My new DPMS LR-308 is broken in, and possibly broken

[General Disarray]

I was hoping for any advice or suggestions on an issue my LR-308 has. It functions great in every respect, except for one weird hang up. It's ejecting rounds, and they are getting caught up on their way out of the chamber. I noticed it happening during the whole break in, but I only had one round at a time going through it, so it didn't stand out as an issue. After I put 25 shots down the pipe and cleaning between each like the manual said, I loaded the mag up with 5 rounds, and right away the brass was hanging up on it's way out of the chamber. It happened 2 out of 5 rounds, like 3 mags in a row. It's really a weird issue, cuz it's ejecting fine, just not making it out of the chamber before the next one is trying to load in. I'm using American Eagle rounds, but I don't know if the type of ammo would matter for this type of ejection issue. Is this common with AR's in .308? I'm totally confused.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Sounds like the ejector spring is weak or possibly the ejector is partially bound up by tiny brass shavings. Have you tried disassembling the bolt and cleaning the ejector? Have an empty case handy, because it can be a pain to reassemble the ejector if the spring is proper strength.

 

[DnPRK]

That could be a symptom of the extractor releasing it's grip on the case rim too early. If it is a new rifle, give DPMS a call and see what they suggest.

 

[Onmilo]

These reports are depressing since I am considering a .308 AR rifle.
It appears that the Knights Armament Stoner is the only truely reliable AR and I can't afford $3500.00 for one.

I may talk Armalite into buiding what I want,,,,,,

 

[Rexster]

Perhaps it's time for an FN FAL?

 

[General Disarray]

Thanks guys. I was hoping to avoid sending in the rifle as I just got it. The summer's too short around here, ya know.

Thanks for the imput Rexster; very constructive. I'm not quite ready to ditch this brand new $1300 1" MOA for a barely accurate frankengun. I didn't start a 'which is a better battle rifle' thread here. I'm looking for constructive advice. I'm already stocked up on frustration as it is, so I'm all set with the semantics on BR platforms. Thanks though.

 

[Rexster]

I should have added a winking smiley, perhaps, to lighten it up. I started typing a reply with guesses on the nature of the problem, then deleted my guesses and left what I did. I have seen so many issues with the AR15 platform, and experienced a few myself, that it is difficult to be constructive sometimes. FWIW, I have no experience with the FAL, and just tossed it out there because it's chambered in .308/7.62 NATO, and is a military autoloading rifle. I know exactly what you mean about having a highly accurate yet malfunctioning weapon with mucho dinero tied up in it, from a big-name maker.

 

[General Disarray]

Thanks bro. I should lighten up. I left the range a broken man today. It took about 2 hours to get the 25 round break-in accomplished. I managed to use those shots to zero the irons in. Then I put five in the mag and expected to get some practice done. Failure to ejects one after another. They're ejecting, just hanging up.

So, Bartholemew, I took apart the bolt including the ejector. There was some brass shavings and such, but nothing excessive. It wasn't *that* hard to push on it to put the pin in. Should it have been *hard*? How would I know if the spring is okay? It seemed a pretty rugged little spring. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for though. I cleaned it all up real good, and reassembled. I wish I could just point it out the window and test fire it again. My neighbors wouldn't be very happy though. Anything specific I might look for?

 

[aubie515]

I've owned two DPMS LR rifles and never had one issue with them. Saying that the SR 25 is the only option is a bit of a stretch. The SR 25 is a fine crafted machine, but the DPMS isn't a POS.

It shouldn't matter if it's a new rifle or an older rifle, DPMS will resolve the issue for the OP. I'd give the guys in the tech department a call and see what they have to say.