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My AR is screwed

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bubbacrabb

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So my DPMS AR15 that doesnt have but 200 rounds thru it is jammed up. I can not get it for anything. The bolt is locked forward, you can see the ears on it are turned so I cant get it any further forward, etc. I've tried turning them, slamming the but stock and pulling back on the handle etc. It wont budge. Forward assist is not doing anything either, and I've had it all the way in. I'm about to wrap it around a tree. Spend a lot of time on it, I"ve searched on the web which is where I got the idea of hitting it on something solid and pulling back on handle but it wont move for anything. Anyone have any ideas? Its stuck and aint comin out.
 
Is the carrier ALL the way forward? You said you can see the ears on the bolt still...

If the old trick about bang the butt on the ground while pulling back on the charging handle doesn't work, can you open the upper receiver? The bolt would have to be all the way forward...

Also, is there a live round in the chamber?
 
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Spray the bolt with oil (lots), then carfully use a flat head screwdriver to pry the bolt carrier back slowly. Should work, next time make sure you are using 223's and not 5.56's and keep the bolt wet when using untill the gun is broken in.

Jim
 
I've tried turning them, slamming the but stock and pulling back on the handle etc.
Click to expand...

Slam harder. If you have a collapsible stock, collapse it.

This is why all of my reloads go through a case gauge after sizing and when completed. The Lyman gauge doesn't cost much.
 
Next time make sure you are using 223's and not 556
Click to expand...

It wouldn't matter. 5.56mm and .223 are dimensionally equivalent externally.

http://www.humanevents.com/2011/02/15/223-remington-vs-556-nato-what-you-dont-know-could-hurt-you/

Don't force the case any further in. GENTLY prying the bolt back with a screwdriver is a good idea. I would suggest wrapping it in electrical tape as well so you don't ding up your ejection port.

I'm going to guess. When you say ears do you mean the locking lugs?
 
why is that?
Click to expand...

A number of reasons, cheap surplus ammo is dirtier, made to lower standards than commercial ammo. Although not all commerical ammo is made to high standards also. But folling the chamber and throat along with different bullet profiles will cause jams. Once the barrel and chamber are boke in the rifle will be more forgiving of suplus ammo and will have few if any problems. But first get the bolt carrier group smoothed out with the break in.

Jim
 
Not that it will help you solve your immediate problem, but I'm curious if the stuck case/cartridge(?) is steel or brass cased? Commercial ammo or handloaded?
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. Very appreciated. Although I did post this in the wrong spot, lol. I spend the most time on the reloading forum anyways, I meant to post it in the gunsmithing section though. I have had no issue with my handloads, this was some free steel stuff a friend gave me so I thought I would just go blast it all away. I ended up soakin it in ballistol then pried to back out. It worked, nothing looks bad, I will do a follow up test now that I've scrubbed the heck out of it. I'll take it out with my handloads that have always been flawless in this weapon in a few days. Thanks again fellas.
 
Give us a follow up later when you narrow down to the problem. If it's the ammo well at least you know, but make sure it's not something wrong with the rifle at least for safety reasons.
 
Yep, steel and AR's....not a match. I jamed mine on the first round and tried and jamed 3 more AR's without finishing the 20 round box.
 
Send all your Wolf Polyformance crap to me. My AR's don't seem to mind it at all. It's not the most accurate stuff around but it works when I figure I'll be losing my brass anyway.

Seriously, if it dosn't work in your rifle ask around. Someone will probably take it off your hands.
 
I must be running an anomaly too. My AR eats steel case ammo like it's candy.

Most steel case stuff is no longer lacquer coated. It is polymer coated and that doesn't melt in the gun.
 
seperate the receivers, use a brass punch or drift and a hammer to tap the carrier back, that will force the bolt to unlock and if you strip the bolt off the round, you can always punch the case out with a doll rod or rupterd cartridge extractor
 
Another contributing factor of the steel round jamming is that when the round ignites, the steel casing expands, but then doesn't contract down very much. Brass is more flexible so after it's expansion, it will contract down more, decreasing the chance it will get stuck in the chamber. But as several have stated here, some AR's can take the steel ammo, but some can't.
 
I got it back out so all is well. I'm not to worried about steel case stuff. First one in thousands of rounds of it to give me a problem. I had my gun super hot so maybe that had something to do with it. I think sometimes guns just jam, and I was really ticked off when it happened and should of just cracked a cold beer and thought about it instead of posting about it. I got it all scrubbed down, and I'll shoot it again in a few weeks or so. My AR's are not my favorites but I'll have to make sure they're working well for what I own them for. I'm more of a single action type of guy. My AR's and such are more SHTF senario type weapons. I wouldnt keep steel stuff for that, but free ammo is free ammo. If its in existance, I expect my gun to chew it up and spit it out.
 
Oh. . .I bet I know what happened.

Steel cases do not expand as much as brass when fired, allowing gasses and powder to blow past them until there is sufficient carbon buildup to seal the chamber. This effectively reduces the size of the chamber. Guess what happens if you try to shoot brass in there afterwards without using a chamber brush? It either jams on chambering (if you're lucky) or you fire it and it expands and locks itself in place.

It sounds to me like this is what happened to you. The classic "brass case after steel" fiasco. Use a chamber brush before running any more ammo through that gun, brass or steel.
 
If it happens again, grab it by the flash suppressor, and kick the bolt open. This is hard to get right on an AR, but can be done. If you don't do it just right you'll bend the charging handle, but it can take being hammered back into shape. Mine dosent like steel cases, but if you oil the outsides of the case just a little they work a lot better
 
but if you oil the outsides of the case just a little they work a lot better
Click to expand...

Do not use chemicals or polishes to “pretty up” ammunition. Polished and/or waxed
or oiled ammunition can reduce the friction between the cartridge case and the chamber
walls resulting in dangerous pressures against the bolt. Oiling ammunition may cause
contamination of the primer and deactivate it, preventing the cartridge from firing when
needed.

Armalite tech note # 87
 
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