I’m new here, and as such I’ve been voraciously going through the threads. Very knowledgeable bunch of folks.
As the title indicates, one topic that caught my attention is dropping the hammer on a separated lower. Some say it’s bad, some say it doesn’t matter, but the threads I have read didn’t seem to have “proof” other than the usual “that’s not good, ask me how I know” and then fail to follow through when asked.
So I ask it here. Is it really that bad? What are your real world experiences? The reason I’m skeptical is because on an empty magazine, at least in my mind, you have the force of the action spring and the inertia of the BCG + buffer (H2 in my case) slamming against the bolt catch all the time. I haven’t been in school in a while, but I’m thinking there’s more force and inertia behind a BCG and buffer in full return than a hammer with a fraction of the weight. Do I have this wrong?
As far as my own experience goes, I did it regularly on a third-world-manufactured M16 lower. I didn’t dry fire on it, but I certainly did it once or twice every time I cleaned it. It’s an A1, and between my Dad and me it’s been “dry fired” on a separated lower quite a few times.
Thanks for the input guys. If this has been discussed before please point me to the existing thread and Mods please close. I searched for a while but my Google-fu could be off.
good question as i am new to the ar platform myself. i have done this once or twice myself while cleaning. what are the negative effects to doing this?
My hammer only drops when I shoot it… are you going to be sitting on the couch or at the range “practicing” with this?
My question is why? Im sure its not good, its not gonna hurt the hammer itself, Im pretty sure it would affect the lower though.
Has it happened before? Yes.
Do I sit around and keep dropping the hammer while separated? No.
The parts getting “slammed” into like youre refferring to, the buffer BCG Etc… are DESIGNED for that. The aluminum magwell thats getting the shit beat out of it everytime you drop your hammer isnt. STOP IT!
With the upper installed, the hammer falls on the firing pin as it is supposed to; not the bolt catch.
When you pull the trigger on the lower only, the bolt catch takes the brunt of the hammer blow…it is not designed to be repeatedly (or at all, even) whacked with the hammer. I don’t have any real world experience (and I will never gain it either, as when I dryfire stripped I always let the hammer hit my hand instead), but I do have enough mechanical sympathy to see this is an extremely unwise idea as it beats the shit out of the bolt catch and the lower.
As regards your thoughts on the BCG…can’t quite see what you mean as that doesn’t slam the bolt hold either; its the barrel extension that dictates where/how the bolt seats, and by extension, the carrier.
It’s a no-go for exactly the same reason that you wouldn’t want to fuck a cheese grater - because sooner or later, something very important will get damaged.
But doesn’t the hammer rest/hit the bolt catch when it comes down, instead of directly on the receiver?
And before everyone gets their panties in a twist, I didn’t say I would be dry firing with a separated lower. It’s a discussion, that’s all.
The comparison I was trying to make was the force of the BCG+Buffer+spring return against the bolt catch vs hammer+hammer spring against the bolt catch when the upper is removed.
Again, just a discussion. If you can’t keep your responses civil, take it somewhere else.
I just explained it…its a moot point because it doesn’t happen when the upper is installed. Have a read around here…plenty of posts explaining how it all works.
I get what the OP is asking about the BCG.
OP lock your bolt back, hold the bolt catch and pull the charging handle all the way back and let it go.
This will give you a good idea of how much forward momentum is being applied to the bolt catch during live fire.
Quoting to respond directly. Read original text. I didn’t say I would be “practicing” with a separated lower. I don’t even know how you got to that.
As to your question on “why?”, I can’t respond to that. This was a theoretical discussion of mass and inertial forces, that’s all.
As to your last question, to rephrase my original question : I am curious as to why the bolt catch was designed to catch all the inertial forces of a BCG and buffer on its way home, but not a mere hammer.
Just a discussion man. No need to hate on the low-post-count guy.
thought the point of a forum was to have discussions and help each other out. some of us don’t want to read a bunch of old posts to get one simple answer.
BTW, you have a very low post count.
Panties are going to get bunched around here.
Even if your question wasn’t so abstract.
There is a lot of good solid info on this forum.
The tone that this site has taken in the last year is wearing on me however.
I wasnt upset or offended in the least. Im not “hating” at all. Its an odd question…youre gonna catch flak for it man.
You asked is ther proof that dropping the hammer on a separated lower was bad?
Ya youre gonna catch flak for man, I wasnt trying to be a prick, I thought I was bein funny. Just relax man. Dont get butt hurt cause you asked a goofy question and got the respones you did.
It happens to all of us in the begining
It’s never a moot point if it’s just a discussion, which I thought was the whole point behind a discussion board. If “it doesn’t happen” is your criteria of what’s to be discussed then alert the mods on the SHTF threads that need to be mass deleted.
But thanks anyway. I’m not an armorer, but I do know “how it all works”.
I broke a bolt catch by droping the hammer in a separated receiver when I was a teenager, I haven’t done it sence. When I went through Basic Training I saw a guy doing it and I told him what happened to me, he didn’t listen and a week or two later broke his bolt catch. The one I broke was on a RRA or DPMS lower and the other was a Colt so it can and will fuck anything up.
