First AR type rifle owned. So, my experience with this contraption is limited to this one, which I finally received last week.

The forward assist seems to be dragging on the bolt carrier, when I pull the carrier back to load or eject a round, or to disassemble the rifle. It's not a lot, just enough to be annoying and not smooth. It doesn't seem to me like it ought to be that way.

What's normal operation in this regard? The rifle seems to function ok, feeds and shoots ok.

KB

The FA should not touch the bolt unless it is pushed forward....then it works like a ratchet or a come-along to force a dirty bolt closed

Was this a DIY assembly or a factory assembled rifle

It's a Remington R-15, presumably assembled by DPMS.

Without a doubt give them a call

OK

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
The forward assist seems to be dragging on the bolt carrier, when I pull the carrier back to load or eject a round, or to disassemble the rifle. It's not a lot, just enough to be annoying and not smooth. It doesn't seem to me like it ought to be that way.

First you need to establish that it is indeed dragging. With the bolt/carrier group removed you should be able to look into the interior and see the tip of the FA protruding. For subtle contact inspect the carrier. You should be able to see drag marks. If not, apply a little "El Marko" to the side of the carrier and cycle the bolt a few times and look. If you don't see any marks, then it is likely something else. Since it rides in a slot in the bottom of the carrier, it could be the buffer retaining detent causing the rough feel as the bolt moves to the rear. Wouldn't be the first time for that issue.

The FA is slotted and is held in place by a roll pin which limits it's forward and rearward travel. If it is making contact with the carrier, then it's a simple operation to adjust the slot in the FA to allow the FA to retract a few thou more.

It is indeed dragging. I see the drag marks.

It drags with the upper seperated from the lower. The buffer retaining detent is in the lower, correct?

I see nothing else in there to make that ratcheting sound as the carrier moves back and forth.

I started to order a set of roll pin punches last week. I may have to learn to do the minor gunsmithing on the thing myself.

This rifle has been a little annoying. I keep thinking I'll get used to it. The big thing is that I haven't been able to get decent accuracy out of it, with factory or handloads. Also, I have to maximum full length size to get it to feed into the chamber. I don't know yet whether that's ok or bad. I don't want to order a small base die set. At least the handloads will fire and they are more accurate than the factory loads.

Yes the buffer de-tent is in the lower

If it's a ratcheting sound.....100% it's the FA

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
It is indeed dragging. I see the drag marks.

It drags with the upper seperated from the lower. The buffer retaining detent is in the lower, correct?

I see nothing else in there to make that ratcheting sound as the carrier moves back and forth.

Had you been this specific in your initial post, you know, mentioning the "Ratcheting" thing, and that the problem was present with and without the lower, then there wouldn't have been any question what the problem was.

You don't need a roll pin punch for that pin. A standard pin punch will do.

Semi Autos like full length sized rounds. As you've discovered, they feed. Get the small base dies.

Question, is that Avatar a picture of you? When my cursor rolls over it it says it's a picture of you. Just curious.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:

Question, is that Avatar a picture of you? When my cursor rolls over it it says it's a picture of you. Just curious.

Thanks for the advice.

The picture isn't one of me. I figured he looked like he was from the kabluewy tribe.

I'll go into the setup and see if I can fix whatever you are talking about.

Edited: I can't figure out how to change the way the avatar works. It's either leave it alone, use one off the list, or no avatar.

When I scroll across your avatar flag, it says picture of westpac.

KB

No small base dies required for most 5.57/223 AR rifles just FLR

Yeah a FL die seems to be enough on everything I've done and that is very undersize. sometimes I get a wee bit of a ring around the base.

But YMMV

He may not need small based dies, but, occasionally one gets a chamber that will not reliably feed anything but small based stuff. I know, I get them in the shop now and then. Customers come in puzzled why their handloads will work in one gun but not another. I test these with my handloads and the guns function flawlessly. Of course I use small based dies. And I use them exclusively for all my semi-auto rifles whether they need them or not. On top of that I may have to share ammo with a friend and how would that look if my stuff wouldn't feed.

You know if you listen to Malm you will be good to go.