still in the mag. This seems to be caused by the bolt not going back far enough and the carrier striping the round instead of the bolt.

Bolt only locked back on a empty mag 3 or 4 times

Spent cases ejected ok with one exception.

One blown primer, popped out of case, I think IMI.

I tried 3 different amounts of lube, from light coat to dripping wet, no difference.

Dissembled and cleaned all the way down to down to the extractor, no difference.

If I cycle it by hand there are no problems.

I think this is a gas pressure issue since I am already using the 3oz buffer but I don’t know where to go next. Hopefully there is an easier answer than checking gas port size and alignment.

I have pictures of the malfunctions if that will help.
Attachment 47221

What did PSA say about it?

[pinzgauer]

Maybe PSA needs their own forum for trouble shooting their crap.

No fan of PSA, but comments like this are about useless and to me are more of a annoyance than someone asking for help in gear I don't like.

Ignore the thread and move on

[Blueduck600]

This morning I sent PSA a detailed email, then I followed up with a phone call on my lunch break. 10 minutes on hold and I got a real person(good start).
The representative told me that it is covered under their lifetime warranty, unless I run it over, change the barrel, or Cerakote it.
She put me on hold for a couple minutes in order to show the description in my email (copy of my first post) to a manager.
Manager declared that it was likely a feed ramp issue. My guess is that he didn't really read the email.
They are going to email me a shipping label and check things out. Expected turn around 15 days.
--
As far as buffer travel goes. If I cycle it by hand there are no problems, and feels smooth. Bolt retracts till i can feel the plastic end of the buffer hit the end of the buffer tube. At that point the bolt face is 1/4" past the bolt catch. Bolt catch captures and holds bolt properly. Round always feed properly when cycled by hand
--
One thing I noticed was the the gas block is not centered inside the hand guard, even though the feed ramps cut in the receiver line up perfectly with ramps cut in the barrel.
My guess at this point is a misaligned gas block.
----
In a couple of the responses, it was suggested that a heaver buffer would help not having enough gas pressure. Could someone explain this? I would think the opposite.
----
Thanks for the help everyone, time will tell.

Adam

[grizzman]

A heavier buffer is a solution if the system has too much gas pressure. The increased gas pressure supposedly increases bolt carrier speed so much that the carrier moves all the way to the rear and back forward past the rear of the top round in the magazine before the magazine spring is able to lift the top round to the top of the magazine to be stripped off. In the same realm of thinking, the bolt carrier is moving so rapidly fully to the rear and forward past the rear of the magazine before the magazine spring pushes the follower up to engage the bolt catch. I consider this to be highly unlikely.

By not centered inside the handguard, are you stating that the gas block is rotated around the barrel, to the left or right, and not oriented straight up and down. If this is the case, then it sounds like the gas flow is being restricted at the gas port/block junction. If the barrel were dimpled improperly for the set screws (I doubt PSA pins their gas blocks), then the barrel should be replaced. If they don't dimple the barrel, then the gas block may be able to be reinstalled properly.