AR Troubleshooting

Sinasta

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Hey guys, I was at the range earlier. Temperature was around -10 to -15. Upper is a SR-15 and lower is a ATRS with a RRA Carbine weight buffer. I was shooting 5.56 rounds. First mag would cycle almost with no stoppages. All stoppages were not picking up another round. Second mag would basically be a bolt action.

Rifle was kept inside a heated shack until I shot. So I was wondering if the cold might have something to do with it or I need a heavier buffer to slow down the cyclic rate of the 556?

This happened on two occasions with different mags and exact same results. First mag not bad and second mag, my rifle was basically a bolt action.

Other rifles were also stored in the heated shack until used and none experienced any stoppages.

PS

I have no issues shooting 223 from Pmags when it was warmer. Mags from today were standard metal mags.
 
Could be the mags but could be the cold to.

Heavy oil turns to a sticky paste when those temps are that cold. First time I had my shotgun out in the cold I had just cleaned it and oiled it up causing the pump to take considerable effort to cycle the action. Its very possible the oil was cold enough to cause drag on the bolt and slow down the cycle enough to stop it from fully cycling to pick up the next round.

Try very little oil or dry lube like a teflon or graphite spray.
 
Hey guys, I was at the range earlier. Temperature was around -10 to -15. Upper is a SR-15 and lower is a ATRS with a RRA Carbine weight buffer. I was shooting 5.56 rounds. First mag would cycle almost with no stoppages. All stoppages were not picking up another round. Second mag would basically be a bolt action.

Rifle was kept inside a heated shack until I shot. So I was wondering if the cold might have something to do with it or I need a heavier buffer to slow down the cyclic rate of the 556?

This happened on two occasions with different mags and exact same results. First mag not bad and second mag, my rifle was basically a bolt action.

Other rifles were also stored in the heated shack until used and none experienced any stoppages.

PS

I have no issues shooting 223 from Pmags when it was warmer. Mags from today were standard metal mags.

Have you tried using the upper on another lower? Why aren't you using the original KAC lower?

This is not a buffer problem. The SR-15E3 ships with a regular weight carbine buffer. I asked about the buffer weight before, and C Reed Knight III specifically said NOT to run a H buffer since they can cause the gun to malfunction.
 
Rifle was kept inside a heated shack until I shot.

This happened on two occasions with different mags and exact same results. First mag not bad and second mag, my rifle was basically a bolt action.

I have no issues shooting 223 from Pmags when it was warmer. Mags from today were standard metal mags.

Hi Sinasta,

This is a long shot (no pun intended) but taking any warm metal into the cold can result in condensation which in this case would rapidly become frost/ice. The fact that you were using metal mags would tend to increase this tendency.

You mention using Pmags in warmer conditions, but have you used them in similar temperature conditions with this rifle?

And I thought Ontario had a cold climate. I feel much better now :D
 
All kinds of things can happen and it may not be a mag problem. If it happens in the cold then I would degrease the entire gun and mags and use a lube that is proven to work in the cold like Eezox.
 
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