How to keep your AR-15 in action without it jamming.

[Delphi]

As we all know the AR-15/M-16 is a beautifully accurate gun. Although I’m sure all of us know that it has a tendency to jam even when cleaned well. This is probably its biggest downside.

Ways to keep it running smooth with little to no jamming ever.

Replace the extractor every 2000-3000 shots.

Replace the Gas rings (some people call them o-rings but they are made out of metal, their should be 3 in your gun) ever 2000-3000 shots.

Clean the rifle to where it is has no carbon left, make sure that you oil every single shiny spot inside the rifle, since those are the friction points.

Use plenty of lubricant don’t be shy, especially if in a regular sport shooting environment. (If in a desert or very cold environment use Powdered locksmithing graphite as lubricant)

Replace you mag followers with new modern magpull followers.

Don’t overload your mags 25-27 rounds is enough for a 30 round mag.

Take each magazine and put a bit of powdered locksmithing graphite inside of it, make sure that the insides are well covered with it.

Put all your ammo into an ammo can put locksmithing graphite inside with the ammo and shake it around giving your ammo a light cover of the stuff. (This will help keep the ammo from sticking together when under pressure and avoid double feeds or tilted feeds.)


Basically I have done this to my rifle, which was a jam whore, and it hasn’t jammed on me once. Honestly it used to jam maybe 1 time out of 20 rounds. Now it's jam free.

[AR Will]

:roll:
S P O R T S , works every time

[Ice Pirate]

I don't know Delphi. I've been an Instructor and maintainer of M-16's for almost 30 years. Our training rifles had hundreds of thousands of rounds through them, to the point that we'd some times see Double Fires from the sear surfaces being badly worn. I never replaced a gas ring unless it was badly worn. When stationed at Lowery AFB, we ran 4 classes a week and up to 40 students per class. I was there for 4 years and in all that time, I don't think we ever had to replace more than 3 or 4 sets of gas rings. I never replaced the extractor unless it was missing or broken, and I never saw one break. We did replace the extractor Springs from time to time.

As for magazines, the double feed is caused by the lips of the mag being worn or bent to the point that it allows the rounds to set too high in the mag. When the bolt goes forward, it can then try to strip 2 rounds from the mag. When we made the move to 30 round mags, we'd regularly fill them to max without any problems. Where filling them can cause problems is if they are stored for extended periods full. Our Security folks carry full mags at all times, but as armorers, we'd change out the mags about every month or so. That way the spring is not always compressed, and can relax. Never had a problem with any of them.

What you may have run into was that you were probably using a brand new rifle that still had some burrs and rough edges that caused problems. You just have to make it through the breakin time for your rifle. One huge and really major problem with the AR is that stupid massive cut in the underside of the bolt carrier combined with the equally stupid notch in the top of the hammer. It was said that these cuts were made to prevent conversion but the only thing they really do is cause the weapon to self-destruct, and jam like a SOB. There are always rough edges between these two parts and it's been my experience that it is the major reason for jamming AR-15's. You just don't see this with the M-16, because the surface of the Bolt Carrier that re-cocks the Hammer is flat and smooth as a babies butt, and the top of the hammer is rounded and equally smooth.

When at Lowery in '82, a representitive of the CBI came to visit. They'd just picked up a bunch of AR's for their officers and were having major jamming problems. I told him the same thing. I said if you'd just swich out the hammer and bolt carrier for ones from an M-16, those problems would go away. He said that would make it full auto, so I sat him down and explained how FA works. I don't know for sure if they ever made the change or not.

As far as graphite in the mags and on the ammo, I don't suppose that could hurt, so long as you don't get too much of a build up. I know that you should never leave oil in the chamber, nor should you oil your ammo as that can cause an increase in the chamber pressure and possibly lead to one or more of the following:
1. Ruptured cartridge
2. Excessive blow back
3. Chamber failure, i.e. it blows up in your face.

Finally, I do agree that you should always keep your weapon clean, however, in a very sandy environment, the oil can attract the sand and dirt kicked up by fireing and cause a nasty sludge to build up that can lead to any number of malfunctions.

The main thing to do though, to prevent malfunctions, is get out and shoot. Wear down the rough edges and get that puppy used to functioning. If you have one that is particularly rough, you can apply some toothpaste to the friction surfaces and cycle the action a few hundred times. That will polish those surfaces nice and smooth.

That's my 2 cents. Ok, maybe a quarter, inflation you know.

[KarlPMann]

The only true problem guns that I've personally seen are the "parts guns/frankenAR's". A good factory build from one of the main A, B, C's should be a good working gun. Karl.

[Hoser]

Old dead mags and crappy ammo leads to more problems than any other.

[HunterCO]

Well lets see my M16 has over ten thousand rounds through it and I have NEVER replaced the gas rings or replaced the extractor either. I have put several thousand rounds of wolf through it.

As it sits in my safe right now it has over 2,000 rounds through it since it was last cleaned and it NEVER jamed, or failed to feed in that 2,000 rounds. It stopped running once when Asha'man was shooting it and it was because the primer was in sideways on one of the wolf rounds.

Delphi do you just pull this crap out of your A$$ or is somebody helping you come up with this? You have never owned an M16 much less shot one so why talk out your A$$?

:roll:

Edit: for miss spelling Asha'man's name sorry ops:

[Delphi]

Umn actually I just copied this out of Guns & Ammo The book of Ar-15. If i see somthing that might help i post it...

Was just trying to be helpful... read it its the new edition you look at it at Walgreen’s an Barnes & Noble....

And they also said that many of the problems come from mags, since they were first designed to be one time use things....

Thanks for all that info ice pirate. Pluse one Q is it legal to use M16 parts like the bolt carreir and stuff in an AR-15?

I'm sorry about never having owned an M-16 but i do own an AR-15... this post was directed towards both since they are almost the same thing other than a few minor differences. No need to be hostile about it HunterCo... this post is supposed to help and with ice pirates info i think it will help many new comers to the ar-15 cause i remember i had many problems with my AR at first.

[7idl]

Don't BS anyone, quote your sources and stop trying so damn hard to fit in. sit back and learn (questions ok too!). contribute as appropriate.

[Delphi]

I'm not BS'ing i promise.... it came out of Guns & Ammo: The Book of the AR-15. I just shortened the whole article up, since i dont have the issue on hand... Wrote down key notes on what to do.

I dont think i'm trying to fit in, just trying to help fellow AR owners like myself that might not have read that issue.

Out of this one
https://store.primediamags.com/shop/...ct/pm_id/11186

[RYAN50BMG]

Don't BS anyone, quote your sources and stop trying so damn hard to fit in. sit back and learn (questions ok too!). contribute as appropriate.

I could not have said it better myself. :roll: