Colt AR-15 Jamming

[Vendor Defendor]

I was at the range last Thursday, and my AR-15 would jam up if I loaded up the clip all the way (20 rounds). Is this normal? If I popped a couple round out of the clip, everything would go just fine...

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[4v50 Gary]

Sounds like the magazine doesn't want to cooperate. Try another magazine and see if it jams.

Also compare the magazine lips to that of a new one. If they're OK, you may need to change the spring & follower of the old one.

 

[BDM]

On 20 round mags its easy to put the spring back in the wrong way if you have disasembled it in the past,a common thing soldiers did with the mag in viet nam,you know its assembled right if it compreeses after its loaded to 20 like you could fit 21 if you wanted then its in right.

 

[rust collector]

I have no firsthand experience with 20 round mags (mine are 30's and a 10), but I have read that most 20's function properly only with 18 rounds or fewer on board. Makes no sense to me but I read this in an article that went into the various mags available in great detail.

Sounds as if you have found the solution to your problem. If you need more than 18 on tap, you may need to go a 30 round mag.

 

[YammyMonkey]

My Bushy had the same issue with the 30 round mags when new, might just need to shoot it a lot, problem worked itself out after a couple hundred rounds IIRC.

 

[BTM]

Even the best mags when loaded full 20rd or 30rd, the first round will ocassionly snub on the feed ramp. Might only happen 1 in 100 times or every time depending on the mag, the round and the particular AR.
To be safe in a critical shooting setup- load 18 in a 20 and 28 in a 30. This is also much easier to seat the mag with a closed bolt.

 

[Cyberdyne systems]

when you fully load it to 20 rds it makes the spring tension too weak for it to be reliable, try 18 or 19 rds.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

If fully loading your magazine causes it to malfunction, then it is time to replace the springs. The only point in downloading AR15 magazines is that if you replace the magazine with the bolt forward and a round in the chamber, a fully loaded magazine may not seat in the magazine well.

 

[Badger Arms]

The AR-15 isn't fed from a clip, it's fed from a magazine. If you are stuffing 8-round stripper clips up the shoot and getting the gun to work, more power to you!

Please tell us what brand rifle, what brand and capacity MAGAZINE, and what type of ammo. All are relavant.

 

[Darkside852003]

mag

I had the same problem with my ar mags an old vet at the range told me just to load 16 rounds and I havent had a problem yet. Once the mag broke in more I started loading another round each trip to the range.
I also sat at home and loaded it to break it in which helped alot.

 

[355sigfan]

Its a good rule of thumb to load 20 round mags with 18 and 30 round mags with 28.
Pat

 

[Steve Smith]

I agree with Bartholomew.

 

[355sigfan]

The only point in downloading AR15 magazines is that if you replace the magazine with the bolt forward and a round in the chamber, a fully loaded magazine may not seat in the magazine well.
END

And that is a huge point. The most common malfunction I see as an instructor is failures to fire due to not seating the magazine all the way. Downloading by 2 rounds stops this problem in my experience. It also prolongs spring life. If you die because you needed those 2 extra rounds chances are you screwed up big in many other ways.
Pat

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

And that is a huge point. The most common malfunction I see as an instructor is failures to fire due to not seating the magazine all the way. Downloading by 2 rounds stops this problem in my experience.

I'll download my mags by two sometimes for the same reason if I am doing an IPSC-style course or training. My main point was that there is a lot of "mythology" about why AR-series magazines are downloaded. People should understand that if the magazine only works with less than its full capacity of ammo, then something is wrong with that specific magazine and it needs to be replaced or repaired. The only advantage you gain by downloading mags is you can replace magzines with a round in the chamber.

It also prolongs spring life.

I'm pretty skeptical of this. What direct experience do you have that suggests that this is true? I've tried downloading specific mags and full-loading specific mags to see if there is any difference in magazine life. After five years, the results are both sets of magazines still work fine. If there is any difference in the spring life of these magazines, it is too small for me to see.

 

[Steve Smith]

I guess I ought to add my 2 cents. Shooting for the CO State NTIT Team, I saw several strageties, but a common denominator is 30 round mags, loaded fully at the onset. We practiced this way every time, and shot at the Nationals the same way, and will continue to do so. The only issue is to have the bolt to the rear for the first mag, or really slam the mag in. Good mags will feed, period.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Off-topic thread veer split to new thread in S&T:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=73154