No.
It really sounds like most of the problem here, is that you misunderstood what the auto bolt release was supposed to do.
If you are looking for pushing in a button to drop the bolt onto a fresh mag, this ain't it.
All the auto bolt release does is prevents you from having to get fat fingers under the tab on the bolt hold-back lever, when you go to chamber a round after you have pushed it in to lock the bolt back.
Should work fine without a mag. Lock the bolt back, pull back a bit on the charging handle and release to close the bolt. That's all.
If you wanted it to hold the bolt back automatically, Brownell's sells a kit. Expensive and needs modified magazines to work. And still does not drop the bolt by pushing a button.
Sounds to me the problem has to do with your expectations, rather than the parts.
They don't work like you thought they do.
If you want a firearm that works like an AR, you pretty much gotta look at the S&W or the Colt. Not even sure if they use the same buttonology as the AR, and they are Restricted, so range only use.
Cheers
Trev
