Update: put another 40 rounds through it, total round count at 180. Zero issues cycling/feeding etc and i wasnt able to hang up the gun on the stock trigger shooting as fast as possible. I did find that not letting the charging handle go back all the way before releasing prevents the out of battery issues when racking a round in. So almost “riding” it (what people tell you not to do) feeds the rifle more reliably than slingshotting it. Bolt catch still works fine for chambering in all positions. Because of my little science experiment i now know that mitigating bolt bounce is the issue im dealing with here, and maybe the stock spring is just too stiff and slams the bolt home with too much force?
Makasi mk15 initial overview and issues
- Thread starter AuntJemima
- Start date
Painkillers
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I can already feel the interwebs screaming as to how springs work, but follow my train of thought.
I'd suggest you try to store the gun when not in use with the bolt locked open...I know, I know, "springs weaken with cycles of compression/extension, not just compression.", But I tell you, Glock pinned mags are the very worse mags to hand load when they are new. Very often, the mag spring is so stout that getting in round 8, 9, 10 is impossible without a mag loading tool. My fix was to leave the mags fully loaded and stored. After a few months, the spring does somewhat relax to where they feed fine, and can be hand loaded with little struggle. The mag springs seem to plateau at this point. I have some mags that are 15/20 years old and still run without any issues.
Like my Glock mags, perhaps leaving your rifle in a state of spring compression when it isn't in use will settle the spring into its plateau state? Just a guess, and it certainly can't hurt the gun as opposed to lapping compound or excessive dry cycling?
I had an AR-15 that came with a solid buffer. If you shook it, there was no audible rattle.
That rifle experienced bolt bounce and occasional light primer strikes or failures to fire. It only happened with 5.56 and not .223
After I replaced the buffer with a standard M4 buffer, which had the characteristic rattle when shaken, those issues disappeared.
That rifle experienced bolt bounce and occasional light primer strikes or failures to fire. It only happened with 5.56 and not .223
After I replaced the buffer with a standard M4 buffer, which had the characteristic rattle when shaken, those issues disappeared.
Interesting find. I will definitely try deliberately not pulling it back all the way.
Your rifle definitely differs from mine in that using my bolt release will always produce issues for me.
I am confident rhat all of the Bolt bounce leading to light primer strikes is Recoil Spring related. Once the Spring breaks in, the problems disappear, just like on my Para FAL, which shares a very similar nested double Recoil Spring. Leaving the rifle with a "set" Spring (action held to the rear) may help to break in the Recoil Spring - I do not know. However, experience to date suggests that Firing the rifle WILL eventually break in the Spring, resulting in 100% reliability going forwards.
That’s what I had to do to the mags for the crusader backland as they were stiff
It helped but I’d like to take them apart to trim the bottom edge of the follower a bit but I think they are glued together and don’t come apart
Had to leave the derya 9mm pump mags full for awhile too plus a couple mag fed shotguns so they worked better and would load easier
Leaving the bolt action springs compressed prob wouldn’t hurt
Good on you for thinking outside the box. If I correctly understand what you are suggesting, it is to lengthen the Rubber Buffer at the rear of the Lower Receiver. I am not sure what positive effect(s) abbreviating the rifle's cycling would accomplish, but you would have to avoid negating engagement of the Bolt-Catch, which would significantly limit how much you could lengthen the Buffer. You might also interfere with the rifle's ejection of spent casings by reducing the amount of time that the ejection port remains open. Another risk of shortening Bolt-Carrier travel is a lack of adequate momentum of the Carrier when the action is moving forwards to strip a fresh round out of the Magazine and into the Chamber. The risk of inducing some sort of stoppage through stove-piping and/or feeding issues is pretty high in my estimation.
Not worth the effort and potential down-sides IMHO, especially since the position of the Bolt-Catch will severely limit what you can do to lengthen the Buffer in any case....
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I must admit that I chuckled....
Back on topic, it is good to see that reports regarding the Makasi here and elsewhere (eg. Reddit) are trending positive for the updated NR rifle and its post-break in performance. Now we just need to get several thousand more rifles into people's hands....
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It looks like Gravel is still fulfilling RDSC's pre orders as I just saw a post on Reddit that someone just received theirs. I saw another comment on a different post that someone just got their pal checked by Marstar. Seems like Gravel is prioritizing retailers who fully prepaid. Who knows how long that's gonna take.
