AR reliability upgrades

[tgibson]

I hope this is the right place to post this question, so if it isn't someone let me know and I'll make sure it gets moved to the right place.

I was lucky enough to win a scope at the Ironman a couple of weeks ago, and so I want to try and sell it and do whatever it takes to get my AR to the point where if I keep it clean, it will not fail me. I don't mind it when I screw up at a match. I know that if I practice I can fix my problems. However, when I am doing good and the gun pukes, I tend to get a little upset! (I have two completely destroyed AR mags and a dent in my free float hand gaurd from stage 8 to prove it!!!). What I am looking to get here is some advice as to what parts I can install, and/or any tips you all might have. Here is what I have, and what I am thinking about doing:

The gun I have now is a DPMS upper with a 1 in 9 twist heavy bull barrel with a Bennie Cooley comp. I have a VTac/JP free float hand gaurd, JP Fire control kit, Cav Arms lower, and a Leupold Mark4 1.5-5.

I am considering the following:

DPMS TiN coated bolt and carrier assembly

Wolff extra power extractor spring

Thank you in advance for any advice you have.

TG

[StealthyBlagga]

Q1) What is your barrel length and gas system (rifle, midlength or carbine) ?

Q2) What ammo are you using ?

Q3) What kind of malfunctions have you been getting.

My 2 cents worth without this info: I doubt the TiN will do much for you (other than looking cool) - ARs run just fine with a regular GI-type bolt carrier. The extra power extractor spring is cheap insurance, as can be new gas rings (do you know how to check for worn rings ?). If you have a carbine-length gas system, the gun may be over gassed, and might benefit from a heavier buffere (H, 2H or 9mm), though this will also increase felt recoil.

IMHO, the best investment for reliability is good ammo, good GI mags with MagPul followers, a bottle of BreakFree CLP and a GI chamber brush. If the gun does not run when clean with good ammo/mags, then you need to come back here with an exact description of the problem. You can also try the troubleshooting forum at AR15.com.

[glock_556]

Trade it in on an AK?

[lmccrock]

good ammo, good GI mags with MagPul followers, a bottle of BreakFree CLP and a GI chamber brush

Yep. Worst AR experience I had was when I had a bad mag (no-name steel 20-round) and bad ammo (one of the bad lot codes of Win Q3131 ca. 1999) at the same time. Change ammo or mag, still broken. Took me a while to get rid of both.

I have a few mags with Magpul followers; cannot say they help because I never had problems with GI mags even before the "green" followers. I also have some Orlite and Thermold which run fine in my guns; they are not used in 3-gun matches because they do not drop free very well.

Trade it in on an AK?

Now, now. I will happily provide a bit of extra maintenance to an AR to have its ergonomic advantages.

Lee

[TRUBL]

Gonna chime in here on followers.........the magpul followers are THE follower that others are to be compared to. That being said, I believe that the new CMMG followers (stamped stainless steel) are the king $h!#!!!!! Talk about smooth......i put a few in my GI 30 rounders and those mags feel like the HK mags now.

Then I went one farther......I have a few of these no name 40 round mags that never really worked all that well, and the ones that fit nice in my gun were treated to the CMMG steel followers and holy buckets!!.......these magazines work AND I can get 40 rounds in them too!!

Sorry to hijack there.....as for reliability, the Mil spec carrier, bolt will do you fine, no need to go overboard on those parts.

What you feed it and how you feed it is really going to make it or break it for reliability. That and a little cleaning from time to time

So now you get to experiment with ammo and mags.

One thing to note.......on mags, if you are ever going to use a 30 round mag as a mono-pod, you want a tighter fitting mag (as opposed to a loose as a goose mag) This will insure that you have reliable feeding as you rock the rifle forward or backward on the magazine.....thus changing the relationship of the rounds to the chamber.

Edited June 20, 2007 by TRUBL

[gotm4]

I hope this is the right place to post this question, so if it isn't someone let me know and I'll make sure it gets moved to the right place.

I was lucky enough to win a scope at the Ironman a couple of weeks ago, and so I want to try and sell it and do whatever it takes to get my AR to the point where if I keep it clean, it will not fail me. I don't mind it when I screw up at a match. I know that if I practice I can fix my problems. However, when I am doing good and the gun pukes, I tend to get a little upset! (I have two completely destroyed AR mags and a dent in my free float hand gaurd from stage 8 to prove it!!!). What I am looking to get here is some advice as to what parts I can install, and/or any tips you all might have. Here is what I have, and what I am thinking about doing:

The gun I have now is a DPMS upper with a 1 in 9 twist heavy bull barrel with a Bennie Cooley comp. I have a VTac/JP free float hand gaurd, JP Fire control kit, Cav Arms lower, and a Leupold Mark4 1.5-5.

I am considering the following:

DPMS TiN coated bolt and carrier assembly

Wolff extra power extractor spring

Thank you in advance for any advice you have.

TG

Stake carrier key (gas key) very well

If running a carbine stock stake the end plate to the castle nut

Use a Wolff XP M4 extractor spring, black insert and a Crane O-ring or MGI D-fender www.bravocompanyusa.com makes a good uprade kit

Ream chamber to 5.56mm NATO at the neck and throat

Make sure gas tube is alignment in upper receiver

If possible use a pinned gas block (on my gun I cutdown my factory front sight base to fit under the JP tube, a pinned gas block will not move)

If not using a MP tested bolt replace bolt with a MP tested bolt

Use chrome silicon ejector springs

Measure buffer spring to make sure it's within specs for length check every 3K rounds or so

If running a carbine gas system and a carbine stock use an H or H2 buffer

Run the AR very well lubed and use known good mags and when they start to give you trouble just throw them out and get new ones. I use HK and Magpul PMAGs for competition.

If you need any help with any of this stuff let me know.

[EricW]

Hi Travis,

We need to know what types of failures you're experiencing to help. I'm having terrific luck with a rack-grade Rock River AR. Their 2-stage trigger is outstanding and it hasn't puked once. I'd consider keeping the glass and trading the rifle on a RR.

E

[John Dunn]

Gage your ammo, especially reloads.

Number your mags, get rid of questionable ones.

Clean and lube between stages when you get the chance, more important at high round count matches like the Ironman and ITRC.

Absolutely make sure the gas block is firmly attached. I've never seen a taper pinned gas block shoot loose, I've seen a bunch of other types shoot loose.

Make sure the carrier key is mating up with the gas tube without undue rubbing.

I've seen hanguards and barrels come loose, my favorite builder routinely puts in set screws to prevent this.

If the match rules allow for a closed dust cover, close it.

Maked sure the key is staked as above.

[tgibson]

WOW!! Thanks for all of the imput! I will back up here a little bit and try to answer some of these questions.

The trouble I was having was with spent rounds not getting extracted. I got a new extractor and this problem seems to be cured.

I was getting some light primer hits so I put a stock hammer spring in and that seems to be cured. I have a new one on order from JP.

I have on order the following:

MagPul followers

Wolff extra power extractor srping

The gas block is pinned to the gas tube, and both of the set screws from the block to the barrel are tight and set with blue lock tite.

The gas tube is perfectly aligned with the reciever.

All of my mags (30's, 42, and beta) function flawlessly in other AR's, and are very well maintained (torn apart, cleaned and lubed after every match).

I really think I have things ironed out for the most part, and I was just wondering about things to do for preventative maintenence and good, reliable, aftermarket parts. Let me know what you think about this, and thanks again for all of the insight.

TG

[benny hill]

Do yourself a BIG favor & file a 45 degree bevel on the front of the mag's inner front lip so the rim of the brass won't hang up. This is a major issue with feeding & most people don't do it.

[EricW]

My *opinion* is that the extra power extractor systems aren't really necessary if you have a good extractor and a reasonably fresh spring / inner bumper. The stock spring and bumper seem to work fine for me. Adding too much spring under the extractor can actually create feeding issues.

[PacMan]

Do yourself a BIG favor & file a 45 degree bevel on the front of the mag's inner front lip so the rim of the brass won't hang up. This is a major issue with feeding & most people don't do it.

Now that's one I haven't heard off. Thanks Benny!

[uscbigdawg]

Good mags (PMAG's, Brownell's, GI w/ Magpul's, etc.), good ammo (Black Hills or gauged home made), cleaning the chamber dimensions (making sure some tight ass reamer wasn't used) and replacing the extractor spring (Specialized Armament Warehouse) seems to cure about 99.9% of the problems for me.

After that there are some personal little tweaks I like to do but probably aren't necessary.

Rich

[SinistralRifleman]

I am betting the chamber is probably tight on that barrel, particularly when you start shooting it a lot and it gets hot. This might be wearing out your extractor prematurely.

Is the gas block steel or aluminum? Aluminum heats and cools at different rates than steel, this can cause gas bleed off and may make the gun not cycle. Aluminum will also erode from the gas going through it. I only recommends using steel gas blocks.

Blue locktite will cook out no problem, use red locktite.

For best results as far as reliability is concerned, use 5.56mm NATO chrome lined barrels with pinned on steel gas blocks.

[jobob]

Travis,

You beat the crap out of me at Ironman, and your gun puked? Guess I have to practice! My POF upper/DPMS lower was flawless (though I was far from it). And I didn't clean it. Actually I just cleaned it tonight, and it was barely dirty. I think I could shoot that thing all season without cleaning and it would still work fine. Not planning on doing that, though, as I don't really need to tempt fate!

I don't know what ammo you use, but you might try Federal AE 55 gr. That ammo works great in any gun I've shot it in. 1" 100 yd. groups from a decent barrel. And it's fairly cheap ($320/k member price at Sportsman's Guide), without having to go to Wolf! Pretty hard to get right now though. I have a couple cases on back order.

[Mick]

Do yourself a BIG favor & file a 45 degree bevel on the front of the mag's inner front lip so the rim of the brass won't hang up. This is a major issue with feeding & most people don't do it.

Now that's one I haven't heard off. Thanks Benny!

He knows all those little tricks!

I learned that one the hard way when my protege' kept causing feeding jams to my COLT by pushing the mag rearward with his support arm. The bevel made the difference! He was getting bullets to push back into the case when they hit the front of the mag. I've never had that happen to me! We moved his arm and beveled all the 30 round mags. The 20s didn't seem to have that much of a problem.