Tubbs flatwire vs stock A5 spring?

[17K]

Maybe a silly question, but are you sure you have rifle springs? The rifle springs have more preload than carbine springs and should chamber more reliably.

Yep. Rifle springs that came with the A5 kits direct from VLTOR.

[Curlew]

Tubbs flatwire springs are about all I’m considering at the moment because they’re stainless and I like the idea of more coils (why I liked the A5 too).

As far as I’ve seen, if you want an extra-power stainless rifle spring, Tubb is your only option. If you find something else, I’d love to know.

Still, I had the impression that the A5 is a well-vetted, reliable system by now, so I’m surprised that it’s not working for you.

Maybe a bad batch of springs in the A5 kits? Do you have another basic mil-spec rifle spring to try?

I do see that you say the new lowers have been checked out. Just wondering out loud here, but could there be some weirdness with magazine catch so that the mags aren’t sitting quite where they should?

[17K]

Double check the spring lengths.

The A5 tends to work best with spring tension at the high end of range.

Shoot for at least 12.5"

From:
TECHNICAL MANUAL
ARMY NO. 9-1005-319-23&P

RIFLE:
11 3/4 Inches minimum
to
13 1/2 inches maximum

My experience with different buffer weights and others’ comments like this are starting to turn on a light in my head that after a decade of messing around with the A5 off and on, that it is, in fact, an overall more sensitive, less reliable setup than the carbine arrangement.

[georgeib]

JP makes polished stainless +10% rifle springs. I have one of their carbine springs and it's nice.

https://www.wingtactical.com/firearm...buffer-spring/

[17K]

As far as I’ve seen, if you want an extra-power stainless rifle spring, Tubb is your only option. If you find something else, I’d love to know.

Still, I had the impression that the A5 is a well-vetted, reliable system by now, so I’m surprised that it’s not working for you.

Maybe a bad batch of springs in the A5 kits? Do you have another basic mil-spec rifle spring to try?

I do see that you say the new lowers have been checked out. Just wondering out loud here, but could there be some weirdness with magazine catch so that the mags aren’t sitting quite where they should?

That was my first thought, the lowers are as they should be. The SOLGW lowers are impeccable in every dimension and are machined beautifully, the Geissele lower is in-spec where it matters but is about equal to a run of the mill Colt lower in appearance.

[DG23]

Right. Which IIRC is ~5.3 oz, which is 2.3 oz heavier than the 3.0 oz H buffer in the 6920.

3.0 oz is the regular carbine buffer weight. A5 standard weight is about 5.3 oz.

An H carbine buffer is about 3.7 oz and a rifle would be 5.1 oz

[Curlew]

JP makes polished stainless +10% rifle springs. I have one of their carbine springs and it's nice.

I have one in rifle length, and it’s indeed very nice, but I wonder about the stainless part. I see that claim on the seller’s website that you linked, but not on JP’s. When I enquired with JP, the response was that they use “rocket wire,” which is a high-performance version of music wire.

[Clint]

No need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

WS6 had similar issues failing to feed after a reload with dirty magazines.
Issues were eliminated with the Green spring.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...ey-to-and-away

Dropping down one step to A5H1 may also help chambering.

My experience with different buffer weights and others’ comments like this are starting to turn on a light in my head that after a decade of messing around with the A5 off and on, that it is, in fact, an overall more sensitive, less reliable setup than the carbine arrangement.

[Stickman]

Long story short:

4 complete Colt 6920s had the LE lowers sold to collectors, lowers were replaced with SOLGW and one Geissele lower, all with A5 kits, stock springs and A5-2 buffers.

Several malfunctions observed, all incomplete fail to feeds when charged with the handle or from an open bolt using the bolt release.

These rifles, mags, ammo, and lube have all been extensively vetted with the carbine/H2 Colt lowers and reliable for years, there is no issue with the uppers. There is no issue with the lowers, they have inspected and everything is as it should be.

Sprinco springs won’t be considered as corrosion has been an issue in the past with those (saltwater/air environment).

Tubbs flatwire springs are about all I’m considering at the moment because they’re stainless and I like the idea of more coils (why I liked the A5 too).

Are these departmental or gov weapons, or just ones? I'm at a loss as to why someone would break up parts for a fully functional weapon system, but I've seen departments do some dumb things before.

You are stating a few things that aren't making sense to me. First, you say the upper are perfect, I can understand this comment based on previous use. However, you are also stating the lowers have no issues.

1. How did you come to the determination of there being no issues with the lower? Especially when most armorers are going to say that is the first area they would be looking for regarding troubles.

2. Who did the assembly of the lower receivers?

3. Who did the inspection of the lower receivers, and what was their level or training (or experience if untrained)?

4. How tight is the mag catch?

5. When you pull all the springs out and lay them side by side, and then put them next to a (preferably new) rifle spring, how different are they?

6. What buffer are you using? (if you listed it I missed it, sorry)

7. What happens when a standard OEM lower receiver is used?

8. How often does the issue replicate?

[Disciple]

My experience with different buffer weights and others’ comments like this are starting to turn on a light in my head that after a decade of messing around with the A5 off and on, that it is, in fact, an overall more sensitive, less reliable setup than the carbine arrangement.

I hope not. I paid premium last year for A5 components in the belief that properly configured it has a wider operating range than the carbine system. I did not listen to marketing hype but members of this forum.