AR not feeding?

[kmca]

I just converted a rifle to featureless (I'm in California) which required the use of a carbine buffer and spring. Other than switching the buffer/spring, nothing else was changed. Now it won't strip a cartridge from the magazine unless I hand cycle it. It seems like the spring is too stiff and won't let the bolt fully cycle. Is there such a thing as a "softer" spring, or could it be the buffer?

[Stlhead]

Did you change the buffer tube?

[kmca]

Yes. I bought the stock, buffer tube, buffer and spring as a set.

[jrswanson1]

Did you get an AR-10 spring? I've had that happen before.

[kmca]

Did you get an AR-10 spring? I've had that happen before.

Beats me, The coil count is right, but I don't have another spring laying around to test the weight

Edited June 20, 2016 by kmca

[Tigereye]

Will the bolt lock open all the way to the rear? Does it have a low mass bcg in it?

[jrswanson1]

Did you get an AR-10 spring? I've had that happen before.

Beats me, The coil count is right, but I don't have another spring laying around to test the weight

The AR-10 spring is longer than the AR-15 spring.

[BigBamBoo]

Do you have a adjustable gas block? If yes, sounds like you need to retune it.

Sounds like you went with a Thordsen FRS-15?

[kmca]

Do you have a adjustable gas block? If yes, sounds like you need to retune it.

Sounds like you went with a Thordsen FRS-15?

No adjustable gas block.

Yes, it is a Thordsen stock.

Will the bolt lock open all the way to the rear? Does it have a low mass bcg in it?

Done manually, it will lock back. If you mean on an empty mag, I don't remember.

It has a standard mil spec BCG.

Did you get an AR-10 spring? I've had that happen before.

Beats me, The coil count is right, but I don't have another spring laying around to test the weight

The AR-10 spring is longer than the AR-15 spring.

It is shorter than a rifle spring.

[BigBamBoo]

Hmm...I run a FRS-15 on one of my rigs, but I have a JP upper and a SCS. No issues at all.

It sounds like your under gassed. Easy thing to check/try is make sure your gas block is on tight and correctly lined up with the barrel gas port. A carbine buffer setup is less forgiving than a rifle length.

Next, check your gas rings on your bolt.

Others then that, maybe get a different buffer spring. If none of that does not work.....????

[kmca]

Hmm...I run a FRS-15 on one of my rigs, but I have a JP upper and a SCS. No issues at all.

It sounds like your under gassed. Easy thing to check/try is make sure your gas block is on tight and correctly lined up with the barrel gas port. A carbine buffer setup is less forgiving than a rifle length.

Next, check your gas rings on your bolt.

Others then that, maybe get a different buffer spring. If none of that does not work.....????

It's an Armalite upper. I'll check the gas block again, but I don't think that's the problem. I'll get another spring and see if it makes the difference. I know it sounds counterintuative, but would a heavier buffer help?

[mpeltier]

Check the buffer detent. Be sure its not sticking up to far and catching or draging on the bottom of the bolt carrier.

[kmca]

Check the buffer detent. Be sure its not sticking up to far and catching or draging on the bottom of the bolt carrier.

Ok, no marks on the bolt carrier.

[kmca]

Ok,label me a dummy. The gas port is too small, so of course it shouldn't work.

Thanks for all your help!

[BigBamBoo]

How did you determine the gas port is too small?

[kmca]

From all the research I've been doing lately..........and the upper started life as a 20 inch rifle

[BigBamBoo]

Gotcha. And it does make since from your description as it does sound like under gassed.

So now what is your plan? Get the port opened up? New barrel? Whatever your go with, I would recommend adding a adjustable gas block.

So what do you think of the FRS-15? I find it to be the most "usable" featurless option.

Another way to go, is the ARES SCR based rig. Here is one I put together for coyote hunting, but it would make a decent 3gun rig.

[kmca]

I"m just going to go back to rifle configuration with a U-15 stock. I've got that stock on a few others and it works just fine. The Thordsen stock feels a little bit better, but not so much that I"m going to change all my guns over. I use bullet button neutered rifles for varmints.

[Stlhead]

From all the research I've been doing lately..........and the upper started life as a 20 inch rifle

This makes no sense. You claim to have nay changed the buffer tube, buffer, and spring, along with the stock. Did you also replace the barrel and or the gas block?

[kmca]

From all the research I've been doing lately..........and the upper started life as a 20 inch rifle

This makes no sense. You claim to have nay changed the buffer tube, buffer, and spring, along with the stock. Did you also replace the barrel and or the gas block?

Yes, I changed all those rifle parts to carbine parts. From what I've read, the gas port in a 20 inch barrel is a smaller size than the port in a shorter barrel. I'll see if my theory is correct this weekend.

[Stlhead]

I just converted a rifle to featureless (I'm in California) which required the use of a carbine buffer and spring. Other than switching the buffer/spring, nothing else was changed. Now it won't strip a cartridge from the magazine unless I hand cycle it. It seems like the spring is too stiff and won't let the bolt fully cycle. Is there such a thing as a "softer" spring, or could it be the buffer?

So in your first post you say that only the buffer spring and buffer was changed.

Yes. I bought the stock, buffer tube, buffer and spring as a set.

Then you say that you also changed the buffer tube and the stock.

From all the research I've been doing lately..........and the upper started life as a 20 inch rifle

This makes no sense. You claim to have nay changed the buffer tube, buffer, and spring, along with the stock. Did you also replace the barrel and or the gas block?

Yes, I changed all those rifle parts to carbine parts. From what I've read, the gas port in a 20 inch barrel is a smaller size than the port in a shorter barrel. I'll see if my theory is correct this weekend.

Now you state that you also changed the barrel and the gas block.

You ask for help but give conflicting information making it impossible to give you any help. If it where not against forum rules I would call you a derogatory name. Rest assured that I am thinking it. If you want help you need to be straight with the info you provide so that people can help you, otherwise you are wasting everyones time.

[kmca]

I just converted a rifle to featureless (I'm in California) which required the use of a carbine buffer and spring. Other than switching the buffer/spring, nothing else was changed. Now it won't strip a cartridge from the magazine unless I hand cycle it. It seems like the spring is too stiff and won't let the bolt fully cycle. Is there such a thing as a "softer" spring, or could it be the buffer?

So in your first post you say that only the buffer spring and buffer was changed.

Yes. I bought the stock, buffer tube, buffer and spring as a set.

Then you say that you also changed the buffer tube and the stock.

From all the research I've been doing lately..........and the upper started life as a 20 inch rifle

This makes no sense. You claim to have nay changed the buffer tube, buffer, and spring, along with the stock. Did you also replace the barrel and or the gas block?

Yes, I changed all those rifle parts to carbine parts. From what I've read, the gas port in a 20 inch barrel is a smaller size than the port in a shorter barrel. I'll see if my theory is correct this weekend.

Now you state that you also changed the barrel and the gas block.

You ask for help but give conflicting information making it impossible to give you any help. If it where not against forum rules I would call you a derogatory name. Rest assured that I am thinking it. If you want help you need to be straight with the info you provide so that people can help you, otherwise you are wasting everyones time.

Sorry if I offended you. The information may have been incomplete, but it was never conflicting. I did change the stock, which explains the "featureless" part of my original post. I did not change the barrel.or any of the upper parts. If you want to call me names, go ahead, if it makes you feel better. I did the best I could.

[mpeltier]

I just converted a rifle to featureless (I'm in California) which required the use of a carbine buffer and spring. Other than switching the buffer/spring, nothing else was changed. Now it won't strip a cartridge from the magazine unless I hand cycle it. It seems like the spring is too stiff and won't let the bolt fully cycle. Is there such a thing as a "softer" spring, or could it be the buffer?

Well the phrase "Nothing else was changed" is pretty conflicting information to me, when later on you then say "I changed all those rifle parts to carbine" etc etc. I gotta agree with stlhead on this one. Ya kinda wasted our time not giving complete info.