Finally getting around to really shooting the AR I bought last Christmas. I'm using handloads, 55 gr bullets. The rifle is a DPMS Oracle. I'm using the stock magazine that came with it. At least one round of every mag. gets jammed. The bullet will be caught by the bolt sideways before it chambers. Otherwise, the rifle cycles fine, (?). I did notice the other day that sometimes it will also fail to pick up the next round. One time I cycled the bolt 3 times and it did not pick up the next round. I then turned the rifle over and hit the bottom of the magazine sharply and then it picked up the next round. Bad factory magazine? If you guys feel the magazine is the problem, please suggest a good after market one. Thanks.
AR 15 jamming problem
- Thread starter newmexkid
- Start date
Originally Posted By: GLShooterDoes it run with factory ammunition? You really need a known quantity of baseline if you're having issues with hand loads.
Greg
No, I haven't shot any factory ammo out of it. Also, my grandson's AR does the same thing. Same make and same hand loads. I have to admit I have never loaded ammo for an AR before. But, I have been loading for over 40 years. I'm shooting the 55 gr bullets with 25 grs. of H-335.
Greg
No, I haven't shot any factory ammo out of it. Also, my grandson's AR does the same thing. Same make and same hand loads. I have to admit I have never loaded ammo for an AR before. But, I have been loading for over 40 years. I'm shooting the 55 gr bullets with 25 grs. of H-335.
First cheap thing is try a different magazine. If no joy grab a $10.00 box of Winchester White Box and see what happens. I use STAINLESS ASC magazines or alternatively grab a couple of the Brownells house magazines. I find them to be of excellent quality though they only load to regular specs of 2.260.
If you load one round and fire it does the bolt lock back on the bolt catch?
Greg
If you load one round and fire it does the bolt lock back on the bolt catch?
Greg
Originally Posted By: GLShooterFirst cheap thing is try a different magazine. If no joy grab a $10.00 box of Winchester White Box and see what happens. I use STAINLESS ASC magazines or alternatively grab a couple of the Brownells house magazines. I find them to be of excellent quality though they only load to regular specs of 2.260.
If you load one round and fire it does the bolt lock back on the bolt catch?
Greg
Yes,
John
If you load one round and fire it does the bolt lock back on the bolt catch?
Greg
Yes,
John
Originally Posted By: arlaunchOriginally Posted By: GLShooter I find them to be of excellent quality though they only load to regular specs of 2.260.
Apologies for thread high jack but... What mags are you referring to, that can load longer than 2.260???
I have never heard of this.
PRI go to 2.300. ASC if you get the STAINLESS go to a nominal 2.314. 90% of what I shoot are ASC. All the 6.8 and 6.5's they make are the long ones.
1000's of rounds in various chamberings over the past seven years and never a jam. I can't fault them.
Greg
Apologies for thread high jack but... What mags are you referring to, that can load longer than 2.260???
I have never heard of this.
PRI go to 2.300. ASC if you get the STAINLESS go to a nominal 2.314. 90% of what I shoot are ASC. All the 6.8 and 6.5's they make are the long ones.
1000's of rounds in various chamberings over the past seven years and never a jam. I can't fault them.
Greg
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Plant.One
Well-known member
25gr of h335 should be MORE than sufficent to operate that gun. according to hornady's 9th its above max with their component list but i find there's a lot of varience there among various manuals, and 25 grains while on the high side of things likely isnt unsafe.
grab a PMAG, gen3 if you can. if that wont cycle, then work deeper.
sounds like possibly your follower is hanging up in that factory mag... or its overgassed and the bcg is outrunning the mag springs ability to move another round up in time. excessive carrier speed is real common for most 16" carbine uppers, including DPMS.
if you can borrow one from someone you know - see if you can get your hands on a T3/H3 heavy buffer. that could likely solve a lot of ills you're dealing with - assuming its not purely 100% a mag issue, which is a real possibility. that extra couple ounces from a standard 3oz carbine buffer can work wonders to taming an over gassed uppper.
HTH
grab a PMAG, gen3 if you can. if that wont cycle, then work deeper.
sounds like possibly your follower is hanging up in that factory mag... or its overgassed and the bcg is outrunning the mag springs ability to move another round up in time. excessive carrier speed is real common for most 16" carbine uppers, including DPMS.
if you can borrow one from someone you know - see if you can get your hands on a T3/H3 heavy buffer. that could likely solve a lot of ills you're dealing with - assuming its not purely 100% a mag issue, which is a real possibility. that extra couple ounces from a standard 3oz carbine buffer can work wonders to taming an over gassed uppper.
HTH
Originally Posted By: Plant.One25gr of h335 should be MORE than sufficent to operate that gun. according to hornady's 9th its above max with their component list but i find there's a lot of varience there among various manuals, and 25 grains while on the high side of things likely isnt unsafe.
grab a PMAG, gen3 if you can. if that wont cycle, then work deeper.
sounds like possibly your follower is hanging up in that factory mag... or its overgassed and the bcg is outrunning the mag springs ability to move another round up in time. excessive carrier speed is real common for most 16" carbine uppers, including DPMS.
if you can borrow one from someone you know - see if you can get your hands on a T3/H3 heavy buffer. that could likely solve a lot of ills you're dealing with - assuming its not purely 100% a mag issue, which is a real possibility. that extra couple ounces from a standard 3oz carbine buffer can work wonders to taming an over gassed uppper.
HTH
Over gassed or even undergassed. I am with Greg, try running some factory loads out of it. If this is happening with another rifle using the same ammo, I would suspect the ammo.
Timing is everything with an AR. Especially the carbine gas systems.
If it's overgassed then it is bouncing off the back of the buffer tube and coming forward too fast. If it's undergassed then it's coming forward before the BCG fully uncovers the next round in the mag.
You could also be having a feed ramp issue. If they are new and sharp it can drag on the cartridge and knock the timing off.
grab a PMAG, gen3 if you can. if that wont cycle, then work deeper.
sounds like possibly your follower is hanging up in that factory mag... or its overgassed and the bcg is outrunning the mag springs ability to move another round up in time. excessive carrier speed is real common for most 16" carbine uppers, including DPMS.
if you can borrow one from someone you know - see if you can get your hands on a T3/H3 heavy buffer. that could likely solve a lot of ills you're dealing with - assuming its not purely 100% a mag issue, which is a real possibility. that extra couple ounces from a standard 3oz carbine buffer can work wonders to taming an over gassed uppper.
HTH
Over gassed or even undergassed. I am with Greg, try running some factory loads out of it. If this is happening with another rifle using the same ammo, I would suspect the ammo.
Timing is everything with an AR. Especially the carbine gas systems.
If it's overgassed then it is bouncing off the back of the buffer tube and coming forward too fast. If it's undergassed then it's coming forward before the BCG fully uncovers the next round in the mag.
You could also be having a feed ramp issue. If they are new and sharp it can drag on the cartridge and knock the timing off.
Originally Posted By: willy1947
I do not handload anything that goes in an Auto or Lever rifle, except my 38-55 for my Winchesters.
5,56mm Lake City is cheap to buy. I load 223 rem for my bolt rifles.
I found some Winchester 45gr @ 3600 fps that shoot very good. My stop loading them.
No handloads for autos or levers? I don't think I have ever run a factory round through my lever guns. My hunting AR's have never seen factory ammo either. I also have never had a failure to function in my Colt AR's.
Most function failures in AR's that I have seen are magazine related, the others were off brand AR's with mix and match parts.
I do not handload anything that goes in an Auto or Lever rifle, except my 38-55 for my Winchesters.
5,56mm Lake City is cheap to buy. I load 223 rem for my bolt rifles.
I found some Winchester 45gr @ 3600 fps that shoot very good. My stop loading them.
No handloads for autos or levers? I don't think I have ever run a factory round through my lever guns. My hunting AR's have never seen factory ammo either. I also have never had a failure to function in my Colt AR's.
Most function failures in AR's that I have seen are magazine related, the others were off brand AR's with mix and match parts.
First day out in a week. That flu hit me good. Anyway, went to a gun store that is closing and bought 3 boxes of 55 gr fmj rounds. Got home and took a round out of a box...It is seated way shorter then my loaded rounds. I loaded my rounds to a COAL of 2.260. Maybe the rifle wants a shorter round? Will find out Monday.
Originally Posted By: newmexkidFinally getting around to really shooting the AR I bought last Christmas. I'm using handloads, 55 gr bullets. The rifle is a DPMS Oracle. I'm using the stock magazine that came with it. At least one round of every mag. gets jammed. The bullet will be caught by the bolt sideways before it chambers. Otherwise, the rifle cycles fine, (?). I did notice the other day that sometimes it will also fail to pick up the next round. One time I cycled the bolt 3 times and it did not pick up the next round. I then turned the rifle over and hit the bottom of the magazine sharply and then it picked up the next round. Bad factory magazine? If you guys feel the magazine is the problem, please suggest a good after market one. Thanks.
Magazines are cheap. Get several. I prefer the 20's over the thirties for the range.
kwg
Magazines are cheap. Get several. I prefer the 20's over the thirties for the range.
kwg
Bigdwebster
New member
Im guessing your problem was fixed by the added pressure of seating your handloads deeper rather than because of COAL. Assuming you used the same powder charge. But if your handloads still shoot good then problem solved.
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