I’ve never heard of an AR mag causing failure to eject/extract, bad mags are typically known to double-feed (2 live rounds), fail to feed. Fail to fall out of the magwell etc. After the round is out of the mag and on the bolt, the mag is out of the equation.
Your best bet would be absolutely verify that the gas block hasn’t moved and if it hasn’t to just replace the gas tube, gas key, extractor and ejector and springs and be done with it. (shouldn’t be more than about $40 total)
This would probably cheaper than all the test firing you want to do with the different ammo.
Again with the new key have it staked with a MOACKS with new screws. Use a stronger extractor spring (i.e. Wolff XP) and/or a Crane O-ring, a new ejector and spring. I typically replace the gas tube if it looks at all worn (at the gas key end) when replacing a gas key.
Maybe not, but on my fighting rifles my life is worth the $25 it costs for a gas key and tube. YMMV.
If this is a play/competitiion rifle and you don’t mind playing with it for possibly weeks to see what works and what doesn’t, go for it test away.
Using new parts properly installed will be sure they’re good. I’ve replaced improperly installed and not staked (factory) Bushmaster gas keys that shot loose and had less than 300 rounds total through the rifle. I’ve seen gas tubes damaged from as few as 3 jams where the empty casings are forced up into the upper receiver bending and damaging the end of the gas tube.
I don’t think I’d be able to do the install myself. I have no way to restake the carrier and quite frankly, getting the LaRue barrel nut off has proven to be a challenge before.
Everything else is entirely feasable.
If I can’t replace them, should I be OK if I check for burrs/dings on the gas tube inside the upper and make sure my key doesn’t wobble?
I like to think of my rifle as being good-to go for anything, but I’m not ready to box it up and ship it out just yet.
Anyways, back to my major concern; is there anything I can do to the rifle assuming that it happens with only that one kind of ammo, and that ammo IS NOT underpowered?
If it only happens with that ammo, quit shooting that ammo and see if it stops. Shoot 500 rounds of something else. I have a feeling that eventually it’s going to start happening again regardless of ammo. Just a hunch feeling.
When that happens, I should follow your suggestions? Aside from putting in a new gas tube and reinstalling a carrier key, everything else is entirely possible for me. If those parts are OK (carrier staked, no wobble, gas tube isnt dinged, isn’t leaking, etc.) on my rifle, then I shouldn’t have to mess sending my rifle away for a few weeks, should I? Those parts really aren’t a possibility for me to mess with.
I’ll be going this weekend, and I’ll bring some IMI to test it against. I was thinking that maybe something in my rifle is wrong, it is just being agitated moreso by the Guat than the IMI.
I just got back from the range. Prior to going, I put a #60 o-ring in and sprayed hoppes into the hole where the ejector spring can be seen. (I didnt have a punch)
Well…
No problems, with any ammo, in any mags!
I had a great time shooting, as it should be!
Well, except for when I bump-fired, I had the hammer ride the BCG forward, but I figure that was just one of those things that happen with bump firing (this happened with IMI)
I was shooting my rifle this weekend and had about 7 or 8 FT Ejects. Upon examination of my bolt, the ejector seemed fine with good spring tension, the extractor rim is in good shape, but dirty (shame on me), and my bolt gas rings were worn, not to the point that they wouldn’t support the carrier weight if stood on the bolt face, but 2 of the 3 were obviously missing pieces/excessive gap. The carrier gas key is tightly staked down and gas tube is in good shape.
My question is could worn rings cause this FTE? I have since cleaned the rifle well and replaced the gas rings with the one piece coil type, I have also installed a new extractor spring, crane, and o ring upgrade kit just to be on the safe side. Any answers or advice appreciated.
My rifle has a 1:7 chrome lined heavy carbine barrel with a 5.56 NATO chamber. At the time I was shooting federal 55grn FMJ .223 ammo. I did perhaps wonder if I had too much grab on the extractor.
