My new AES-10B from Classic Arms
I'm new to the board/group-here is my AES story
I picked up my AES10-B Thursday (2 days ago), which I had ordered from Classic Arms. They shipped very quickly-however my transfer FFL didn't call when it came in. I took the rifle to the range yesterday. Here's the good, the bad and the ugly:
First the bad:
-The rifle had unfinished furniture. It was sanded smoother than an AES-10B I saw at the gun show in St. Louis last weekend(and mine was $130 cheaper). I think it would clean up quite nice with very little work(I'm a woodworker).
-My rifle was filled with metal shavings too. It looked like that it wasn't cleaned after the mag hole/well was milled out. I cleaned it out and greased the bolt.
-I noticed the bolt was sliding against the receiver cover-I called Classic and they said shoot it a while and see how it loosens up.
-the trigger slap hurts-the disconnector looks like it was cut down like on the web site
http://www.gunsnet.net/Linx310/slapfix.htm
Now the ugly:
-I could only get 1 bullet in the 40 round (new) magazine. The front of the mag looked like it was too short. The 30 round mag was fine
-When I went to chamber a round(I wasn't letting the bolt fly, so full force wasn't applied), the bolt didn't close all the way-it was a half inch shy of closing. I ejected that round and tried another-it stuck. The kid at the range came by and I asked for a rubber hammer-he said bump the bolt on the wood table which worked. I tried again letting the bolt fly and I finally loaded a round-after firing a few rounds things seemed to work OK. A couple of times when I first chambered a round in later sessions, I could tell the bolt was back a quarter inch and pushed it forward and then had no problems when the rifled cycled itself after firing.
Anyone know what's happening here?
-HERE IS THE REAL UGLY: when I got home and started cleaning the rifle-I noticed the bolt carrier had a half inch long crack where the gas piston screws in. I will be calling Classic Monday-may even fax them now.
The GOOD:
In my first session at the range, my first group at 25 yards was about 2 inches across. The second set was an inch and a half across. And the third group was just barely bigger than a quarter. At 50 yards the groups were about 3 to 4 inches across
OVERALL: I will have to wait and see how the cracked bolt carrier is resolved for a final opinion. I want the rifle-I think it has great potential. I think with practice and a new pair of prescription glasses, I could have a very accurate rifle. I've shot AK's(well WASR10, I have two) and an SKS rifle numerous times, but I never put together a near quarter sized group right out of the box.
Any thoughts on my cracked bold carrier? Will Classic send me to Century? I noticed that right after I purchased my AES, Classic took them off their website-might have been the last one.
Grady