So you have a new AR. How to test?

[seb5]

You're overthinking it. Go shoot it with whatever ammo you have. Hand cycling will do nothing.

Except wear out the CH...............

[georgeib]

Except wear out the CH...............

That's what grease is for.

[lysander]

John Farnhams rifle classes all feature a "burn down"....100 rounds of continuous fire stopping only to change magazines.

That would just hurt the barrel.

For the rest of the gun, 100 round at 10 rpm would be just as good to "break it in".

As for the OP's question - one or two magazine is all I need to know if the rifle is going to give me trouble or not.

[RUTGERS95]

1000 rounds no lube or cleaning with various types of ammo including steel. This is cumulative and not in one session unless you have the time and ammo obviously. I personally do it in 2 500 round outings. Lube masks issues and your stick should run with or without lube (obviously lube is recommended in most circumstances). Once you've done this, and it's reliably gone through with no issues then it's reliable. Brand or home build should not matter, to think otherwise is foolish and rookie thinking. I've yet to have an AR that did not pass this test except one but If say which one, the butthurt is going to be profound.

[kirkland]

This entire thread is a facepalm

[RWH24]

This entire thread is a facepalm

Pretty Dang Close.

Good training/practice ammo, Quality mags, go shoot 2-4 mags to set Irons or RDS or Scope.

Take it home, clean, lube and dry fire 750-1000 times over the next week. Use lower only, foam ear plug between hammer and wall where hammer would hit. Cushion the impact to a ZERO. Cycling goes faster this way than cycling the CH and using bolt to slow hammer blow. Dry fire at light fixtures, switch plates and door knobs.

[prepare]

not appropriate--

[Ron3]

This entire thread is a facepalm

Dude, I've pulled the trigger on AR15's too many times over the years to a click or dead trigger. (And watched others do the same) I do not trust them in general although I've had a few that ran well.

My last two new uppers didnt work at all. (Model 1, PSA) I've had alot of rifles, several examples of each, and AR's top the list of stoppages. I hate stoppages and refuse to accept them as routine.

I also hate trying to get a rifle with issues to work right spending time, money, and ammo and usually without results. If I get a gun that has issues I will sell it at a loss with disclosure because I'm done with that crap.

I just got a replacement Beretta Tomcat. I bought it new in 2019. Wasnt reliable for the first 500 rds. Then the frame cracked. (Not unheard of with these but they still work fine) it was reliable for about 150 rds until the slide broke. Non-functional at that point. Beretta sent me another pistol and I quickly sold it.

(Edited to add: I had JUST decided i was willing to carry this gun to protect my life literally 2 minutes before it broke. I was just going to finish a box of ammo when at about 800 rounds it catastrophically failed)

I've bought new Glocks, other pistols, revolvers, shotguns, and rifles that didnt work right over the decades.

I've only got two rifles now. They've been reliable. I want to sell one ( Beretta ARX) because I hear the aftermarket trigger in it has a problem (hammer suddenly breaks) and the factory trigger stinks. So I've got another of the other rifle coming.

I need to trust it but dont want to spend $1k in ammo testing / training with it.

[Ron3]

prepare's comment deleted

Patriot Kyle Rittenhouse could have been killed when his rifle had a malfunction. It may or may not have been caused by the struggle over it. Guns need to work.

[CatBacker88]

This entire thread is a facepalm

Oh, it will get worse.