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Thread: Gun sluggish/problems chambering in "cold"

  1. #21
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    While I don't claim to know precisely what is occurring when this happens, for me it's been when the weather is extremely humid (freezing rain) and the temperature transitions from the 40s into the 30s.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by decodeddiesel View Post
    Interesting thread, thanks for your candor with the problem OP.

    This might really steer me away from the 14.5 middy as I often venture into the mountains in 0F weather when shooting in the winter (no one else is crazy enough to go in such weather so I have the places to myself).

    Perhaps a 14.5" carbine would be better suited for the colder climates as it is less sensitive to the pressure variations stemming from lower powder temps?

    An interesting side note, I have fired my 10.5" LMT upper in as cold as -22F weather before, and have fired Colt M4s in extreme cold as well using LSA as a lube and never had any issues.
    I shoot outside right through the winter. Here in Michigan it usually gets around 0-35F (sometimes colder) this time of year and never have had personally, seen, or heard of the issue the OP presented being caused by 40-50F degree weather whilst using SLIP 2000 (the same lubrication I and many use up here). This isn't to say lubricants don't become affected by the cold. They'll thicken up for sure but to cause the OP's problem I'm not sure that's a major part of it.

    I wouldn't think twice about a 14.5'' midlength especially due to moderately cold to cool weather.
    Last edited by mini4m3; 01-11-12 at 23:31.

  3. #23
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    I wanna clear things up here a bit and make sure it's known I HAVE NOT had any problems with the gun actually running, cold weather or hot as hell. I'm ONLY talking about manually clambering a round via a speed reload, when the bolt is locked to the rear via the bolt catch/release or using the CH to release the bolt. OR when doing an initial Administrative load when the bolt is forward on an empty chamber.

    Once the round actually gets chambered, the pressure and force generated from the gun firing a round is plenty enough to fully eject the spent brass and load the next round in the magazine.

    Something that just donned on me though is that the only other gun I've had this same issue with was last year with one of my 11.5 guns, and the one thing they all have in common is I've run them all suppressed before the problem occurred. So maybe it's just a combo of the extra thick layer of soot from running suppressed beforehand, using the thicker EWL lube, and the slightly cooler temp that's causing it?

    For those of you who run suppressors often, do you typically run your gun several thousand rounds without any sort of wipe down? Or do you make sure to clean it/wipe it down quickly more often than that?


    ETA: Whenever it happened with my SBR last year I wound up swapping the buffer spring and saw that the one I was using was close to 2" shorter than a new one, which instantly solved the problem (But I don't remember the condition of the gun at the time). So that of course led me to believe that was the problem with that one. But as I said in my OP, this gun's spring wasn't that bad, and the other one gun my friend was shooting which also had the issue, though not as bad, had a mostly new sping in it.


    Quote Originally Posted by decodeddiesel View Post
    Interesting thread, thanks for your candor with the problem OP.

    This might really steer me away from the 14.5 middy as I often venture into the mountains in 0F weather when shooting in the winter (no one else is crazy enough to go in such weather so I have the places to myself).

    Perhaps a 14.5" carbine would be better suited for the colder climates as it is less sensitive to the pressure variations stemming from lower powder temps?

    An interesting side note, I have fired my 10.5" LMT upper in as cold as -22F weather before, and have fired Colt M4s in extreme cold as well using LSA as a lube and never had any issues.
    Last edited by RetreatHell; 01-12-12 at 00:26.
    S/F
    Paul

  4. #24
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    I think this happens to be the answer...especially given the circumstances Jay describes when he experiences it. 30-50 degrees and humid? Sounds like us.

    Lubing the buffer and spring would also jive with what it "feels" like the gun needs. All that suppressed shooting and what not....

    See you soon!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay_Cunningham View Post
    Yep, it happens.

    You already said you had the BCG good and lubed so that's Part 1. Part 2 I have never advocated until I experienced the same issues as you described several times: lube the action spring/buffer/inside of the receiver extension - take your pick.

    I've never told people to lube this area before (and I never did it before either) but it seemed to work to keep my gun stripping that first round off and chambering it consistently. Guns that have done this to me include Colt 6920 and DDM4 with NHMTG 30 round aluminum magazines loaded to 28 rounds.

    Cold, wet weather usually does it, 30's and 40's.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay_Cunningham View Post
    While I don't claim to know precisely what is occurring when this happens, for me it's been when the weather is extremely humid (freezing rain) and the temperature transitions from the 40s into the 30s.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skintop911 View Post
    40-50 degrees is not cold. It might be cold perceptually to you warmer-climate guys, but it's not cold for the operating system. Your gun should not require any lube adjustments, special applications, or any change from normal PM at that temperature. It's performance should not vary at that temperature. If it does, and you are using known-good GI spec parts, your gun is broken and needs more detailed in-person inspection and diagnostics that can't be done via the net.

    If we were talking about temps much lower than that, freezing or below, that might be a variable. Up here in the northern tier, too many guns run well without special treatment to even think about temp in this case.
    What would I do if a 6920 (stock and NIB), Noveske N4 with an H2, and a 11.5" Daniel Defense were all exhibiting slower cycle rates at the ~40 degree mark? Send all the guns back because they are broken?

  6. #26
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    I have been experiencing the same malfunction, except it happend during firing Both range days it was in the 20s, the first day the gun was dry... So I applied some Slip EWL, which was rather thick but once it worked into the weapon it was malfunction free.. The second day at the range the gun was doing the same..The only difference being I started with a clean and lubed weapon..

    I will be headed back to the range in a few days , I am going to take Jay's suggestion and lube the buffer spring, hopefully that makes a difference

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by RetreatHell View Post
    I wanna clear things up here a bit and make sure it's known I HAVE NOT had any problems with the gun actually running, cold weather or hot as hell.
    Paul,

    Before you start wearing the same underwear on the range....me thinks it could be the dope behind the weapon and not the dope on the weapon.

    The rifle runs fine once the round is chambered....IMO, it's gotta be you brother.

    The temperature drop has more of an effect on you than it does the weapon. Your reactions are probably slower, I think you might be inadvertently riding the charging handle & slowly finger banging the bolt catch. I saw this problem in 3/2 when we were doing the work up for Norway and again in 2/1 in smallboats, the Marines were cold, their reactions were slower...they had issues getting the rifles into condition 1.

    S/F

    Paul

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by orionz06 View Post
    What would I do if a 6920 (stock and NIB), Noveske N4 with an H2, and a 11.5" Daniel Defense were all exhibiting slower cycle rates at the ~40 degree mark? Send all the guns back because they are broken?
    How much slower? Is the difference palpable, and/or producing a real change in functional threshold at that temperature? I'd wonder about the gun.

    The 6920, certainly. An H2-buffered mid-length like the N4? I would expect that gun to be closer to threshold by virtue of component combo alone, so I'll defer on that one. No experience with a DD 11.5.

    Meteorologicals can be considerations, but still, at 40 degrees? Doesn't wash with my experiences.
    2012 National Zumba Endurance Champion
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  9. #29
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    The difference was noticeable. If you are the type that accessorizes your firearm to the edge of reliability it is enough to make them not work. Now this refers to firing the gun of course.

  10. #30
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    Switch to this buffer!!!

    "You people have too much time on your hands." - scottryan

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