View Full Version : Bushmaster trouble
Gentlemen,
I have a problem with my Bushmaster Carbon 15 M4. First off, shoots great. Handles great and is suoer easy for my duty carry (LEO in Miami). I've qualified with it twice and no problems. Sighted in an EOTECH and again, no problems.
Last weekend several of us went to the range to practice. Got off two 20 round mags and the problem started. Fail to feed. I would fire a couple of rounds and get a 'fail to feed'. Charge again, and fire. One or two rounds and another 'fail to feed'. The bolt recoils and stops at the point of picking up a round from the mag.
Stripped everything down, cleaned and oiled, got new ammo, and checked the mags - no visible damage to anything. Tried again and bingo - more 'fail to feed'. Help. I called Bushmaster and spoke to their 'smith. After explaining the situation he couldn't give me an answer.
The 20 round mags are from Bushmaster, the 30 rounder is from Brownells. Ammo was Black Hills and Federal.
Suggestions?
Erick Gelhaus
08-31-06, 20:59
Out of curiousity ... is the carrier key staked? Are the hex head bolts on the carrier actually tight? This seems to be the most frequent issue I encounter of BM weapons.
Erick
Out of curiousity ... is the carrier key staked? Are the hex head bolts on the carrier actually tight? This seems to be the most frequent issue I encounter of BM weapons.
Erick
I agree with Erick. Check your gas key.
John_Wayne777
09-01-06, 08:52
Gentlemen,
The 20 round mags are from Bushmaster, the 30 rounder is from Brownells. Ammo was Black Hills and Federal.
Suggestions?
The first place to look for malfunctions is at the magazine. I bought seven brand new C-Products magazines to go to my Blackwater class in May, and by Wed one magazine had developed a bad habit of failing to feed when I still had 8 or 9 rounds in it.
How many magazines total did you try? I gather you used multiple magazines, but if it was only two or three then it is entirely possible that those two or three could have issues. Not very likely, but possible.
If it isn't the magazines themselves, it might be possible that the carbon AR you are using doesn't like certain magazines.
Personally I don't have much experience with carbon ARs. Maybe one of the numerous AR gods on this board can tell you more...
Pat_Rogers
09-01-06, 09:04
My sympathy...
Erick is correct. That company is well know for failing to stake/ properly stake the gas key.
If not immediately visible, take an empty mag. Load one round into it and chamber and fire.
The bolt should lock to the rear. Repeat for total of 5x. If it doesn't, certainly a gas problem. Bolt rings may be worn.
Magazines are always an issue, but the Brownell's generally work fine. Your ammo is good.
Also check the recoil spring for proper length.
FWIW- i see very few of the carbon guns. Of those that i actually saw at class, one completed the course.
Did you do your IM drill? Tap-Rack-Bang.....
One of the most frequent problems I've had with M16/AR15 is the mag gets worn where the mag catch engages it, allowing the front end of the mag to dip down a bit. This causes the nose end of the round being feed to hit the inside of the mag well and stopping.
The other issue could be the mag spring. If it's weak when the bold goes to strip it off the mag the round could "nose down".
So in one question then; When you say fail to feed, where does the round stop?
My sympathy...
Erick is correct. That company is well know for failing to stake/ properly stake the gas key.
If not immediately visible, take an empty mag. Load one round into it and chamber and fire.
The bolt should lock to the rear. Repeat for total of 5x. If it doesn't, certainly a gas problem. Bolt rings may be worn.
Magazines are always an issue, but the Brownell's generally work fine. Your ammo is good.
Also check the recoil spring for proper length.
FWIW- i see very few of the carbon guns. Of those that i actually saw at class, one completed the course.
You should see the Stake job on my CMT carrier
it looks like it was done with a screw driver and cut almost all the way down
Although CMT did a HACK job it works/runs great
The Stakeing job done on my LMT DEFENDER looks to be right on the money
I was lucky with my two bushmasters
I ended up selling mine Last year
but kept a Bushmaster lower and added a VLTOR and a LMT M4 upper
I really wish BUSHMASTER all the LUCK with a CARBON/PLASTIC upper/lowers
It would be nice to have a SUPER LITE carbine
Maybe GLOCK :D can pull it off
LIL-COMMANDO
09-03-06, 13:10
Get a Colt!! I take carbine classes every year and see many Bushy's fail after a couple of days. Many owners of these weapons will shoot a couple hundred rounds plinking around and the weapon works fine. There is a big difference when you shoot one thousand rounds in two days to determine the reliability of your weapon of choice.
I too carry a AR15 for duty but when it comes down too it I carry a Colt and know it will work because of all the rounds that I have fed it during my carbine classes every year. When on the street dont nickle and dime yourself get what works becuase its your life.
My bud at work has a bushy and he said if he did it all over again he would have spent the extra $500. and bought a colt because it works and the resale value is great.
Check the staking, I had that issue with mine. Also, what kind of gas block? if it is one of the low profile models, check to ensure it is aligned and tight.
On the BC check for carbon around the key at the top of the BC. That was my first clue. Also, they staked it and it looked good, but wasn't. I ended up with red locktite on the screws and never had another issue. HTH.
Mitch
I built a carbine for a friend using an LMT M4 upper, CMMG 1:7 midlength M4 barrel and an RRA lower. It ran fine this weekend for 30 rounds then was getting FTFs on every other round.
I brought it home Saturday night and found out the rounds on the left side of the mag were getting stuck in the Bolt lug notches on the left side. Both bottom lug notches were sharp and square like all of the others. When comparing it to my WOA Barrel with M4 extension, I was dumbfounded. My WOA's lug notches taper out and widen towards the bore. The CMMGs do not. The bullets were getting stuck in those narrow notches and the jackets were getting sliced up pretty bad. I even had a few of the Radway Greens get set back past the cannelure because of it.
I polished up the feedramps in the extension and upper and Sunday we had no FTFs with the Radway Green.
Dragon 2 Zero
09-04-06, 14:58
Check the staking, I had that issue with mine. Also, what kind of gas block? if it is one of the low profile models, check to ensure it is aligned and tight.
On the BC check for carbon around the key at the top of the BC. That was my first clue. Also, they staked it and it looked good, but wasn't. I ended up with red locktite on the screws and never had another issue. HTH.
Mitch
Doesn't red Loctite loosen up from the heat? How many rounds have you fired since applying the Loctite?
gmarr, I have about 1800 rds thru my newest upper - it is all Bushmaster. After putting about 1400 rounds through it (not in one day!), it turned into a single shot rifle. I field stripped it on the line. I found that the gas key was ever-so-slightly loose. I tightened it up as best I could there at the range. It ran fine for the rest of the afternoon - 240 more rounds.
While cleaning the rifle back at home, I discovered that the key bolts were loosening up again (not suprising). I took it all apart & cleaned everything very well - remove all CLP. I checked to make sure the mating surfaces were clean, flat & smooth. Then I bolted it all back toghther & whacked it real good with a Cold Chisel, a Punch & a 60oz hammer :D
I've put a few hundred rounds through it since then & everything is still tight. However, time will tell. I don't think I'll really trust it until I put another 2K through it.
Good Luck!
Robb Jensen
09-04-06, 15:38
If you want I can replace the carrier key and screws (it'll cost about $12.00) if you'll pay return shipping (just send me the bolt carrier). And I'll stake it VERY well with a Ned Christiansen MOACKS (http://www.m-guns.com/tools.php) carrier key staking tool. Let me know.....Robb
If that is the tool Grant uses to stake the CMT M16 carriers he sells, that will be a helluva stake job. Mine is excellent looking and I was able to show the guy at the range how his two tiny dimples in the key that didn't even displace metal were the reason he found his gas key screws loose on another occasion...
Robb Jensen
09-04-06, 20:22
If that is the tool Grant uses to stake the CMT M16 carriers he sells, that will be a helluva stake job. Mine is excellent looking and I was able to show the guy at the range how his two tiny dimples in the key that didn't even displace metal were the reason he found his gas key screws loose on another occasion...
It is the same tool. And yes it does a hell of a job.:D
ChromeLined
09-05-06, 22:47
First id like to know how many Bushmasters fail due to being new out of the box.I have a 13 year old that I know didnt smoothe out until it had a couple thousand rounds on it.Ive taken carbine classes with my 9000 round bushmaster carbine the barrel has 6000 of those and the bolt carrier and bolt 5000,its nice and reliable along with the other 3 I owne.
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