How does the AR-15 "know" to lock...

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peck1234

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How does the AR-15 "know" to lock the the action back on the last shot?

What mechanical part does this?

Ive been shooting my AR for over a year now, and can field strip it in minutes

But I still dont understand how this feature works... :confused:
 
The empty magazines follower pushes up on the bolt release from inside the receiver.

Look up inside the mag well at the top/rear and fiddle with the bolt release and you can see it.

Or, open the upper and put an empty mag in the lower, and you can see it.

rc
 
Thanks!

Man do I feel dumb! I was just looking in the wrong place! : P
 
It's as rcmodel described , or else they hire little elves to hide in the receiver and preform the function.:)
 
The elves seem to dislike Promag, FWIW. Elves are rather picky sometimes and their favorites tend to be GI or Magpul followers in aluminum body magazines. Sometimes they get uppity about thick-bodied plastic mags with undersize followers, and that uppitiness increases their likelihood of going on strike.

The elves also get uppity when the bolt catch fits too tightly (either in its recess or in the pin holding it in place) or when the bolt catch spring is too strong (usually out of spec spring or receiver). Elves have even been known to walk off the job when bolt carrier speed is too high (usually because of a carbine gas system, a light carbine buffer, and a weak/worn action spring).

Just my 2 cents on the care and feeding of AR elves.
 
friggen elves. When the elves stop working, I recommend removing them with a stiff brush and some solvent, to make way for the good elves.
 
Elves have even been known to walk off the job...
Click to expand...

The OP asked a perfectly legitimate question. Please don't get his thread closed for letting in wander off topic.

Elven politics are not welcome discussions on THR. :neener:
 
Everyone knows that the elven vote was narrowly split between Ron Paul and Bob Barr. The Repubs wouldn't offer minority status tax breaks, and the Dems wanted to outlaw the high cap mags as a dangerous work place.
 
its the same basic system that is in almost all pistols and rifles, the mag follower pushes the slide stop into place when the mag is empty
 
Quote:
So THAT's what makes the "sproing" sound!

That's the sound of the Elf getting caught between the buffer and the bolt.
Click to expand...

What sounds like a simple sproing sound to us is actually Elven for a word I can't repeat on this board. Suffice to say it hurts a bit being caught between the buffer and bolt.

The Russian elves in my AK have a language all their own, but being good little socialists they tend to not complain as loudly.
 
The Russian elves in my AK have a language all their own, but being good little socialists they tend to not complain as loudly.
Click to expand...
The Commie Elves make a grinding sound. :neener:
 
or when the bolt catch spring is too strong
Click to expand...

One of my AR15s would not lock back on an empty magazine, and the culprit was indeed an overly strong bolt catch spring, or so I thought. I replaced it easily enough, but later I started having issues with my trigger not wanting to reset between shots, which I believed to be caused by a weak disconnector spring. It turns out that the disconnector spring and the bolt catch spring are remarkably similar, though one is a little stiffer than the other. I think mine were swapped during the assembly process. No worries though. I used the trigger problem as an excuse to upgrade to a Rock River 2-stage trigger, which is wonderful.
 
Very complicated process involving tiny (but strong) midgets living in the action - the details are on a need-to-know basis, however, and I don't think you *really* need to know - yet! :evil:

Oops, now I see I wasn't the first smart alec to come along - carry on.
 
Elves, pixies, midgets, gremlins.

They all have their specific roll in the operation of the AR.

I recently bent my gremlin, so I'm off to the gun shop to buy another.


How does the AR-15 "know"...
Click to expand...

Because he paid close attention to his master. Now he "knows".


:D
 
My Mini-14 uses hamsters to do that. I thought the AR-15 also used hamsters. Interesting that it is elves. You learn something new every day. :)
 
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