Several months back I was shooting when something jammed up my trigger. Pulled a small section of a roll pin out from underneath it. Never could figure out where it came from, looked to be about the size of a gas tube roll pin, maybe a little shorter. Anyhow, it appears that the ejector roll pin is flush with the bolt on one side and recessed about a 1/16" on the other. I don’t have another bolt to compare it with so I’m not sure as to the length an ejector roll pin should be. Is it even possible that this could have broken off and fallen into the FCG? Is the pin long enough to be flush with both sides of the bolt? It sound rather unlikely and the ejector is still being held in place. Any ideas? How difficult is it to swap the pin if necessary? Thanks.
The pin holding the extractor in should be slightly rounded on each side. If yours isn’t you might have a broken pin. Just to be safe should be replaced. Its easy. just take a small punch and push that bastard out and then replace it.
I figured as much. I lack and ejector tool (the deal that presses down on the ejector so the pin can be punched out). Do you think I could just put the bastard on a would block and drive the new pin in so it pushes the old one out?
If your “ejector” is the extractor, you do not need a tool. Push the back side down and press on the side of the pin, it will slide right out. I’ve never had to use force or tools to take the extractor apart.
I believe the op is actually talking about the ejector, and it is indeed held in by a roll pin. just looked at a spare bolt and it looks like 1/16 or 5/64 and both ends are just below the surface of the bolt ,I would not try to drive it out without something to hold the ejector in place .
Is he refering then to the spring loaded round pin with the flat face on it that is sticking out of the front of the bolt as shown on the picture below? If so, I have never taken that apart…yet.
And if my guess is correct, is it held in by the small diameter pin just towards the camera in front of the hole for the cam pin as shown here?
I’m guessing, as I honestly am new to the term ejector on the AR and what/where it is, as we talk about it it stands to reason that the extractor is the claw hook that grabs the brass and the “ejector” would be this spring loaded pin that would push out on the far end of the brass (from the extractor hook) and cause the brass to rotate out towards the ejection port and clear itself of the extractor’s grip so that the speed of the bolt and momentum of the case would cause it to impact the ramp/hump on the upper and get thrown out to the side and back. Am I on track with my thinking?
Now I’m confused! Animalmother, can you take a picture of what the problem is so we can better diagnose it? I think i had rectal-cranial inversion when I first read the thread. I do believe I was thinking extractor instead of ejector. And if it is in fact that little roll pin holding in the ejector, that is an easy fix as well
Extractor=claw thing that grabs the rim of the cartridge to pull shell from chamber.
ejector= spring loaded pin that protrudes from the front of the bolt ,when the extractor pulls the shell from the chamber the ejector pushes on the rim and when the shell clears the chamber the spring pressure forces the shell up and out to the side “ejecting” the shell out of the ejection port, The small door on the side of most ARs. The ejector is held in place by a small roll pin approximatly opposite the extractor pivot pin. This ejector pin is under a lot of spring pressure and unless care is taken upon removal of this roll pin the ejector will fly across the room or out into your eye. always use eye pro when working on these rifles.
I am in fact talking about the ejector. It is held in place by a small roll pin. I believe part of it broke off and fell into my trigger group as it appears to be far too short on one side. The ejector is still being held in place by the remaining half of the pin. I can’t do pics as I don’t have a digital camera (got an EOTech instead). I’m curious as to whether I can drive a new pin into the hole on the bolt, thereby pushing the remaining pin out with the new pin (using the broken one as a slave pin more or less). I don’t have an ejector tool and the pin is cheap. A member of another forum offered to repair it for me if I send it to him, which I may end up doing, but if I can fix it myself without having to by more specialized tools I don’t have the cash for, that would be ideal.
Ive never seen a ejector roll pin break,but nothing would suprise me anymore.Certainly sounds like the source of the issue.I’d pull the ejector and inspect the roll pin.If half of the ejector roll pin is missing its just a matter of time before the ejector ejects itself into the upper or barrel extension,which could get ugly.
That said Ive had some real spotty luck with Armalite springs and roll pins in the past few years.My advice would be to go through and replace all the springs and pins with known quality(Colt or LMT is my preference) if the rifle is to be used hard or for defense.
Otherwise I’d contact Armalite and get them to send me a replacement ejector roll pin or have them fix it.
