My factory built LMT LM8MWS SBR and the lessons I've learned

[LMTRules]

Haha, did mess up my user name.

Thanks for complimenting my rifle, I really like it other than the issues I've worked out+ if I get another barrel changing will suck.

How an I supposed to pull the barrel? BCG removed, pulled front bolt, loosen rear 4 turns or so then pull right?

When it didn't pull by hand I removed rear bolt, still nothing. Got a wooden dowel and smacked it outta there. What should I do differently next time? Emailed LMT again asking wtf, told to remove upper and BCM, grab barrel (should be fun on sbr) and smack front of forend against a bench.

My rifle runs good now, just can't change my barrel out without beating it out. My piston cqb barrel pulls out by hand no problem.

Other MWS owners, how hard is it to pull your barrel? Does your barrel have a lip where crossbolt trough was machined in?

BTW, believe if your military or police you'll get better customer service as I mentioned I'm a shift worker so don't be available was asked about my job. Don't think that should matter as I did pay for a product that's not working as advertised (change barrel in 30 secs as per '18 catalog pg13). Gonna beat my rifle when I get home

[LMTRules]

The lessons I learned are:

Check rifle upon arrival for issues including pulling the barrel before 21 days is up. Also check your serial number, mine was not very deep into lower.

If you want a UBR or Raptor SD charging handle get heavy buffers xh carbine buffer w/ .308 spring.

Watch that safety spring as it travels underneath stock pistol grip.

Sights can be in yards or meters. Specify when ordering as they'll not trade them out even if the things never been shot and still in the box

[ALCOAR]

With all due respect, your entire list of lessons learned are not the responsibility of LMT. It's not an at fault policy of LMT, or any firearm manufacturer to mandate a firearm inspection return period, much less to accept products back after a year or more. If you had done any reading in the main LMT thread on here, you'd have known from numerous first hand accounts what you'd need to get the UBR to properly function. AR building 101 teaches you to always watch the safety spring when assembling the pistol grip. I'm not gonna comment on the barrel other than to say I've never seen that type of flaw or damage in close to a decade of owning, and reading about hundreds of other peoples MRPs, and MWSs. LMT makes L129A1s and MARS MRPs for both the British MoD, and NZDF, so obviously they need sights appropriate for both the American, and European forms of measurement. To expect them again to swap parts out after a year plus is unreasonable from a business perspective. NIB or not doesn't matter, would you try and return a shirt, or pair of pants that are new but are a year old to the manufacturer? How about a car? How about a frozen pizza?


Obviously the machine marks near the mag release are to some unacceptable, however if you decided not to send it back upon first noticing them how is it their fault? Also, it's hard to believe Gene saying it's acceptable to have to hammer your barrel out. I can assure you that the design, and every MRP/MWS I've owned is quick change....meaning, the barrel is removable on the fly by hand.


I'm a big fan of LMT, and the design in question, but I've definitely seen LMT make mistakes. I even believe their overall customer service isn't at the top of the industry, mainly because of whom they cater their products to. I've always believed LMT treated the civilian market differently from the military/leo market. They will never be like Roger at FCD or Bill at Geissele Automatics, but they are fair, and I've never been aware of a case where they took advantage of a customer. I understand you frustration in general about any high dollar gun, but with all that you've posted, the fault honestly doesn't seem to lie at LMT's feet outside of making a mistake on your lower, which again they weren't aware of for 15 months or more.


At any rate, I'm sorry your not happy with a rifle you paid $3k for. Every firearm owner should have empathy for that aspect, and many have most likely paid a large sum at one time or another for a gun they weren't happy with.

[LMTRules]

The sights I called to get changed out when it arrived. If not that day the second day of it being local at my dealers place of business.

I did not assemble the rifle, this was a factory built rifle so I don't think i should have to tear the rifle completely apart to check detent springs when it was fully built by LMT.

Info i saw related to UBR gen 1, maybe I missed the gen 2 info. Figuring out how to make it run is not on LMT at all, just stating what how I made those parts work, and that they would not work stock. I was surprised the suppressor charging handle was causing the rifle to rip case heads off. Thought i'd mention it.

I accepted the lower issues when I saw it because I wanted to start MY NFA wait time, not dealer to dealer approved back, then dealer to dealer back local, then start my trust approval. That was my decision, but when I contacted LMT to fix my barrel issue I figured I ask about getting it fixed. I was SOL, which okay sure. Not crazy about it but yeah, I should have taken to time when it first arrived. Its on me, just figured if it was going back to fix my barrel issues could they fix my lower at the same time, nope.

Hard to believe or not that's what Gene told me on the phone. I emailed him back asking how do I fix my barrel to be able to change it by hand. Response was " Remove the BCG and upper from lower. With muzzle pointing downwards, tap the end of the rail on something solid like a corner of a bench while pulling the barrel out. I cant remember what rail you have but DO NOT put your fingers into the holes on the receiver while removing the barrel." That was the whole email so that's what I'm going to try. My issue with forcing this thing in and out is what is it doing to its mating surface inside my $1000 upper receiver?

I do really appreciate your opinion as you seem like an expert on the LMT family of rifles. Your very informative posts and youtube videos are some of the best concerning this manufacturer. Seems like your the second person leaning towards I damaged my barrel somehow. What am I doing wrong? Pull front bolt out, loosen rear 3-4 turns right??

Think I'm just going to lightly sand down that lip as little as possible to make it work.

[khc3]

Using inertia and gravity, to tap the barrel out, or even using a dowel to “tap” it out, isn’t the same thing as “hammering.” If the barrel wouldn’t come out doing what they suggested, you should have sent it back then for service.

[LMTRules]

Haven't tried what they said to do yet, just got the email yesterday. Doubt it'll work but no biggie. I'll file the nub down flat. So far all I've gotten is I'm messed up somehow and no helpful advice so unless there's something worthwhile for me to respond to I'm done defending myself. Peace

[Bret]

Also, it's hard to believe Gene saying it's acceptable to have to hammer your barrel out. I can assure you that the design, and every MRP/MWS I've owned is quick change....meaning, the barrel is removable on the fly by hand.

In the face of that evidence, I don't think it's appropriate to question the truthfulness of the OP simply because you've never seen a LMT firearm with this sort of problem.

LMTRules, I wouldn't attempt to fix this myself. If you're not able to fix it, then it will be turned around on you as the cause of the problem. That galling would be unacceptable on a $300 rifle. Like I said, go up the ladder until you get someone who cares about customer service. If they're too busy to be bothered with the civilian market, then they shouldn't sell in to it. Another option is to start with an email asking them how much it would be to fix their manufacturing defect.

[Joelski]

30 days ain't worth being stuck with a 3k lemon. Shoulda boxed it up and moved on to a SCAR, or MR 7.62.

[m4hk33]

something definitely is going on with the tolerances with wither your receiver or barrel. Of the 4 Chassis that i have, none require knocking the barrel loose, they all come out by hand. I would call Gene and just tell him in spite of his last recomendation ask if they could please just check it out because something still feels off.

While LMT makes some of the best rifles on the planet, they like any other company are not perfect. there was a thread over on ARFCOM the other day where one of the brownells chassis had an undersized front lug (was like .475 vs the .496 spec and was pretty sloppy. does stuff like that suck, of course. But I have always found them to be helpful, I had an issue with a Gen 1 Bolt, they gave me an RMA and sent it back with the Gen 2 dual Ejector bolt

I have a pretty similar rifle to you which i honestly enjoy more than my Scar, It does run damn hard with the can on. I only had it out a couple times the last time i was home on leave. I'll grab a FA BCG for that upper as well as an H3, and Slashes super heavy to address the over gassing. Might add a Law tactical hinge and call it a day as the only thing that i really like about the Scar at this point is that it folds

[LMT Shooter]

It's been 5-6 years since I removed a barrel from a LMT for the first time, but I have 4, and I recall that the fit is tighter on a new chassis than one which I've shot & removed the barrel on. They all did loosen up over time, and backing the second screw out more than 4 turns helps. My memory of my first, a piston MRP, about 10yrs ago, is that I had a heck of a time getting the barrel out the first time, but didn't have to use a hammer. That barrel will fall out under its own weight now, once the screws are out/loose.

Has everyone else always been able to "very easily" remove their MRP/MWS barrel the first time you did it?

Edit: I can't recall for sure if I've ever removed the barrel from my most recently purchased chassis, but the other 3 I have done it many times.