I just disassembled my m&p 15 bolt but I cant get the bolt itself to budge from the locked position to the rear with or without the cam pin in. It can spin around in the bolt carrier with out the cam pin in but the bolt doesnt go forward at all with or without it and i cant get it back into the rifle now that its assembled because its stuck in the locked position what should I do next??? Thanks for helping.
AR-15 bolt disassembly problem
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
Joined
·
7,229 Posts
Not sure if this will help or not, but this gives a basic overview of the field strip process of an AR-15 bolt. The position of the bolt should not matter a whole lot with regard to the retaining pin unless you're trying to put the pin back in:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgzSUnEolnY[/ame]
Basically, with an AR bolt, DO NOT force anything. It all should come apart pretty easily with absolutely minimal effort. When in doubt, hose that puppy down with oil. I know the past couple of bolt carrier groups I've had were kinda stiff and hard to manipulate at first until I had given them a good soaking and really worked it in there by hand, then they were buttery-smooth. If what you're working with is new, it could just be that your carrier group is a bit dry.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgzSUnEolnY[/ame]
Basically, with an AR bolt, DO NOT force anything. It all should come apart pretty easily with absolutely minimal effort. When in doubt, hose that puppy down with oil. I know the past couple of bolt carrier groups I've had were kinda stiff and hard to manipulate at first until I had given them a good soaking and really worked it in there by hand, then they were buttery-smooth. If what you're working with is new, it could just be that your carrier group is a bit dry.
Once the firing pin and cam pin are removed, there is nothing holding the bolt in the carrier except friction from the gas rings. Never seen a new bolt difficult to remove, but if the rifle has been fired a lot without disassembling and cleaning the bolt carrier group, it is possible that carbon build has accumulated and hardened inside the carrier, preventing the bolt from being easily withdrawn. You might try to soak the bolt carrier group in some solvent or bore cleaner for a while to see if it would soften any carbon build up and allow the bolt to come out more easily. Be careful of the force applied in pulling on the bolt, as the gas rings are fairly fragile, and easily damaged.
The rifle is new and unfired beside the factory test fire but it was really dirty on all other internal parts and I just gave it some very light tugs then called it good when it wouldnt budge I left it soaking in my gun oil while im at work I was also worried I took it apart wrong I took the firing pin retaining pin out with the bolt in the locked position I dont know if that has anything to do with it since im new to the AR-15
Joined
·
18,296 Posts
It sounds like the bolt gas seal rings are just tight from being new. It doesn't matter when you remove the retaining pin as it is only there to hold the firing pin in the bolt. I seem to recall the bolt on my M&P-15 was very tight in the carrier when new also. Just keep working it and pulling it as you twist it forward. It will loosen up.
The AR15 is very simple - if not exactly completely straightforward, where it comes to the BCG - to disassemble/reassemble.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seEegWV5RYM[/ame]
^ I'm not using this to discourage you, aa214 - rather, just to illustrate that as darkwriter77 pointed out, you shouldn't need He-Man levels of physical exertion to do anything with this firearm, at least in terms of basic field-strip and reassembly.
Also, I wanted to use this video to call your attention to the following:
Note at time-point 1:23-1:24 that this little darling (my daughter is 10 and 1/2, and the two could be sisters in their love of firearms ) "flicks" the BCG, similar to how one would flick out an unassisted folding knife blade after having started it with one's thumb.
That's really all the force that's necessary to pop the bolt to the forward position for re-assembly. A properly lubricated BCG will, even when new, do so.
A common test for bad gas seal rings is to, once the bolt is forward, stand it up - with the bolt face on a flat surface - to see if the bolt collapses back into the carrier under the latter's weight. If it does, then it's time to replace the seals.
I wish I had a reason for why your bolt is stuck in the carrier....I'm really not sure why this is the case. As 3wbdriver noted, maybe it's just really stiff? Be sure the lubricant ingresses via the holes on the side of the BCG.
Make/model of the AR and/or BCG?
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seEegWV5RYM[/ame]
^ I'm not using this to discourage you, aa214 - rather, just to illustrate that as darkwriter77 pointed out, you shouldn't need He-Man levels of physical exertion to do anything with this firearm, at least in terms of basic field-strip and reassembly.
Also, I wanted to use this video to call your attention to the following:
Note at time-point 1:23-1:24 that this little darling (my daughter is 10 and 1/2, and the two could be sisters in their love of firearms
) "flicks" the BCG, similar to how one would flick out an unassisted folding knife blade after having started it with one's thumb. That's really all the force that's necessary to pop the bolt to the forward position for re-assembly. A properly lubricated BCG will, even when new, do so.
A common test for bad gas seal rings is to, once the bolt is forward, stand it up - with the bolt face on a flat surface - to see if the bolt collapses back into the carrier under the latter's weight. If it does, then it's time to replace the seals.
I wish I had a reason for why your bolt is stuck in the carrier....I'm really not sure why this is the case. As 3wbdriver noted, maybe it's just really stiff? Be sure the lubricant ingresses via the holes on the side of the BCG.
Make/model of the AR and/or BCG?
Joined
·
18,296 Posts
Per post #1 it is a S&W M&P-15. This is why I cited mine as an example.
^ Ah, thank you - rushing to post between two errands, and my reading comprehension went out the window. Thanks for the check.
With a little Googling - and the only thing I can think of off-hand - is that somehow the gas rings in this brand new gun got screwed up at assembly, causing it to wedge the bolt inside the carrier.
Here's a similar post from the bowels of ARFCOM:
https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=66&t=514242
Note that this particular member started off with the BCG stuck in the weapon. Later, his bolt was stuck inside the carrier. Unlike aa214, however, his bolt was stuck forward.
aa214, since your bolt is already all the way back, I would insure that the firing pin is removed (and its associated retaining pin), that the cam pin is also removed, and to look from the rear of the BCG towards the front, towards the tail of the bolt - you should see that it protrudes just a bit beyond the shelf inside the BCG. I would be tempted to use an appropriately sized dowel to at least get that forward push started (to push the tail flat to that shelf/flange), to then see if that doesn't help you manually extract the bolt.
Thanks for the check. With a little Googling - and the only thing I can think of off-hand - is that somehow the gas rings in this brand new gun got screwed up at assembly, causing it to wedge the bolt inside the carrier.
Here's a similar post from the bowels of ARFCOM:
https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=66&t=514242
Note that this particular member started off with the BCG stuck in the weapon. Later, his bolt was stuck inside the carrier. Unlike aa214, however, his bolt was stuck forward.
aa214, since your bolt is already all the way back, I would insure that the firing pin is removed (and its associated retaining pin), that the cam pin is also removed, and to look from the rear of the BCG towards the front, towards the tail of the bolt - you should see that it protrudes just a bit beyond the shelf inside the BCG. I would be tempted to use an appropriately sized dowel to at least get that forward push started (to push the tail flat to that shelf/flange), to then see if that doesn't help you manually extract the bolt.
I've taken it apart before but I didnt take apart the bcg but I noticed it was stuck in the forward position I just put it back in the rifle and it would chamber and extract my snap caps with no problem I have it soaking in my gun oil now and im gonna give it another try shortly.
Make sure nothing wonky is happening with the bolt rings or the carrier bore,
it sounds like the gas rings are just dragging on the machining in the carrier bore.
Try cycling the bolt a few dozen times--pull charging handle back, ride it forward fast enough to let bolt close fully (and smack the forward assist if it doesn't).
If that helps, wipe the bore of the carrier and the bolt gas rings free of excess oil and do it a coupla dozen more times. Should clear right up.
it sounds like the gas rings are just dragging on the machining in the carrier bore.
Try cycling the bolt a few dozen times--pull charging handle back, ride it forward fast enough to let bolt close fully (and smack the forward assist if it doesn't).
If that helps, wipe the bore of the carrier and the bolt gas rings free of excess oil and do it a coupla dozen more times. Should clear right up.
Tap the bolt face on the table - see if you can get the bolt to go back in that way.
Question...how much force are you using to try to get the bolt out?
I have to use quite a bit of force on my UCWRG Premium. My factory DD is looser than my factory LMT. My BCMs (I've got one resident in my BCM upper, and another I purchased as a spare full BCG) are somewhere in the middle. The POS el-cheapo Ares Armor that I have as a backup backup is actually pretty tight, too. All of these still "McKenzie out" with a flick, though, and even the one that's the easiest to pull out still easily stands under the BCG's weight (even now, with about 2.5K on the rifle).
All this was as-new, but well-lubricated.
Question...how much force are you using to try to get the bolt out?
I have to use quite a bit of force on my UCWRG Premium. My factory DD is looser than my factory LMT. My BCMs (I've got one resident in my BCM upper, and another I purchased as a spare full BCG) are somewhere in the middle. The POS el-cheapo Ares Armor that I have as a backup backup is actually pretty tight, too. All of these still "McKenzie out" with a flick, though, and even the one that's the easiest to pull out still easily stands under the BCG's weight (even now, with about 2.5K on the rifle).
All this was as-new, but well-lubricated.
Im not putting much force on it when I try to pull it out of the locked position because im worried ill brake it and from what I read here the gas rings are pretty fragile and easy to break I also dont know how hard I can pull on it without it breaking the gas rings
Joined
·
7,229 Posts
I've tried to replicate this stuck-bolt issue with one of my BCG's and I can't figure how the heck it would stick like that. The last BCG I bought when I pieced together my last upper was so darned stiff that I had to use a pair of pliers just to ROTATE the cam pin so that I could remove it, but I was able to actually pull that pin out with my fingers once I had turned it. Lubing the thing up with an overly generous amount of Slip2000 cured that problem immediately, once I got it apart. Once you actually get the bolt out, lube everything, and reassemble, it should move freely enough that you should be able to get the bolt to slide out to its forward position just my holding the bolt carrier and giving it a little swing with your wrist, kinda like it's a tiny expandable ASP baton. (I highly recommend NOT using a BCG as a substitute for a baton, though. )
)^ My best guess is that the rings are just borked, and somehow one or another got wedged between the bolt and the carrier, like the old ARFCOM post I cited.
aa214 the gas rings are an expendable, wear/consumptoin item.
Given that you can freely rotate yours, I'm betting that you just need to pull it a bit harder, but the lack of internal reference is making you hesitant.
I don't blame you for being so, but before you take that thing to a gunsmith and rack up a bill (plus being without the gun for a bit), have a fellow gun-club member or a friend who is familiar with the AR platform - or even a well-AR-knowledgeable counter-guy at the gun shop - take a look at it.
aa214 the gas rings are an expendable, wear/consumptoin item.
Given that you can freely rotate yours, I'm betting that you just need to pull it a bit harder, but the lack of internal reference is making you hesitant.
I don't blame you for being so, but before you take that thing to a gunsmith and rack up a bill (plus being without the gun for a bit), have a fellow gun-club member or a friend who is familiar with the AR platform - or even a well-AR-knowledgeable counter-guy at the gun shop - take a look at it.
Geeze Louise indeed. Steve, as the OP wrote in the original post, he has already removed the firing pin and the cam pin, and is trying to pull the bolt out of the carrier. His problem is that the bolt won't come out. It will rotate, but apparently there is some problem with the gas rings (perhaps as one post suggested, broken) that is binding the bolt in the carrier.
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
