[markovsky]

Hi guys,

Brand new RDB taken to the range today, and I had some immediate problems. First time ever shooting this rifle. It cycled fine, chambered the bullet fine, ejected fine. I was using a single round in each magazine, in hopes of fine-tuning the gas system until the bolt locked open. After the first shot, the action didn't stay open, so i loaded another single round and adjusted the gas a few clicks. The next round chambered fine (as far as I could tell) but when the trigger fell, nothing happened except a click. Sounded like a dry fire. I cleared the chamber, and sure enough a live round came out. I thought it was bad primer maybe, because there was a mark on the primer, but it was light. Maybe the firing pin isn't hitting it hard enough. After about a dozen more single-load tries, I was able to get 3 more shots off (4 total), with the last 6-7 tries not working at all. Just dry-firing sounds.


Has anyone had a similar problem? Ideas? Advice? - I'll be sending it back to Kel-tec tomorrow, but just wondering if this is a one-off situation or a known issue.

(To make things worse, I had 4-5 random guys that i didn't know watching me in the shooting lane. They started out harassing me about how awesome it was and asking to hold it, but then they all laughed and said it was a piece of $*** after this fiasco. Talk about embarrassing.)

 

[HBeretta]

Hi guys,

Brand new RDB taken to the range today, and I had some immediate problems. First time ever shooting this rifle. It cycled fine, chambered the bullet fine, ejected fine. I was using a single round in each magazine, in hopes of fine-tuning the gas system until the bolt locked open. After the first shot, the action didn't stay open, so i loaded another single round and adjusted the gas a few clicks. The next round chambered fine (as far as I could tell) but when the trigger fell, nothing happened except a click. Sounded like a dry fire. I cleared the chamber, and sure enough a live round came out. I thought it was bad primer maybe, because there was a mark on the primer, but it was light. Maybe the firing pin isn't hitting it hard enough. After about a dozen more single-load tries, I was able to get 3 more shots off (4 total), with the last 6-7 tries not working at all. Just dry-firing sounds.


Has anyone had a similar problem? Ideas? Advice? - I'll be sending it back to Kel-tec tomorrow, but just wondering if this is a one-off situation or a known issue.

(To make things worse, I had 4-5 random guys that i didn't know watching me in the shooting lane. They started out harassing me about how awesome it was and asking to hold it, but then they all laughed and said it was a piece of $*** after this fiasco. Talk about embarrassing.)

lol...i'm sorry man i had to laugh at this one. I can just see the randoms hovering your lane. Same happens to me when i go to my range and the last time out an older fella right next to me shooting his 300 winmag got up and literally said hello grabbing for my rifle and asked if he could shoot it. I was like..wtf old man!

Anyway, did you compare primers on the shots that went off versus the ones that didn't? Or did all the last 6-7 misfires have primer strikes at all? Also, straight out of the box and to the range or did you disassemble prior to? Did you do a lot of dry firing as well prior to the range? Obviously, check your firing pin tip to make sure it didn't break. Function check your hammer too after you pull the rifle apart. Hopefully it's just your firing pin which unfortunately happens. I had kel-tec send me a couple as backup from my experience with ar15 pins.

it happens...

cz52 firing pins

ar15

 

[Lefty2Guns]

Disassemble and take a look at the photos of this guys lower receiver.

http://www.thektog.org/forum/f119/sigh-kel-tec-267255/

Is your hammer crooked like this? Might also be a possibility (only 2 people have posted a similar issue though and it was usually after a few hundred rounds).

****ty experience, man. Some of us have gone through this unfortunately. I got through about 60 rounds my first outing before my bolt disassembled itself because of a missing weld. Turnaround was fast though (1 week) and mine's been flawless for about 1,000rds since then.

 

[markovsky]

Thanks beretta and lefty. I finally had time to strip it down and take a look.

To answer beretta's questions:
- yes, it was disassembled prior to this first shooting, for a cerakote job. However, the innards of the lower (the trigger assembly stuff) wasn't touched. They masked around all of that stuff.
- I didn't think to check real closely on the extracted ammo after the failure to fire. There was a time when I put the same cartridge in again and it fired on the 3rd attempt. I asked one of the guys at the range about using cold ammo, and he didn't think it was an issue, but the rounds I fired had been in my trunk in a steel ammo can for a few days and they were very cold to the touch. Not sure if primers or brass hardens at 15-20°. That was really the only odd variable. Ice cold (but dry) ammo. I've trained dozens of times with the same ammo in the winter with an AR with zero problems though.
- I just pushed the firing pin through and it is protruding through the hole slightly, but not much at all. The tip of the firing pin appears to be rounded and symmetrical. Doesn't look broken to me, but it's just barely sticking out (not sure if that's normal or not though). See pics

 

[Zedster]

(To make things worse, I had 4-5 random guys that i didn't know watching me in the shooting lane. They started out harassing me about how awesome it was and asking to hold it, but then they all laughed and said it was a piece of $*** after this fiasco. Talk about embarrassing.)

I feel your pain. First I had issues with the bolt staying locked all the way to the rear in the ejection position and the only way to release it was to disassemble the rifle. Then the issue with the hammer assembly breaking on me. In both instances there are people around looking at you because it is a gun that looks pretty cool and different. Then when people see it is a Kel Tec and they have that "Go figure" look on their faces and look at you like you should have known better.

I am trying to stay positive even after having to send my rifle back....Good luck with whatever ill spirit haunts your weapon.

 

[markovsky]

Zedster- yeah. I'm never shooting this sucker in public again until I figure it out and test it rigorously. I still love Kel-tec. While it sucks to go through this, there's no other company attempting what they attempt, and the concept and design of this thing is superior to anything else out there. I'm willing to help them test their stuff and iron out the wrinkles for future generations. I consider myself a beta tester of sorts, but my other
KT weapons have really impressed me and are solid (KSG, PMR30)

 

[Lefty2Guns]

I thought that firing pin protrusion looked a tiny bit short, but upon checking mine, it looks similar.

Have a pic of the hammer (both cocked/forward if possible)?

Also, did you mention what ammo?

I recall a batch of imported ... .223/5.56 something (I really don't recall) floating around that had extra hard primers. Was being sold at a discount but would require firing pin/hammer spring modifications to get it to run reliably in an AR (and I assume an RDB). Otherwise, I'm not sure cold hardened primers is a thing (I don't live somewhere where it gets cold enough to know about that anyway).

 

[HBeretta]

yeah man...everything appears normal in your photos. you've tried actuating the hammer too with it disassembled? your firing pin too in the image how it protrudes looks perfect...how mine has always looked; yeah i check constantly before a range trip. pretty odd situation. and you've never pulled the bolt apart? i mean i've had some bad rounds in federal 100 rnd value packs from walmart. never with my rdb but with my fs2000 and on one occasion seemed like 4-5 rounds...primer strike and all and nothing along with indentations on some of the casings.

i have run steel cased tulammo too through my rdb with no issues and without gas adjustment either.

that zedster image has me thinking and i've compared my innards and was curious if the polymer mold for the trigger/hammer linkage was the culprit. i'll have to check back on his photos...

 

[markovsky]

Update - i figured out the problem. The sling swivel's retaining ring (#431) on the lower/buttstock (left side) either broke or fell off somehow. This was allowing the swivel loop to be pushed back into the rifle, where it interfered with the metal tracks that guide the hammer. When the hammer was coming forward, it was hitting the inside edge of the swivel and losing most of its velocity, and possibly even stopping completely (that would explain why some rounds had light marks and others had none). There were a few times when I'd charge the rifle to pick up a round and experienced a jerk about halfway back in it's range of motion, likely catching on the swivel during the hammer reset. This could also explain why I couldn't get the bolt to lock back, even with a considerably high gas setting.

I see some unnatural wear and tear on those parts, so I'm going to send it in anyway. I need a new swivel retaining ring (#431) and to have them check the linkage and hammer systems, which could be damaged.

Perhaps Captain Cerakote may have forgotten a piece during reassembly, but I can't confirm. If that piece was left out of reassembly, then this is the cerakoter's fault, not Kel-tec's.

Unphased, ever-loyal and dead drunk on the Kel-tec Kool-Aid

 

[HBeretta]

was going to say...wondered if the cerakote reassemble was the culprit. at least you know now. sucks you really didn't get to fire the gun.

 

[bbqncigars]

Good that you found that problem. I can see myself having tunnel vision and concentrating solely on the fire group. Please update this when you get your rifle back.

 

[wopp1515]

does any one know the # for the rdb firing pin I cant find it on the kel tec wed sight?

 

[HBeretta]

does any one know the # for the rdb firing pin I cant find it on the kel tec wed sight?

just call them or open a ticket on the website...they'll send you a couple for free. literally got mine in 3 days first class mail then again i'm central though.

likewise, i couldn't find on website anywhere...they don't have much up for replacement parts for the RDB...eventually though.

 

[texcl2]

Same here, I called them and they sent me a free fp. I bought 7k rounds of the hard primer golden tiger .223 and modified the fp to have more protrusion, worked like a charm with no failures to fire. The hammer is very powerful.

 

[HBeretta]

Same here, I called them and they sent me a free fp. I bought 7k rounds of the hard primer golden tiger .223 and modified the fp to have more protrusion, worked like a charm with no failures to fire. The hammer is very powerful.

yeah...damn thing is a sledge hammer.

 

[markovsky]

Still don't have the gun back yet (I was slow to ship it off), but this box of unsolicited swag certainly makes me feel better:

 

[bonesurf]

Same here, I called them and they sent me a free fp. I bought 7k rounds of the hard primer golden tiger .223 and modified the fp to have more protrusion, worked like a charm with no failures to fire. The hammer is very powerful.

how did you modify the fp? i seem to be having the same problem