AR reliability upgrade question

[MistWolf]

The weak point of most "off brand" ARs is their springs. Get a Colt copper extractor spring with the black insert. You can either install it now, or wait until you start having extraction problems. As I've had a couple of "off brand" extractor springs go flat rather quickly, I'd just go ahead and replace it now.

Keep a spare ejector spring and action spring handy.

You don't need Gucci Lube, but you do need to keep it lubricated. Two or three drops through the exhaust ports of the carrier will keep it running smoothly.

Just remember MEAL-
Magazines. Bad magazines will cause double feeds- the release of two live rounds into the action
Extraction. One common sign of extraction problems is a spent case and a fresh round jammed in the action
Ammo. Bad ammo will lead to cases stuck in the chamber, short stroking and other issues
Lubrication. A dry AR is an unhappy AR. Wet & dirty is better than dry & clean. Just wipe down the BCG with an oily rag, then place two or three drops in the carrier ports. That's all you need

 

[Swampman]

1- Run quality magazines.
2- Run quality ammunition.
3- Keep it reasonably clean.
4- Run it wet with good oil. You don't need $20 per ounce stuff named after amphibians, 5W-20 Mobil One works great.

If you're still worried, buy a quality AK in 7.62x39.
Iron ingot construction, looser tolerances, lower pressures and more case taper will all help reliability. Just be aware that they also decrease accuracy and effective range.

Your rifle sounds plenty reliable to me, just shoot it and if problems or weak areas show up, fix 'em or upgrade as they occur.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[goon]

Aside from good magazines and upgrades to the extractor spring, I'd just leave it alone and shoot it.

 

[Tirod]

There are some case histories on the subject. First, the backup AR used as a loaner for a carbine course, known as "Filthy 14," which was only lubed and wiped down for 60,000 rounds over the course of years. It was only "cleaned" twice - ie had a patch run down the bore or the bolt tail exposed to the Parkerizing. It did have component failures - a new bolt or extractor in about the same time that the Army discovered it would anyway. Which includes laborious detail stripping and scraping, anytime the rifle was issued from the rack, even if it wasn't shot.

The second is a much larger sample of full auto rifles used on a rental range, and reported on arfcom. These guns get cleaned daily but shoot thousands of rounds weekly, up to 200,000 a year. They are documented and show the same track record - bolts fail after 20,000 rounds, firing pins go blunt, extractor springs go weak, extractors dull, gas tubes perforate. Actually run of the mill for GI parts and expected.

A low round count recreational rifle could take ten years to approach the point - spending money on it now on parts with NO track record and nothing to go on but marketing hype means there is no real world justification or even testing to prove they are "better." What they are is manufactured because they will sell - making money for the vendors.

Milspec is plenty good enough without spending 3X more for ? There are no documented tests to show the money gets you 3X more longevity - on a dollars per 10,000 rounds can anyone show the money actually gets you more reliability or longevity? There are no hard numbers or repeatable tests to prove it.

It's all just marketing to the Mall child raised in a environment of constant huckstering. A good example is a highly popular muzzle device which had a lot of posting about how great it was - then tested and the results published on the internet. It was at best middle of the road. Better than an A2, some, better than all others, no. There were others with more recoil reduction, or less muzzle rise, or quieter at the shooter's ear as recorded by instruments. No, it actually wasn't all that when reduced to hard numbers. It was just popular with a lot of shooters who like the price and looks - it had market share on cool.

"Reliability" enhancements for the AR 15 are a mixed lot but marketing clouds what might really help - and then you still need to judge what actually delivers for all the extra money. All too often it's a matter of appealing to the ego and that is where the supporters come out justifying their sociological need to be "better" because they own it - not because it is.

The reality is all you need to do is lube it, wipe it down, keep an eye out for loose key screws or cracks in the bolt, pay attention to failure to extract due to worn parts, and don't really start worrying over it until you shoot 15,000 rounds thru it. If you get to 20,000 with no issues - replace the bolt assembly and firing pin regardless and you are avoiding a potential malfunction in the near future.

We should be doing are cars that way, too, but the false notion of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" is accepted so we do nothing until there is a major failure. And that is always going to cost more and be untimely because of it.

Don't bother throwing money down a rat hole for "reliability," practice preventive maintenance and you will be ahead.

 

[HankB]

Ammo is a major factor . . . I have a few rules I adhere to:

1. I generally don't use milsurp ammo that comes from a country where I wouldn't drink the water. (Ammo from USA, RSA, Lithuania, Australia, and Britain have all worked well for me. I never use anything from India, Pakistan, or Zimbabwe. Russian/Chinese ammo I limit to Mosin-Nagant and AK variants.)

2. I don't use gun show reloads. (MY OWN reloads are fine.)

3. I don't use steel case rifle ammo.

4. I don't use commercial ammo from unknown/small/local manufacturers.

 

[MartinS]

"...combat reliable level..." upgrade?

Enough ammo and practice to have you hitting with the first shot every time.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Most jams/malfunctions I have ever had were my fault. Good mags, good ammo, good handling and good lubrication go a long way.

If your rifle isn't jamming take a carbine course or start competing, you will find out what it takes to jam it.

 

[Zerodefect]

BCM upgrade spring kit, good.
Failzero, not good.

Federal Ammo
P mags
Good lubing
Attention to gas system. (for leaks)

Enjoy. Nothing expensive needed.

 

[goon]

One thing on AR's - spare springs and extractors, firing pins, cam pins, etc are so available that you can just spend $30 and keep enough spares around to get through many situations. I haven't broken any AR parts yet, but when they're dirt cheap from PSA, you'd be a fool to not get some.