View Full Version : Im choking from the fumes!
Say what you will.
I'm fresh into the AR world. Most of what I know, I've learned from this site. Glad to have it available, thanks.
Here's the deal. While I was newly "in the market" and considering an AR, I came across a friend of a friend deal. He had an LWRC M6a2 with LOTS of extras all for a steal of a price. Looked briefly at lwrc's track record, and figuring I could resale it regardless, I jumped in. So far I have been pleased with its performance and am really falling for ar's. PROBLEM and point of this post is that I get a mouth/face full of gas every time I shoot it. I'm shooting xm193 and the gas burns my lungs and my eyes consistently. SO is this typical of ar's in general or just limited to the piston/gas nozel blow off of the lwrc? Am I just a puss and are my hopes of preventing lung cancer an overly preemptive precaution? I'm not having a great time shooting it due to this and if the piston is the prob here, I'm thinking of dumping it and persuing my wants for a DI sbr. Well, I'm kinda leaning that way anyway, so if anyone could lend some thoughts, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.
Something's not right, that's not typical at all. It IS typical if you're shooting an AR with a suppressor.
You can either get a gas buster charging handle for about $90 or do the RTV trick as seen on 03designgroup. http://www.03designgroup.com/technotes/do-it-yourself-gas-buster-charging-handle
Riley~~~
ForTehNguyen
04-06-10, 13:22
do you know exactly where the on the gun gas that is affecting you coming? The fact that its a piston is making me scratch my head more.
It is definitely not normal, I have several DI ARs and shot plenty of other peoples and never had that gas coming back.
Seems to make sense that it would be coming from the charging handle area. How common is this and is it purely a tolerance/fitment issue or a bcg specific cycle issue? Am I sooting in the dark at the possibilites?...probably. Thanks for the help.
You're not running the gas selector in a mode other than "normal / unsuppressed," are you?
ForTehNguyen
04-06-10, 15:29
You're not running the gas selector in a mode other than "normal / unsuppressed," are you?
yea this was the second thing I had in mind. Suppressed mode would send more gas back to the BCG correct?
i suppose you could TRY a gasbuster, but i somewhat doubt that'll help.. the only gas that enters the receiver with a piston is back pressure, which, on an unsuppressed gun, shouldn't be much. im not all that up on the different piston designs, but i'm sort of thinking you've got a crack/other leak in your piston assembly thats shooting it back into your face from the handguard area
Might also help if we knew how fast you were shooting.
yea this was the second thing I had in mind. Suppressed mode would send more gas back to the BCG correct?
It might allow more volume of gas back through the system, in effect making the "smoke and fumes" he's referring to. More gas would escape back through the chamber as the BCG cycled due to the extra back-pressure from a suppressed setting. Still, it shouldn't be that noticeable.
There is no mode selector for the m6a2, that's the a3. I can't say I have ever noticed the gas issue with any shooting speeds less than double/triple taps. So it does seem to happen under rapid fire. And yes, it would have to be a backpressure issue if there wasn't something amiss with the piston system, being that the carrier key is struck mechanically or not pneumatically. Next step I guess is to contact lwrc or head over to their forums.
There is no mode selector for the m6a2, that's the a3. I can't say I have ever noticed the gas issue with any shooting speeds less than double/triple taps. So it does seem to happen under rapid fire. And yes, it would have to be a backpressure issue if there wasn't something amiss with the piston system, being that the carrier key is struck mechanically or not pneumatically. Next step I guess is to contact lwrc or head over to their forums.
What brand of XM193 are you shooting?
RogerinTPA
04-06-10, 18:13
I'm with Templar, something ain't right. I'd take it to a good AR Smith or call the manufacturer and discuss it with them. Send it to them and have them check it out. You have a leak some where.
Kind of a stretch, but what flash suppressor?
Is it possible it was just the wind? Or if indoors, bad air circulation?
I thought about that, but its happened every time Ive shot it and I haven't made a Wind connection.
If there was a suppressor selection it would let less gas through. A suppressor adds backpressure so you need to dial the gas pressure down accordingly.
How does your brass look? With my DI AR my brass comes out clean except maybe a small bit right at the neck.
How much lube have you been using? There is a post somewhere here about how to properly lube an AR if you havent looked at it yet. Im not saying its your problem but just something else to check.
Anyway as the other posters said thats not normal unless your shooting suppressed.
Need more details on the "lots of extras".
My first thought was that he could be running a KX3 too long of a barrel. But I'm not even sure if that would send gas back down into the chamber.
If there was a suppressor selection it would let less gas through.
Yes, but in letting less gas through to the piston, it would create higher barrel/chamber pressures, resulting in more back-pressure when the bolt unlocks. This is how carbon still ends up all over the inside of both receivers on a piston gun. Yes, it's not that much, but it's still a possibility.
thopkins22
04-07-10, 10:18
I doubt the OP is truly getting blasted in the face with gas like you might expect with a suppressed DI gun.
Every AR style rifle I've ever fired causes you to inhale some gas. My money says that he's just not used to it.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.