Ever had a locking lug break?

[Firethorn]

It's been a few days, but I just had my training in M16A2. I missed marksman by 2. Oh well.

I only had one problem. The bolt failed to close completely one time. Forward Assist is there for a reason. The Air Force seems to be getting better with mainentance for their weapons. First time I shot, I had what was effectivly a shingle-shot M16. Second time, well, I could usually make it through most of the magazine. Still wasn't very impressed. I'd still like to own my own rifle, just so that I could make sure that problems like that didn't occur. I'd even pay for enhancements out of my own pocket.

Anyways, two lanes down from me a guy had a problem. It started as a double feed or something, but he ended up shaking out a piece of the bolt. Fortuantly, the guy knew *that* wasn't supposed to be coming out, and he called for a range master. A lug, approximatly perpindicular to the extractor, was broken off. They eventually came up with another bolt, swapped it out, and he proceded to qualify.

Would this rifle still have fired? Relatively safely? And is this a common problem with M-16's?

 

[bytor94]

The locking lugs breaking off is not common, but does when a crack forms and is not caught during inspections. I'm more worried about them just putting a new bolt in the rifle without checking the headspace for the new bolt.

 

[Sam]

I wouldn't exactly say it was common but I have seen 10 or 12 in the past 30 years. It would have fired if the piece hadn't jammed it up and no one would have known till they went to clean the weapon.

Sam

 

[Firethorn]

bytor94,

Would headspace really be a big deal with mass-produced, armoury rebuilt M16A2's? From what I've seen, they pretty much treat any part that doesn't need tools to remove as replaceable. The bolt's a pretty simple part, and I'm sure that the bolt they found to replace it was functionally identical (likely pulled from a different rifle).

Oh, and I was busy qualifying myself, so I'm not 100% sure of just what they did.

 

[bytor94]

With a brand new bolt the headspace shouldn't be a problem. But, was it a NEW bolt, or a used one?

I check M16's daily, and sometimes even a new bolt will fail the check in some rifles, but work just fine in others. It just depends on the wear and fit between each part.

Unless it was a really dire situation, I would want it checked first. But, that is just me.

 

[HankB]

I've only seen one rifle with a broken locking lug, and that was a Weatherby Mk V.

It was quite a number of years ago, so the details aren't fresh . . . but a shooter down the line from me at the range had a problem, and it turned out that one of the rifle's nine (?) lugs was sure as heck broken off.

 

[AirForceShooter]

M-16

it was a piece of crap when they first issued it and it still is.
I'll never trust my life to one in a combat situation.

AFS

 

[Sam]

Headspace is just as much of an issue with 16's as any other weapon.
In real life you can fire a weapon that by the book is dangerously out of headspace, but I would not reccomend it.

If you have a half dozen spare bolts and a set of gages laying around, you can find a usable one and have it installed and operating in 15m min or less.

AFShooter. You are wrong. I would much rather have an old Fairchild marked 16 than any of the newer ones, so long as I got to use the ammo it was accepted with BY THE AIR FORCE.

The bare bones 16 was a pretty decent rifle and it didn't become a crapper till the Army and McNamara got thier hands on it. And I definatly prefer the 55 gr bullet and 1-12 rifling in the performance department. It stops much better in that configuration.

Sam

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Wheres Mad Dog & the Wookie?
Is it time for another meeting of the He Man AR15 Haters Society?
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16040