GSG-16 - Cracked Bolt Housing ... With Pics

SIG FAN

SIG FAN

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Eastern Ontario
Hey guys,

I was out shooting my GSG-16 today at the range, and I happened to notice that my bolt housing is damaged. There is a stress crack right near the breach face. The crack is all of the way through the cheap metal of the bolt housing. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have approximately 15,000 rounds through the rifle. So, it's definitely not new or anything. I do take good care of it. I haven't run exceptionally hot ammo through it either. I strictly use CCI Mini-Mags, 40gr CPRN, 1235fps I believe. That's the only ammo this gun will eat reliably.

I also lost a screw that tightens down the front sight post, also while I was at the range today. That sucker just worked itself loose, and BAM - gone. This GSG is really fun, but it's certainly quite cheap feeling in design.

Also, I'm on the hunt for a GSG-16 "parts gun" if anyone has one for sale (I'll post a WTB ad soon). Something "cheaper" that somebody is hoping to get rid of, perhaps a botched modded gun or one that doesn't work properly, since I'm just going to harvest parts off of it.

BCG-1.jpg

BCG-5-2.jpg

BCG-6.jpg

GSG-4.jpg

GSG-1.jpg


Thanks guys!

Matt
 
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That sucks. There should be some kicking around.

If you got the stock parts, you could try warranty. Blueline replaced a receiver I shaved down too much. Cost me about 100$ plus shipping.
 
I know you mentioned it's not new, but curious how old is it, with 15K rounds through it?

Regardless, I don't think it would hurt to at least open a ticket with a warranty claim.

https://www.blsolutions.ca/helpdesk/#:~:text=All Alfa Proj, GSG, Iver,to show proof of purchase.

I have found some businesses will honour warranties beyond the expiry date, especially when it appears the problem is clearly not due to any misuse or abuse. Doesn't hurt to try. The site seems to indicate GSCs are under "limited" lifetime warranty - at least when purchased through Blueline (I would assume that means direct) - doesn't hurt to ask.
 
I bought it in November 2019, so it's almost two years old. It's really fun to shoot, so it's been what I've been shooting at least 50% of the time I'm at the range.

I've filled out a ticket with BLS, so we will see what they say. That's a good idea, even though I'm outside of the warranty period.
 
SIG FAN said:
I bought it in November 2019, so it's almost two years old. It's really fun to shoot, so it's been what I've been shooting at least 50% of the time I'm at the range.

I've filled out a ticket with BLS, so we will see what they say. That's a good idea, even though I'm outside of the warranty period.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with the fun factor. I took it to the range last night and shot 520 rounds through it. Even used up my old Thunderbolts on it. Not a single jam or a FTF/FTE. Definitely the 1200+FPS ammo seems to be reliable and I agree that the Mini Mags are probably the best round through it (I put about 300 Mini Mags through it before using up the rest of my miscellaneous ammo that I brought. The Stingers weren't as accurate, and the Thunderbolts and the Federal Champions - well, I was just happy to use it up. It didn't jam on me once and that was with me using a magazine that was splitting at the spine previously but still works (long story). I didn't try the subsonic slow rounds on it like the EZ Bees, but I suspect anything in the 700 FPS range wouldn't cycle properly on it so I saved that for my next bolt action .22 trip. Definitely more fun to shoot than my 10/22. I would probably be looking for a shorter mag for it, so I can easily rest it on my Caldwell bag (I'm lazy) since my sitting stool was already at full height.

Hope your warranty call goes well - I think the company may be lenient on the warranty since for most people 2020 was a write-off, so people in general had significantly less range time. Warranting products nowadays puts companies in good stead, with positive online reviews and such that can come out of a good customer experience. Please keep us abreast on the developments.
 
thegazelle said:
I know you mentioned it's not new, but curious how old is it, with 15K rounds through it?

Regardless, I don't think it would hurt to at least open a ticket with a warranty claim.

https://www.blsolutions.ca/helpdesk/#:~:text=All Alfa Proj, GSG, Iver,to show proof of purchase.

I have found some businesses will honour warranties beyond the expiry date, especially when it appears the problem is clearly not due to any misuse or abuse. Doesn't hurt to try. The site seems to indicate GSCs are under "limited" lifetime warranty - at least when purchased through Blueline (I would assume that means direct) - doesn't hurt to ask.
Click to expand...

Issue is Blueline the warranty center doesn't really like the GSG 5 kits.
 
SIG FAN said:
I bought it in November 2019, so it's almost two years old. It's really fun to shoot, so it's been what I've been shooting at least 50% of the time I'm at the range.

I've filled out a ticket with BLS, so we will see what they say. That's a good idea, even though I'm outside of the warranty period.
Click to expand...

You pay a out of warranty fee. They wont send you a new bolt, they make you send in the gun. And being it has a GSG 5 kit, they might not, since they are kinda sour on those. So if you have the OEM parts, Id advise to put it back on. Before sending it.
 
Honestly, it's too much trouble to revert back to OEM. I'll see what BLS says. If they deny me, I'll just buy a parts gun.

I like this gun, and I plan to keep it. But it's cheap, and in the long run, I'm going to need replacement parts anyways.
 
Mine likes CCI SV, 100% reliable ejection and loading. But that's because I swapped the two factory recoil springs for slightly lighter springs. I like SV for all my .22lr stuff and wanted the GSG-16 to use the same for simplicity, but it wouldn't reliably cycle until I put in the lighter springs. I don't ever shoot Mini-mags or anything else supersonic so not worried about harming the gun due to weak springs.
 
SIG FAN said:
Gerard, where did you get the recoil springs from?
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An eBay seller. Got a couple of lengths of different stainless springs in 8mm OD, and 0.8mm and 0.7mm wire thickness, intended for a different project years ago so they were leftover. Saved me having to order more springs when I tested them and found the resistance just enough weaker that they'd cycle CCI SV. 0.7mm wire, 8mm outside diameter, and about an inch longer uncompressed compared to the stock springs.
 
Took the thing down to at least show you the springs in the bolt carrier. Don't feel like undoing all the little bolts, but I've got the GSG set up so it can be pulled apart to this level in about 20 seconds for cleaning. Also tapped out all the assembly holes for the shell to fit some larger, stainless steel Allen bolts, as the stock 'screws' with Torx heads are just terrible soft metal and prone to stripping. Anyway, again a stainless 8mm OD x 0.7mm wire spring showing here partially compressed. The coils don't quite touch eachother when the bolt flies all the way back, close, but not quite.

GSG-16_8mmx0.7mm_stainless_springs.jpg
 
SIG FAN said:
Honestly, it's too much trouble to revert back to OEM. I'll see what BLS says. If they deny me, I'll just buy a parts gun.

I like this gun, and I plan to keep it. But it's cheap, and in the long run, I'm going to need replacement parts anyways.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't have to buy a parts guns ( Which I had to do to replace the receiver on my pooched receiver ) Then 4 months later BL got back to me, and cost me over 100$ to replace it, plus shipping both ways.

But when GSG first came out, I bought a lot of parts a person was selling. Few mags, some OEM parts, a spare bolt. But I sold those parts and now kicking my ass.
 
Gerard, you’re pretty dedicated to the cause. I love it!

OkayShooter - I’ll still pickup a parts gun if I can find one. Even with possible warranty. It sounds like Blue Line is a pain to deal with and they are also quite slow for responding and turn around times, from what I’ve read. At least if I have a parts gun, I can swap out broken parts easily and quickly. Waiting on Blue Line may be cheaper in the end, but I feel like I could lose my sanity LOL.
 
SIG FAN said:
Even with possible warranty. It sounds like Blue Line is a pain to deal with and they are also quite slow for responding and turn around times, from what I’ve read.
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It is interesting. I visited a small town mom and pop gun store today and somehow the conversation I had with the proprietor turned to warranty and GSG. He told me that Blue Line has been very difficult to deal with in his warranty experience with them, including charging the store/customer return freight costs for something that was clearly a manufacturing defect and then being difficult about it later.
 
For a while blueline"s website even went offline. Are they importing them anymore? Many canadian sellers are now stocked with the ATI usa model
 
I only saw one other reference to a cracked bolt in my readings. I think it was on reddit for a 522. I'll see if I can find the post
 
I will never run any hot ammo through mine. federal blue box is as hot as it gets.
Its 100% reliable with even cheap Winchester.

I had an MP 40 that I ran hot stuff through..and you could start to see damage.

These are made of cheaper metals. Be kind to them. ...and run it WET
 
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