Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles AR15 wont manually eject...

My predator rifle has had this issue for a while, but it doesn't do it all the time.

The problem is:
When a round is loaded, and it is time to clear the pipe, SOMETIMES the bolt will no open no matter how hard I try to open it. What I have to do is make sure the latch is "open" and slam the but on the ground.

What is/can be the problem? I cleaned and lubed the rifle on Wednesday yet it still does it sometimes.

Thanks.

If you are using factory ammo, the chamber may be dirty. If you are using reloads they may need to be sized a little more, as in the shell holder touching hard the bottom of the FULL length sizer die.

Using reloads, and that's how i size them.

What i can't figure out is it cycles fine when shooting.

When you remove a loaded round check for land marks on the bullet. Is it a 556 or a 223 chamber?

"What i can't figure out is it cycles fine when shooting."

When firing an AR the gas pressure forces the bolt carrier back unlocking the bolt while still under pressure. The case is "helped" out of the chamber using this residual pressure and the extractor on the bolt

Wylde chambered, don't recall seeing land marks

Yes, comparable to pushing someone with a fist and knocking the dogsh!t out of them with the same. My guess is the datum line to case head distance of at least some of your reloads is too long. If this is Greek to you, you need to buy an RCBS Precision Mic and learn it's use. Actually, you need to do that anyway, and then you'll understand. That thing is essential for setting up reloading dies, ESP for a gas gun.

Yep. Needs to be resized more.

You may need 'small base' dies.

George

Pretty much never, unless you've gotten ahold of a bunch of brass fired through a SAW.

I've had this problem with my reloads, it turned out to be the seater was smashing the bottom of the shoulder if this is the case you can see and feel and see a ring at the bottom of the shoulder. Carefully adjusting the seater is the solution. I've never had this problem loading larger cartridges.

i had to go to smallbase dies in my 6.8 to get it to eject most casings. fixed my problems totally. case length is is also a problem at times in ar's.

case length won't be an issue in a wylde.

Just more sizing almost has to be. What is the headspace and what are you sizing too?

I've yet to see the need EVER for a SB die in a 223 AR.

Dirty chamber as noted is possible.

Most likely you have say a .0002 for a chamber and are sizing to .0002 which ain't gonna cut it.

Threw some wipe out down it today, hopefully that helps. Also sized done more brass, moved the die down. Well see

not all brass sizes same.... less lube equals less sizing... Redding makes a set of shell holders that changes die setting so to speak for different chambers if you ever need to go that route... IE set die, and use whichever shellholder produces for ya.

I have seen the OP's problem (can't hand eject an unfired cartridge, but ejects okay on firing) in a couple of new, tight AR's. Problem went away after a hundred rounds or so of break-in.

I should probably run a few rounds down it. The rifle has about 150 or so rounds down the tube (possibly less).

I have a Remington R25 (308) that does the same thing but to the point that you can't open the bolt period! You need to fire the gun to clear the chamber! This is with factory loads and reloads using small base dies. I sent it back to Remington and they said it "was within specs" in other words they aren't going to do a damn thing about it.

Elliptical chambers most likely

I'm not saying it ain't so.. but how does a chamber(thats normally the problem IE sizing brass to work with chamber) "break in?" by firing rounds? Maybe polishing it some possibly if its really rough but shooting should not effect that.

If you can't get it going by adjusting brass, like the Remington, its just plain bad chamber... Oly sent me one like that many years ago and refused to do anything about it... never bougth from them since.

On the remington I'd be tempted to contact my attorney....