AR15 problem. Gas system?

[gerrycaruso]

I fixed the problem. It was something very simple. I cleaned out the gas tube. In about 60 years of shooting, I've never had to clean a gas tube. I guess with this rifle, I'll have to run a pipe cleaner through the gas tube once in a while.

 

[PatMcD]

I fixed the problem. It was something very simple. I cleaned out the gas tube. In about 60 years of shooting, I've never had to clean a gas tube. I guess with this rifle, I'll have to run a pipe cleaner through the gas tube once in a while.

We usually replace those every time you change the barrel. They'll break sometimes where the pin goes through, but with 20,000 +/_ psi going through there, I think it's almost impossible for them to clog.

 

[gerrycaruso]

I thought as long as I didn't use a 22 conversion kit, the tube would never clog. I guess I was wrong. How often do you change barrels? I spoke with a guy who shot at Camp Perry and he said he put a new Kreiger barrel on his AR15 every year. His discards are probably better than what most people shoot with.

 

[PatMcD]

I thought as long as I didn't use a 22 conversion kit, the tube would never clog. I guess I was wrong. How often do you change barrels? I spoke with a guy who shot at Camp Perry and he said he put a new Kreiger barrel on his AR15 every year. His discards are probably better than what most people shoot with.

It depends. If it's a cut-rifled barrel, it'll usually last me 2 seasons, or 5-6000rds. A button-rifled barrel will get changed out every year.
If your friend is from MA, I'm sure I know him.

 

[gerrycaruso]

He's a guy I met at the 200/300 at Harvard. He was shooting offhand at 200 and drilling the x ring. This guy could shoot and I knew by what he said about reloading components that he wasn't a bullshitter. I don't remember his name.

 

[KBCraig]

I fixed the problem. It was something very simple. I cleaned out the gas tube. In about 60 years of shooting, I've never had to clean a gas tube. I guess with this rifle, I'll have to run a pipe cleaner through the gas tube once in a while.

I remember in the '80s we had long wire-bristled pipe cleaners for cleaning gas tubes.

We also ruined more rifles by over-cleaning than by lack of cleaning.

 

[gerrycaruso]

Many years ago I was the company armorer and among other weapons, I had 151 M16s. I never cleaned a single one. When they needed cleaning, the company sent over a detail to do it.

 

[weekendracer]

I know very little about AR15s but I think this is a gas problem. The rifle started doing this a few days ago. It's a couple of years old and has been used very little. It feeds, fires and ejects the first round fine but usually the bolt won't move rearward far enough to pick up the next round. The gas key isn't loose, the rings seem fine and the gas block is all the way back. I don't know what else to look at.

I read the first three replies....so grain of salt.

I've never encountered this personally, but is it possible all of the gas rings on your bolt are aligned and allowing enough gas to escape to interfere with the operation of the gun? If it 'sometimes' works?

That is my initial reaction. I'm gonna read the rest of the thread and see where it goes from there. Read a few more replies, some good ideas. I have to trouble shoot one of my handbuilts, fires, fails to cycle. I'm sure that one is going to be fun to troubleshoot. Single shot ARs aren't nearly as much fun.