In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

My AR-15 is jammed, and I can't unjam it.

oddball7465oddball7465 Member Posts: 766 ✭✭✭✭
edited February 2011 in General Discussion
I was shooting and I came upon a live round that wouldn't fire. When I went to eject it, it got stuck. The charging handle won't budge. I talked to my uncle who told me to try to take the receiver off. So I popped the pins and the front end popped up, but the back end won't come loose. I tried putting it back together, but the whole receiver is stuck now and I can't get the receiver to fit back in. Any ideas?

Comments

  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Send it to me. I'll take care of it and get it back to you soon.
  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,914 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    you need to take it apart. is the bolt all the way forward? if not it could be the reason your recievers wont come apart.
    AFTER you get your upper off or out of line with the lower, you can tap out the live round with a dowel or cleaning rod, but it really sounds like you need to find someone who can help you in person
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    FIRST, remove the upper

    Next, go to home depot or lowes or whatever. Buy a dowel rod that will juuuuust fit down the bore (take a micrometer with you)

    Now, insert the wooden dowel into the barrel until it hits the bullet.

    Beat that dowel with a hammer until the loaded round comes free from the chamber. Don't be shy, if it doesn't move, hit the dowel even harder. It WILL back out. Removing the bolt carrier first is a must.

    The wood will not hurt the bore, so bang it as hard as necessary.
  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tsavo303
    you need to take it apart. is the bolt all the way forward? if not it could be the reason your recievers wont come apart.
    AFTER you get your upper off or out of line with the lower, you can tap out the live round with a dowel or cleaning rod, but it really sounds like you need to find someone who can help you in person


    Certainly sounds like the BCG is not all the way forward. If it was, the receivers would seperate easily.

    OP: Please be careful. There IS still a live round in the chamber.
  • oddball7465oddball7465 Member Posts: 766 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    After beating it for a little while with a mallet the receiver came loose. Then I beat the charging handle and the thing came loose. Any recommendations on what I should do before I shoot it again so that this doesn't happen again?
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK I see I misread the OP.

    Get the pins OUT. They are cheap, so if you need a punch and hammer, get to it. Smack them out, and you are left with an inert top half of the rifle.

    Then follow my first post instructions.

    OR, here is another idea,....set the rifle with the muzzle pointed UP. Pour KROIL down the barrel and let it sit for a few hours. A quick Smack of the dowel should set it free. Kroil will find it's way around that stuck case.
  • NeoBlackdogNeoBlackdog Member Posts: 17,241 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If it does that again set it aside for a bit just to be sure the round isn't gonna cook off. Not likely but safety first. Next pull out just the rear pin and let the barrel drop down, pivoting on the front pin. At this point you can reach into the lower and reset the hammer by hand. Re-assemble the gun and try firing it again. I had this same thing happen and the second time the shell went off and the gun functioned normally.
  • JohnTJohnT Member Posts: 384 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds like the bullet is in the lands with the bolt slightly out of battery.

    Gp outside and point the rifle straight up. Grasp the charging handle as if you were going to operate it. Raise the rifle about a foot off the ground and bring the butt down...but not with excessive force...and bump it sharply on a hard surface while pulling on the charge handle. One or two bumps should do it. Be prepared to use a tool to dislodge the bullet as it will probably be left in the chamber. A brass rod works best. Wood doesn't.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JustC
    FIRST, remove the upper

    Next, go to home depot or lowes or whatever. Buy a dowel rod that will juuuuust fit down the bore (take a micrometer with you)

    Now, insert the wooden dowel into the barrel until it hits the bullet.

    Beat that dowel with a hammer until the loaded round comes free from the chamber. Don't be shy, if it doesn't move, hit the dowel even harder. It WILL back out. Removing the bolt carrier first is a must.

    The wood will not hurt the bore, so bang it as hard as necessary.




    +1


    The bullet was probably seated too far out.
  • 4627046270 Member Posts: 12,627
    edited November -1
    depending on where your at, one of us might be in the area.
  • rogue_robrogue_rob Member Posts: 7,033 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Did it eject a whole casing from the previous round? Depending on how many rounds you have fired, you could still have part of the previous casing still in the chamber and it is causing the unfired round to no go fully in battery. I've seen it happen before except the round DID fire with disasterous results.

    Do what JustC said.
  • oddball7465oddball7465 Member Posts: 766 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by rogue_rob
    Did it eject a whole casing from the previous round? Depending on how many rounds you have fired, you could still have part of the previous casing still in the chamber and it is causing the unfired round to no go fully in battery. I've seen it happen before except the round DID fire with disasterous results.

    Do what JustC said.
    As far as I can tell I still have all thee brass from the 7 rounds I got to fire.
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,128 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you did that much "beating with a mallet" I'd suggest someone who knows at least a little about the workings of an AR look it over for collateral damage. You also need to give your ammo a good going over to try finding out what the problem was.
  • coltpaxcoltpax Member Posts: 7,516 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Beat the sh** out of it with a hammer[:D]
  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ak-47s don't do that. [:D]

    Clouder..
  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I gotta ask...what kind of ammo were you using? Wolf?
  • Reaper1862Reaper1862 Member Posts: 839 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    GET A HAMMER!!!
  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I take it you have cleared the rifle.
    Clear the bore and clean the barrel and chamber thoroughly before shooting.
  • SXSMANSXSMAN Member Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by CS8161
    I gotta ask...what kind of ammo were you using? Wolf?


    Reading my mind now ?

    You beat me to it.
  • coltpaxcoltpax Member Posts: 7,516 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by SXSMAN
    quote:Originally posted by CS8161
    I gotta ask...what kind of ammo were you using? Wolf?


    Reading my mind now ?

    You beat me to it.


    If it's wolf, probably a broken casing. Needs a special tool to get it out, or a piece of dowel rod might work. But the tools only like $10.
  • drobsdrobs Member Posts: 22,620 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    +2 on what kind of ammo?
  • coltpaxcoltpax Member Posts: 7,516 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by drobs
    +2 on what kind of ammo?


    either way, if he woulda bought a real gun like an SKS he could fix it by beating the crap out of it with a hammer. [:D]
  • CyclonusCyclonus Member Posts: 2,825
    edited November -1
    Sounds like a lacquered steel case jammed in the chamber to me.
  • storm6490storm6490 Member Posts: 8,010
    edited November -1
    sounds like you used steel cased ammo or your AR was poorly maintained.

    use clp or some other lubricant with teflon or chemical that adheres to the metal and lasts. a dry dirty ar will lock up tight when it gets all gummed up and carbon baked. clean the ever loving poop out of your components GI style and use good lube. CLP is cheap and works perfectly on that weapon. apply and dry. its not to be slathered on.

    your weapon should never ever do this... ever.. never... ever ... never.. never



    if that happened to me and It was properly maintained with good ammo, the POS would be either blown up or sold.
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    as far as prepping for next time, get a shotgun bore mop (the soft type, not a bore brush) chuck it in a drill, coat heavily in Flitz, insert into the chamber and let the drill run. This will polish out a rough chamber.

    however I suggest you look at your ammo first, as that is most likely the issue.
Sign In or Register to comment.